Encouraging prosperity in local creative sectors through government actions

Encouraging prosperity in local creative sectors through government actions

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By Claudia Burger, Policy Insights Manager

In a recent panel discussion, industry leaders discussed opportunities and challenges in fostering growth in the creative industries. The event, held at the World Museum in Liverpool, aimed to address three key questions about local growth.

The panel's discussions were captured in a report titled "Insights from our industry champions: How policymakers can support local growth in the creative industries," published on 25th February 2020. The report provides implications for policymakers, industry, and the Policy Evidence Centre (PEC).

One of the key policy recommendations emphasizes a multi-faceted, partnership-driven, and equity-focused approach. Here's a breakdown of the recommendations:

1. Unlock investment and funding equity: Local governments should prioritize unlocking investment and address structural inequities to enable sustainable growth for creative enterprises and workers, especially in underserved regions like Western Sydney.
2. Prioritize First Nations and diverse creative voices: Supporting First Nations cultural innovation and reflecting community diversity is essential for authentic and equitable sector growth.
3. Grow creative careers by improving pathways: Policies should strengthen career advice, apprenticeships, and access to education and training, with a particular focus on young people and those from less advantaged backgrounds to widen participation in creative careers.
4. Strengthen creative ecosystems through collaboration: Councils should foster partnerships between government, education, creative sector organizations, and communities to build cohesive and resilient creative ecosystems.
5. Treat creative spaces as critical infrastructure: Secure affordable, long-term creative workspaces and cultural venues to support artist and creative enterprise development, resisting short-term "meanwhile" uses that undermine stability.
6. Showcase local creative outputs to build identity and connection: Using culture as a connector helps tell the story of neighbourhoods and can anchor social value, aiding regeneration and community cohesion.
7. Embed creativity in broader local planning: Local plans should explicitly integrate arts, culture, and creativity as essential to social, economic, and environmental well-being. This includes continuous advocacy and messaging to elected officials about the value of the creative sector.
8. Address public perception challenges: There is a need to enhance public understanding of the creative industries’ economic impact and innovation role, not only their social benefits, to build stronger support for investment.

These recommendations align with government creative sector strategies, such as the NSW Government's Western Sydney Arts and Culture Plan and Creative New Zealand's advocacy efforts, highlighting the need for coordinated, long-term commitment and local leadership to unlock the sector’s full potential and create strong, inclusive communities.

The report also suggests further research on barriers to public procurement from creative businesses compared with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) more generally. Policymakers who want to attract and grow creative businesses in their local area should consider opening up available empty space, subsiding rent for creative businesses as they set up, and reducing creative business rates.

More work needs to be done on signposting to creative businesses the support that is locally available to them. LEPs (Local Enterprise Partnerships in England) who provide access to finance for creative businesses should consider how they can simplify their application procedures.

The research was conducted by consulting Industry Champions, trusted practitioners from across the UK who work in marketing, museums, craft, graphic design, audio, film, and visual arts.

Other policy briefs related to this topic include those on Education, Skills, Talent, Internationalisation, and State of the Nations. The Northern Creative Corridor is an initiative aimed at connecting creative clusters across Northern regions. The policy brief also outlines recommendations for transitioning to more sustainable theatre production and examines international trade in the UK creative industries.

Further research may be needed on the impact of Section 106 agreements. The paper can be referenced as Easton, E. and Burger, C. (2020) Insights from our industry champions: How policymakers can support local growth in the creative industries. London: Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. Available from: https://www.our website/assets/publications/Final-Insights-from-our-Industry-Champions_-Local-Growth.pdf

[1] Easton, E. and Burger, C. (2020) Insights from our industry champions: How policymakers can support local growth in the creative industries. London: Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. Available from: https://www.our website/assets/publications/Final-Insights-from-our-Industry-Champions_-Local-Growth.pdf [2] Creative New Zealand (2019) Creative Spaces: A Guide to Creative Placemaking in Aotearoa New Zealand. Wellington: Creative New Zealand. Available from: https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2019-11/Creative-Spaces-A-guide-to-creative-placemaking-in-Aotearoa-New-Zealand.pdf [3] Greater London Authority (2018) Creative London: A Cultural Strategy for London. London: Greater London Authority. Available from: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mayor_s_office_for_political_and_civic_engagement/documents/creative-london-a-cultural-strategy-for-london.pdf [4] Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (2019) Creative Industries Sector Deal. London: Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/creative-industries-sector-deal/creative-industries-sector-deal

1. The strategic approach suggested by the report emphasizes the importance of equity in unlocking investment for creative industries, particularly in underserved regions.
2. Engaging and amplifying First Nations and diverse creative voices is essential to fostering authentic and equitable growth in the sector.
3. Strengthening career pathways and access to education and training, especially for young people and those from less advantaged backgrounds, can widen participation in creative careers.
4. Collaboration among government, education, creative sector organizations, and communities can build cohesive and resilient creative ecosystems.
5. The preservation of affordable, long-term creative workspaces and cultural venues is crucial to supporting artist and creative enterprise development.
6. Culture can serve as a connector, helping to tell the story of neighborhoods and aiding regeneration and community cohesion.
7. Integrating arts, culture, and creativity into local planning can contribute to social, economic, and environmental well-being.
8. To bolster public support for the creative industries, it is necessary to highlight their economic impact and innovation role, not just their social benefits.
9. Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) might simplify their application procedures to attract and grow creative businesses by offering supported access to finance.
10. Further policy briefs related to the topic include those on Education, Skills, Talent, Internationalisation, and general news, among others.
11. The Northern Creative Corridor initiative aims to connect creative clusters across Northern regions, fostering growth and innovation in the creative industries.

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