Boosting the Arts and Innovation in Northern England
In a series of reports, a group of esteemed authors, including Eliza Easton, Hasan Bakhshi, Andy Haldane, Heather Carey, Dr Salvatore Di Novo, Annie Gascoyne, Tom Kenyon, Professor Jonathan Sapsed, and Dr Josh Siepel, have outlined a comprehensive strategy to support the growth of the Creative Industries in the North of England.
The proposed strategy, known as "One Creative North," is a collaborative initiative involving 30 organisations. Its aim is to create a bold cross-regional strategy to stimulate growth and cohesion in creative industries across the North. This includes establishing "Creative Corridors" to enhance connectivity between creative hubs, improve access to finance, and provide business support.
A key focus of the strategy is financial and business development support. Government-backed programmes, such as the Creative Enterprise funded by the National Lottery, provide business development training, particularly targeting underrepresented groups like female founders. This aim is to level the playing field and boost the emergence and scaling of creative screen businesses.
To address skills gaps, the strategy emphasises education-industry alignment. Institutions like the University of Chester work closely with industry to ensure creative skills curricula meet current and future workforce demands. This helps tackle regional inequalities by developing talent locally and matching educational output with industry needs.
The strategy also backs innovation and infrastructure. The regional strategy is part of the broader industrial strategy, including innovation, infrastructure development, regulatory reform, and trade facilitation as cross-cutting enablers. Investment zones, enterprise zones, and major projects establish foundations for creative industries to thrive alongside advanced manufacturing and tech sectors.
The potential economic impact of this coordinated support and strengthening of the creative economy in the North could add up to £10 billion to the UK economy, demonstrating the strategic importance of a cohesive cross-regional approach.
The Creative Industries are not just economic drivers but also contribute significantly to the country's cultural, intellectual, and social fabric. They are export-intensive and major employers, attracting significant investment from overseas. A report looks at building sustainable regional music industry clusters, while another discusses the role of cooperatives as a creative industry business model.
The reports also highlight the role of the creative industries for the Levelling Up agenda and explore the impact of Brexit on the UK creative industries from 2014-2019. Additionally, a discussion paper is based on the motives of inbound foreign direct investors in the UK Creative Industries.
Previous research suggests that regional 'rivals' are more successful when they work together to grow their Creative Industries. If the North were to grow its sector share even relatively modestly, the growth benefits would be considerable, equivalent to a GVA boost of around £10 billion by 2030.
Clusters of intense creative activity in the North are more geographically dispersed than those in London and the South East of England. This background paper sets out how policymakers and industry could work together to realise this potential, via 'creative corridors.' A coordinated plan that builds on existing strengths and maintains local specificities would benefit the North.
The UK's creative industries have a global reach, as shown in the report. This cross-regional framework combines government policy support, targeted funding, workforce development, infrastructure, and collaboration across the industry and academia to drive sustainable growth in the North’s creative industries.
- The One Creative North strategy aims to establish Creative Corridors, enhancing connectivity among creative hubs and improving access to finance for creative businesses in the North.
- Government-backed programs like the Creative Enterprise, funded by the National Lottery, offer business development training to underrepresented groups, such as female founders in the creative sector.
- To bridge skills gaps, institutions like the University of Chester collaborate closely with the industry to align creative skills curricula with workforce demands.
- The alignment of education with the needs of the industry is crucial for tackling regional inequalities and developing local talent.
- The strategy also supports innovation and infrastructure development, making investments in innovation zones, enterprise zones, and major projects that foster growth in the creative industries.
- Collaboration between policymakers, industry, academia, and 30 organizations is key to realizing the potential of the North's intense creative activity, as set out in the background paper on creative corridors.
- A coordinated plan combining government policy support, targeted funding, workforce development, infrastructure, and industry collaboration can drive sustainable growth in the North’s creative industries.
- The UK's creative industries have a significant impact on the country's economy, cultural fabric, and international appeal, making them an important focus for policy-and-legislation, general news, and politics.
