Britain faces ‘talent drain’ of visual artists as earnings fall by 40% since 2010

Artist Larry Achiampong said the fees artists receive have plummeted and that he had started to consider changing career. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

Earnings for visual artists in Britain have plunged by 40% since 2010, with experts predicting a “talent drain” from the UK because EU countries offer more attractive working environments.

A report commissioned by the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS), found that visual artists had a median annual income of £12,500, with 80% of the 1,200 creatives surveyed saying their earnings were “unstable”, or “very unstable”.