Supporting and developing artistic talent is essential to a vibrant cultural landscape and a diverse economy. Understanding the economic contribution of programmes that invest in artists helps ensure they receive the recognition and funding they need to sustain and grow their work.
Simetrica-Jacobs was commissioned by Theatre & Dance NI (TDNI) to model and build evidence on the economic impact of the Spotlight programme for Northern Ireland and the participating artists. The programme supports artists at key moments in their careers, helping them develop professionally, build networks, and access new opportunities both in Northern Ireland and internationally, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The analysis draws on income and expenditure data gathered by a Simetrica-Jacobs led workshop with artists who participated in Spotlight between 2022 and 2025.The data shows that, on average, artists’ income was 25% higher after participating in Spotlight than in years prior. Artists’ feedback provided important context for this increase, with many reporting that the programme helped them build international connections, secure new performance opportunities, and gain exposure that contributed directly to higher earnings.
The programme also supports artist retention within the creative sector. For one artist, the proportion of income coming from the non-creative sector declined following participation, indicating that Spotlight may enable artists to rely less on external employment and dedicate more time to creative work.
Most importantly, within the workshop the artists highlighted the positive impact on their wellbeing by having the Spotlight support. This study was a first step in our continuous collaboration with TDNI in demonstrating their impact, focusing on GVA and financial return. In the near future, it is hoped that the wellbeing benefits of the programme to the artists can be demonstrated as well.
Simetrica-Jacobs work not only demonstrated the positive impact to the artists involved in the programme, but also to the Northern Irish economy.
Using Northern-Ireland specific multipliers, Simetrica-Jacobs estimated an average Gross Value Added (GVA) impact of £4,186 per artist, with approximately £1,500 directly attributable to Spotlight based on artists’ own assessments. When modelled over a multi-year period, the Net Present Value GVA ranged from£3,278 to £6,773 per artist, depending on how long the impacts last.
With an average delivery cost of £3,769 per artist, Spotlight delivers a positive return under most scenarios. A conservative three-year impact period indicates that for every £1 invested, Spotlight generates £1.12 in additional economic impact.
To ensure the impacts estimated were additional, only income earned outside of Northern Ireland and expenditure taking place within Northern Ireland were included in the economic impact calculations. As such, the reported GVA figures represent additional contributions to the Northern Irish economy. Additionally, the estimated average GVA per artist was adjusted based on artists’ own assessment of how much of their income was directly attributable to Spotlight. It is worth noting however that it was not possible to determine what would have happened to the artists (and hence the impact on the Northern Irish economy) from attending the Edinburgh Festival Fringe but without the Spotlight support.
This work provides TDNI with a robust foundation for understanding and evidencing the value created through Spotlight and for supporting future investment, data collection, and programme development.
You can read the full report here: https://theatreanddanceni.org/research-shows-tdnis-spotlight-on-theatre-and-dance-from-ni-delivers-economic-return-for-artists-and-northern-ireland
