03-11-2011
Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is celebrating a fantastic year with a 40% increase in visitor numbers, an overwhelmingly positive public response to the current exhibition by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, record levels of visitor satisfaction, the opening of a new learning centre, the restoration of 150 acres of historic lakes and woodland, and two prestigious awards.
An independent economic impact study conducted by DC Research has also revealed that YSP is worth over £5million to the local economy. Based on visitors to the Park, these statistics firmly underline the importance of YSP as a major international centre of artistic excellence, a unique part of the Yorkshire tourism offer but also as a key economic driver for the local and regional economy.
Alongside impressive economic impact figures, satisfaction levels amongst visitors to YSP are also extremely high with 99% stating they would visit again and 100% stating they would recommend YSP to a friend. Record numbers of visitors have flocked to YSP this year: April saw the Park’s busiest month ever with 50,000 visitors and in June visitors increased by 167% compared to 2010. The main reason has been to experience the extraordinary exhibition by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, which due to popular demand has been extended by four months until 22 January 2012.
Building on this success and highlighting YSP’s popularity, the Park was voted Yorkshire’s ‘Most Magnificent Attraction’ by the public, beating off competition from over 100 other attractions across the region. YSP has also recently been named winner of the Business Tourism Award in the 2011 Welcome to Yorkshire White Rose Awards, recognising it as a centre of excellence for corporate hospitality.
YSP was the first sculpture park in the UK and is the largest of its kind in Europe, providing the only place in the world to see Barbara Hepworth’s The Family of Man in its entirety and the largest public collection of Henry Moore bronzes in the open air. Set in 500 acres of historic landscape, the open nature of the Park is designed to encourage visitors to explore the relationship between art and nature, allowing over 350,000 visitors attracted to the Park every year to make their own personal discoveries.
Peter Murray CBE, Executive Director of YSP said “YSP opened to the public on 24 September 1977, with an exhibition of 31 sculptures and a grant of just £1,000. Over the last 35 years we have developed a ‘gallery without walls’, providing ‘great art for everyone’. As a centre of international standing, the recent economic impact study has served to highlight just how essential the arts and culture are in building a successful visitor economy and accelerating economic growth. As we enter a challenging phase of funding cuts, the continued support from our partners and stakeholders is essential to build on and enhance the international profile of the arts in this district”.
Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said “Yorkshire Sculpture Park is one of our most prestigious cultural attractions and having something of this calibre in the county really helps to set Yorkshire apart from other destinations in the UK and Europe. Tourism in Yorkshire employs more than 250,000 people and is worth £7billion to the county’s economy annually, and the unique nature and international profile of YSP contributes significantly to this figure. It has helped to ensure that Yorkshire is bucking the trend this year as tourism spend and visits to this region increase, well ahead of the national average”.
Together with an international exhibition programme, education and learning is central to the work of YSP. The pioneering learning programme uses art and landscape to build young people’s confidence, self-esteem, skills and aspirations and reaches around 45,000 people every year, from school children to third-age learners. A new Learning Centre, created by converting the historic Kennel Block site, opened this year and these first-class facilities will be a springboard which allows YSP to reach more communities. Two new outreach initiatives will target schools located in areas scoring highly in the Index of Multiple Deprivation to use YSP as a valuable resource. The Spark project will work with 15 Wakefield schools, offering a major new programme of free artist workshops alongside a transport bursary, whilst the Ignite programme of artists’ residencies in local schools will give children of all ages and abilities the opportunity to work with artists both in and outside the classroom.
Visit the image gallery to download high res stock images from YSP.