A post-Brexit Britain’s museums, galleries and theatres will play a key role in promoting the country overseas, according to culture secretary Karen Bradley and minister for exiting the European Union, Robin Walker.

A number of major culture organisations met with the two ministers today (11 January), including the like of Arts Council England (ACE), the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the Museums Association (MA) and Association of Independent Museums (AIM), with a roundtable session aimed at identifying culture sector priorities before negotiations to leave the EU get underway.

Britain’s culture sector contributed an estimated £27bn (US$32.6bn €31.1bn) to the UK economy in 2015 – 1.6 per cent of gross value added (GVA) for that year.

“Arts, museums and heritage are not only a fundamental part of our national identity, they make a significant contribution to the UK both culturally and economically,” said Bradley.

“We will continue to be an outward-looking country post-Brexit, and promoting our world-leading arts and culture will be hugely important as we champion the UK abroad in the coming months and years.”

The meeting was one of a series of roundtable sessions, aimed at identifying the needs of a number of sectors in a post-Brexit Britain. Negotiations to leave the EU will begin once the Prime Minister triggers Article 50, which she has said she will do by the end of March.

“Leaving the European Union doesn’t mean we’re pulling up the drawbridge on the continent. What Brexit means is delivering the referendum result, and establishing a new, mutually beneficial relationship with the EU,” said Walker.

“I truly believe our world-class arts, museums and galleries will continue to flourish and attract visitors, talent and investment from around the globe after Brexit — and I was pleased to hear today that they are already thinking about the opportunities that this historic moment will bring.”