Resilience and adaptation of the UK’s arts sector during the process of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU

Since the UK joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973, the European Union (EU) and the former EEC (incorporated in the EU in 1993) have been vital organs of solidarity and investment for the cultural system of the UK. The UK’s arts sector has also benefitted from the single-market and visa-free work and travel. However, the UK’s withdrawal from the EU means that the country, and its arts and creative sector, must adapt to a new context. By using interpretative argumentative techniques to analyse 30 interviews, and policy analysis, this article focuses on the manifold emotional, creative, and financial resilience strategies developed and trialled by the UK arts and cultural sector following the referendum result in June 2016. Those strategies suggest that some long-standing partnerships with EU countries will continue in the years to come, although not without issues.