The Arts Council leads the development of the arts in each the countries in the UK.

Arts Council England
Scottish Arts Council
Arts Council of Wales
Arts Council of Northern Ireland

The UK Government and the private sector recognise the talent that exists in the creative industries and make substantial contributions towards its future development.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) develops policies which allow the creative industries to grow and improve.

The National Lottery Fund provides support and funding to individuals, projects, the arts councils and other organisations.

Music

An incredibly diverse music scene exists in the UK, ranging from traditional folk music to contemporary dance music.

Some of the world's most famous musicians and bands are from the UK, including:

• the Beatles and the Rolling Stones - rock 'n' roll
• Queen and Genesis - progressive rock
• Blur and Oasis - Britpop
• Spice Girls, Westlife, Girls Aloud and Robbie Williams - pop/chart music
  
• Prodigy and Goldie - dance
• Kano and Dizzee Rascal - urban
• Vocalists Katherine Jenkins and Bryn Terfel - classical
• Steeleyespan and Kirstie McCall - folk and country
  
• Cleo Laine and Courtney Pine - jazz

Find out more on the British Council UK music website.

Festivals and awards

A number of music festivals take place in the UK every year. Glastonbury and T in the Park are 2 of the best known, but there are a lot more to choose from - the Virtual Festivals website provides information about most of them.

National music award ceremonies celebrating the best of British music are also held throughout the year. The BRIT Awards, MOBOs (Music of Black Origin) and the Nationwide Mercury Prize are 3 of the biggest on the calendar.

Dance

There are many different forms of dance in the UK - from classical art forms to street dance troupes. Good examples of the latter include Morris Dancing in England, Irish dancing as seen in Riverdance, and Scottish country dancing.

All dance forms are currently proving popular in the UK. Classical dance is well-represented by the Rambert, the Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet. Contemporary dance is represented by companies such as CandoCo for disabled and non-disabled dancers, and Jonzi D's hip-hop dance productions.

This resurgence may in part be due to television programmes like Celebrity Come Dancing, which has raised the public's awareness of dance.

Find out more on the British Council Dance website.

Theatre and drama

London is considered the theatre capital of the world, with more shows and bigger audiences than anywhere else, including Broadway in New York.

There are, however, a number of theatres in other parts of the UK which are just as popular - such as the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, northern England.

You can find out about theatre events around the UK on the Whatsonstage website.

Dramatic arts is also taught in schools, further and higher education. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a good example of a British drama school with a deservedly high reputation worldwide.

Find out more on the British Council Drama website.

Comedy

The UK is famous for its comedy. British people are widely considered to have a unique sense of humour and our comedians make people all over the world laugh. British television and film comedies are played on TV in a huge number of countries.

London is known as the comedy club centre of Europe. There are also many other venues across the UK offering side-splitting stand-up acts. Annual festivals and national awards ceremonies provide comedy-lovers with another chance to see up-and-coming talents and see who's hot on the circuit at the moment.

Find out more on Chortle - the UK comedy guide. You might also be interested in the British Comedy Awards, which is the most prestigious prize in UK comedy

Related links:

British comedy - BBC

TV and film

Lights, camera, action! British film and TV are big business both within the UK and on a global scale.

Television

British television broadcasting, which started in 1936, has grown significantly due to recent advances in technology and the introduction of digital, cable, satellite and internet TV.

Most people across the UK haveaccess to an extensive collection of free and subscription-based services with a wide selection of programming to choose from. There are 5 analogue terrestrial channels in the UK - BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Five.

Television exports generate more money for the UK economy than any other creative industry, with programmes such as Doctor Who proving hugely successful with global audiences.

Watching television is one of the most popular British hobbies. Weekly soap operas and dramas like Eastenders and Coronation Street are regularly watched by millions of people.

Find out about the top British television programmes of all-time on the British Film Institute website.

Film

British film classics such as Chariots of Fire and contemporary favourites like the James Bond and the Harry Potter film series have created a fan base for British films in many countries.

In recent years, the industry has included more culturally diverse films embracing ethnic, social and cultural themes reflecting life in the UK.

Britain has also developed as an ideal location for international producers to shoot films. The varied landscapes and buildings have provided the backdrops for numerous blockbuster movies - Miss Potter, The Da Vinci Code and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to name just a few.

The work of actors, directors, writers, costume and production designers, stylists, technical specialists and producers is celebrated throughout the year in a range of national award ceremonies. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is one of the main events highlighting the best film and television of the year.

Related links:

British Film Institute (bfi)
BritFilms
A selection of favourite British films of the 20th century

Literature

The UK has a rich literary tradition with authors such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Dickens, Eliot, George Orwell and H G Wells just some of the famous British names known around the world.

Contemporary writers such as James Kelman, Jeannette Winterson, Salman Rushdie, IanMcEwan and Benjamin Zephaniah are carrying on that tradition, drawing on many influences to produce a range of challenging, innovative work.

The UK is also home to a number of famous children's authors, includingEdward Lear, Beatrix Potter, Roald Dahl, Philip Pullman and JK Rowling.

Although their books are aimed at children, huge numbers of adults also read their work. JK Rowling, in particular, is a global publishing phenomenon with more than 100 million copies of her Harry Potter books sold to audiences around the world.

There are more than 200 annual literary prizes in the UK embracing a range of writing styles, including poetry. Writing talent is also encouraged in a number of creative writing courses at British universities and special programmes led by established authors.

Most books in the UK can be borrowed from a local public library, which also stock audio and large print publications.

Find more on literature in the UK from the the British Council website.