When the government announced the introduction of a new industrial strategy, it identified eight sectors that would be the beneficiaries of special consideration. Given what has sometimes seemed like indifference towards the arts over the last year, it is very pleasing to report that the Creative Industries made it into the select few.
Not only that, but the initial Creative Industries sector plan runs to 80 pages, starting with a ministerial foreword from Arts Minister Lisa Nandy. This opens promisingly with the statement that “the UK’s creative output, our creative history and our future creative are unmatched. The sector already acts as a dynamic growth engine for our economy across the UK’s nations and regions, contributing 2.4 million jobs and £124 billion GVA to the economy, generating knowledge spillovers that drive innovation and activity across the economy.”
The Minister also notes both that “the government sees the high-gross value of the Creative Industries now and for the decades to come” and “for too long, however, the sector has not been given the reception it deserves and the backing it requires.”
Not only that, but the government is putting its money where its mouth is, promising to increase and investment in the sector from £17 billion to £35 billion by 2035.
At last, some of us may be able to see a light at the end of an admittedly long tunnel.
The Executive Summary also recognises the value of the arts, stating that, “the Creative Industries are an economic success story. They are a major UK employer, exporter and a pull for inward investment. They drive innovation and productivity, improve our living standards and drive growth in the wider economy. They create good jobs across the country, shape the way we talk about ourselves as a nation and are the face and voice of our reputation abroad. In short, they play a unique role in both an economic and social sense, and they are at the heart of our Industrial Strategy and our Close Mission”, further heaping praise on the realisation that “the sector has increased output of over 1.5 times the rate of the rest of the economy”.
Perhaps the most innovative measure is the prospective employment of a Creative Freelance Champion. This sounds like a big job for one person, and we can only hope that the individual charged with these duties is appointed for the long term and has the necessary skills and authority to support the sector to the greatest degree humanly possible.
The strategy is to be achieved by delivering in four ways:
- Transforming cross-cutting support
- Boosting growth in our highest potential sub-sectors, including the performing arts
- Realising the potential of Creative Industries clusters i.e. regions of geographical strength
- Delivering joint commitments from government and industry, working in partnership.
While many of us may not appreciate the marketing-style weasel words, the intention seems genuine and encouraging and makes a little more sense in a colourful diagram.
The initial response from representative bodies has been quite positive. Caroline Norbury OBE, the chief executive of Creative UK, says, “we warmly welcome the UK Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan: a clear signal that creativity is central to the UK’s industrial strategy and long-term growth ambitions.” However, she does caution, “delivery will now be key.”
The Writer’s Guild of Great Britain’s General Secretary, Ellie Peers, is particularly encouraged by some measures: “it is good to see the inclusion of a Creative Freelance Champion, investment in R&D, action on late payments, plans to tackle bullying, harassment and discrimination, improved workforce monitoring and recognition of the importance of the videogames sector.”
She too has reservations: “but—and it is a big but. Serious questions remain around copyright and AI that will only be answered when the Government lays out its position following its recent consultation. It is vital that creators’ rights and remuneration are not sacrificed in an attempt to woo Big Tech… As ever, the devil will be in the detail, and it is vital that this Government stays true to its pledge to protect and nurture the creative industries and the workers who power it. Listening and engaging with WGGB and other trade unions, as the Government has done here, is the most important thing it can do.”