The UK Government has announced that nine Creative Industries Clusters across eight cities will bring together some of the UK’s best creative businesses with researchers and organisations to explore new ways of enhancing their sectors.
Creative Industries Clusters
Based in Bristol, Leeds, London, York, Cardiff, Belfast, Dundee and Edinburgh, the clusters will work to increase the use of digital technologies to improve audience experience in the screen and performance industries and shorten production times in the design industry.
Led by the Arts and Humanities Research Council within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the £80 million programme – a key deliverable in the Industrial Strategy’s Creative Industries Sector Deal – will bring together research talent with companies and organisations such as Sony, Aardman and Burberry in a first-of-its kind research and development investment.
Policy and Evidence Centre
In addition, a new Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre has been established in partnership with 13 universities.
The Centre will address gaps in the evidence base on the national economic strength of the UK’s creative industries. Led by global innovation foundation, Nesta, it will develop independent evidence that will inform decision-making across the creative industries and underpin future policy decisions.
‘Globally important’
Business Secretary, Greg Clark, said:
‘This investment, through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and industry, offers support to the UK’s globally important creative industries, which are already worth over £92 billion to the UK economy and export an estimated £46 billion in goods and services each year.
‘The aim is to create jobs and drive the creation of companies, products and experiences that can be marketed around the world.’
‘An economic and cultural powerhouse’
Culture Secretary, Jeremy Wright, said:
‘Britain’s creative industries are an economic and cultural powerhouse and the Creative Clusters will ensure they continue to thrive in different regions across the country.
‘These partnerships between business, academia and industry will encourage the use of future technology to develop new products and experiences and boost employment opportunities across the breadth of the UK.’
‘Vibrant and rapidly expanding sector’
Professor Andrew Thompson, Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, said:
‘Combining world-class arts and humanities researchers with our globally renowned creative industries will underpin growth in this vibrant and rapidly expanding sector within the UK economy.
‘These pioneering partnerships between industry and universities are providing a huge vote of confidence for a sector that is vital to the future prosperity of the UK.’
‘Stellar growth performance’
Hasan Bakhshi, Director, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, said:
‘The UK’s creative industries have had a stellar growth performance in recent years but to navigate the economic uncertainties ahead they will need rigorous evidence.
‘This is where the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre will step in, producing research and formulating policies to support the sector’s future growth.’
Header image: A map of Creative Industries Clusters in the UK (Google Maps and Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport)
