Growing the creative industries?
The creative industries were named as one of the government’s eight growth-driving sectors in its Industrial Strategy green paper consultation. The Strategy is intended to help businesses in high growth sectors to reach their potential, particularly in clusters and corridors of activity. They intend to help unlock private investment, boost exports and develop skilled workforces.
Crafts Council has responded in detail, highlighting in particular the need for:
- Haptic skills development in schools, further and higher education to address the loss of focus on skills development at all levels in recent years
- Better support and investment in craft microclusters
- The role of craft skills, often in microclusters, in powering other creative industries with central processes and techniques
- The contribution of the sector to economic resilience and social value through sustainable businesses and activities that improve mental health and wellbeing
Meanwhile a new taskforce, led by Baroness Shriti Vadera and Sir Peter Bazalgette, met for the first time in December to help deliver a Creative Industries Sector Plan to grow the creative industries. The plan, to be published in the spring alongside the Industrial Strategy, will be part of the Government’s Plan for Change.
The RSA’s Creative Corridors report highlights creative corridors as a way to grow the creative industries, helping to streamline skills pathways and attract finance. The approach builds on the 55 clusters and 700 microclusters identified in the Creative PEC’s Creative Radar report. Creative PEC research shows that craft businesses cluster predominantly outside London and the South East yet capital finance for creative industry firms is heavily concentrated in those two areas. Growth Finance for Creative Industries also shows that creative businesses are more likely to identify new R&D opportunities than businesses in other sectors but may face barriers in accessing the capital they need to take them forward.
Meanwhile, this nice piece in The Scotsman from Irene Kernan, Director of Craft Scotland, explores how craftspeople can save Scotland’s high streets.
A new report from Aston University, Unbound: UK Trade post-Brexit, shows sharp declines in UK goods exports (27%) and imports (32%) with the EU between 2021 and 2023. The product categories listed in the report (Crafts Council worked with DCMS to clarify those for craft), show, for example, a 57% decline in the import of leather goods and a 46% decline in exports, with similar declines in some textiles and decreases that are almost as high for glass and ceramic products. The report recommends intervention to mitigate the adverse effects of the UK and EU trade agreement and support for firms in adapting to new trade barriers.
The Government announced at the Labour Party conference a new growth and skills levy which will replace the existing apprenticeship levy and include new foundation apprenticeships.
These are intended to give young people a route in to careers in ‘critical sectors’ (to be defined), enabling them to earn a wage whilst developing skills. The new levy will also allow funding for shorter apprenticeships.
Some new statistics from the Government show that the UK art & antiques market (gross value added) has doubled from £0.4 billion in 2010 to £0.8 billion in 2023.