TalksTalks
Venue
Huddersfield Literary Festival
Date
Thu 14 May 2026
Time
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
The Arts Dividend with Darren Henley image
Synopsis:

Your chance to hear insights from Arts Council England Chief Executive Darren Henley about the current landscape of arts and culture, and pose your questions on the pressing issues facing this sector. 
 
Arts and culture enrich people’s lives in many ways, but securing funding has become more challenging. In The Arts Dividend: How Investment in Culture Creates Happier Lives, Darren Henley presents an impassioned and convincing case for the importance and rewards of public investment in arts and culture. 
 
He also offers first-hand insights into how the arts: 
 

encourage creativity 
enhance education 
provide defining characteristics to places 
have a positive impact on health and wellbeing 
support innovation and technology 
contribute to economic prosperity 
enhance our country’s reputation for cultural excellence 

 
Darren Henley OBE is Chief Executive of Arts Council England. The author of two independent government reviews into music and culture, he has written 30 books about the arts. Before joining the Arts Council, he spent 15 years leading Classic FM. He holds degrees in politics from the University of Hull, management from the University of South Wales and history of art from the University of Buckingham.