Bridging Networks of Innovation: Linking Creative Hubs to Fuel Growth

Bridging Networks of Innovation: Linking Creative Hubs to Fuel Growth

Yesterday, the report titled "Creative Corridors: connecting clusters to unleash potential" was launched. The report, funded by Arts Council England, aims to strategically support and stimulate regional creative industries by fostering connected geographic clusters or corridors. These corridors, intended to make creative industries central to regional economic growth and cultural development, are a place-based policy tool for local leaders.

The report, authored by Dr Emily Hopkins and colleagues from the RSA, presents the Creative Corridors Action Areas Framework as a means to scale up the economic benefits in key geographical areas, building skills, creating jobs, growing local economies, and improving local communities. However, it does not provide a timeline for the implementation of this framework nor mention any new funding sources for the development of Creative Corridors.

The potential impact of Creative Corridors is significant. They aim to drive economic growth through clustering and scaling creative industries, which accounted for 68% of UK creative industries GVA (£71 billion) in 2019, with London and the M25 region forming a creative supercluster. Creative Corridors also seek to enhance place identity and regional pride, supporting infrastructure and connectivity for creative practitioners, promoting investment in skills, innovation, and R&D, and influencing planning and policy frameworks to better protect cultural spaces.

The Creative Corridors Action Areas Framework was introduced in 2024, following the Creative PEC's first State of the Nations report, "Geographies of Creativity," which presented experimental geospatial analysis pointing to seven broad geographic areas in the UK's nations and regions that could become Creative Corridors. The report serves as a starting point for potential growth and development of Creative Corridors across the UK, highlighting specific geographic areas with established hotspots of regional creative industries.

Creative Corridors are an evolving concept based on research into creative clusters and microclusters in the UK. They are designed to encourage and support the untapped potential in regional creative industries through unified strategies, investment, and policymaking. The UK political landscape is moving towards increased devolution of power, which could provide a conducive environment for the development and implementation of Creative Corridors.

The launch event featured discussions with metro mayors Tracy Brabin and Andy Burnham, visual artist Shanaz Gulzar, tech entrepreneur Tom Adeyoola, and chair Annabel Turpin. The report is available for download and online viewing.

1. The report titled "Creative Corridors: connecting clusters to unleash potential," launched yesterday, is funded by Arts Council England and aims to strategically support regional creative industries.
2. Dr Emily Hopkins, in collaboration with colleagues from the RSA, authored the report, presenting the Creative Corridors Action Areas Framework.
3. This framework aims to scale up economic benefits in key geographical areas, building skills, creating jobs, growing local economies, and improving local communities.
4. Creative Corridors are intended to drive economic growth through clustering and scaling creative industries, which accounted for 68% of UK creative industries GVA (£71 billion) in 2019.
5. The potential impact of Creative Corridors is significant, as they seek to enhance place identity, support infrastructure and connectivity, and promote investment in skills, innovation, and R&D.
6. The Creative Corridors Action Areas Framework was introduced in 2024, following the Creative PEC's first State of the Nations report, "Geographies of Creativity."
7. The report serves as a starting point for potential growth and development of Creative Corridors across the UK, highlighting specific geographic areas with established hotspots of regional creative industries.
8. The concept of Creative Corridors is an evolving one, based on research into creative clusters and microclusters in the UK, designed to encourage and support the untapped potential in regional creative industries through unified strategies, investment, and policymaking.

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