A major report has been launched in Salford, intending to “unleash the potential” of the UK as a creative superpower.
The Royal Society of Arts (RSA), Arts Council England and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) set out their vision for the creative sector that they believe could unlock “tens of billions of pounds” in economic potential.
“The new Government has, through its recent green paper on industrial strategy, put the creative industries front and centre of its growth agenda,” explained Andy Haldane, Chief Executive of the RSA.
“This groundbreaking new report outlines the huge potential for the UK’s vibrant and pioneering creative industries and, crucially, explains how this potential can be unlocked. This will mean connecting and collaborating, on a pan-regional basis, as never before to develop creative corridors. The One Creative North initiative, pioneered by the RSA in collaboration with Northern Mayors and the BBC, is one example, but there are many other potential creative clusters right across the UK primed for lift-off. This report explains how to achieve that lift-off.”
At the event in the Lowry, they outlined their blueprint for these creative corridors, to join up creative hotspots across large geographic areas, in order to “supercharge their potential” to become more than the sum of their parts.
That collaboration, they said, could unlock even greater opportunities for investment, jobs, skills provision and cultural access.
“It is now well established that creative clusters – areas where concentrated numbers of creative workers and firms compete and collaborate – are found right across the UK,” said Professor Hasan Bakhshi, Director of the Creative PEC.
“But how can they benefit from the economies of scale enjoyed by a supercluster like London? In this report, we propose a policy framework by which creative clusters can join up in ways that make the whole greater than the sum of the parts, allowing places to super-charge their creative clusters in ways that would simply not be feasible if they were instead to go it alone.”
Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England added:
“Working with the RSA and the Creative PEC, we’re shining a light on our nation’s creative people and organisations. By working together, they have the power to drive forward growth, to provide new opportunities and ultimately to change our country for the better”.
In March this year, a creative corridor for the North of England, ‘One Creative North’, was announced at the Convention of the North by Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire.
Led by the Northern Mayors and chaired by Jude Kelly CBE, it will shortly launch a multi-million-pound investment fund, as well as training opportunities to help nurture and retain creative talent in the North.
“The North’s creative industries are brimming with ingenuity, diversity and attitude, with the potential to add tens of billions to our economy,” said Brabin.
“But for too long, we’ve missed out on the same level of opportunities and investment seen in the South East. Inspired by this new research, and by coming together as One Creative North, we will unleash the full potential of our world class creative sector, ensuring that even more Northern talent can thrive in a stronger, brighter region.”
The RSA said it would now work with partners across government, civil society and the creative industries to apply the learnings of this report, to identify new creative corridors.
“We want to put rocket boosters under the creative industries, helping them to create more opportunities in all parts of the country and give people from all communities access to art and culture,” stated Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy.
“This new report sets out a clear vision. We are committed to playing our part in driving growth and ensuring that every region’s contribution is seen, valued and reflected in our national story.”
