Zarah ChoudharyCreative businesses and projects across the UK are to receive Government funding for growth, marking the first step of the Sector Plan for the creative industries.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy will bring together more than 250 creative businesses and cultural leaders at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead today (17th January).
As part of the Industrial Strategy, Nandy will set out how the Government plans work together with the sector to increase growth and investment, starting with a £60m package of support.
This includes investments for start-up video game studios, grassroots music venues and creative businesses to boost British music and film exports, which aim to facilitate investment and innovation in communities, in turn supporting businesses and employment.
At the summit, the Culture Secretary will also announce that priority regions are the North East, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, Greater London, West of England, South Wales, Glasgow, Edinburgh-Dundee corridor, and Belfast.
Alongside this, the Government will provide additional funding, to be agreed as part of the Spending Review, to six Mayoral Combined Authorities – North East, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, West of England.
The Culture Secretary will also bring forward changes so that shorter apprenticeships are available from August 2025, recognising the particular needs of the creative industries, as one of the first steps towards a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy.
The Government is working with industry, including through a Creative Industries Taskforce chaired by Baroness Shriti Vadera and Sir Peter Bazalgette, on the sector plan, with more detail and policy announcements to come.
Nandy said: “From film and fashion to music and advertising, our creative industries are truly world-class and play a critical role in helping us deliver on this Government’s mission to drive economic growth in all parts of the UK.
“Our £60 million funding boost will support creative and cultural organisations across the UK to turbocharge growth by transforming local venues, creating jobs, supporting businesses and spreading opportunity across the country.
“But this is by no means the limit of our ambitions, which is why the creative industries are at the heart of the forthcoming Industrial Strategy and will continue to play a key part in this Government’s Plan for Change.”
The Government is also announcing changes to the way the British Business Bank, UK Research and Innovation and skills policy will prioritise the creative industries.
The British Business Bank, which supports £17.4bn of finance to more than 64,000 smaller businesses, committed to increase its support for creative businesses to access finance.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Our number one mission is to grow the economy and our creative industries are a British success story with a big part to play.
“Building on our plans to boost our AI sector, this is another step as we go further and faster to deliver growth so we can put more money in people’s pockets.”
The summit comes as the Culture Secretary and Foreign Secretary David Lammy also confirmed the membership of a new Soft Power Council.
The council will act as an advisory board to the UK Government and will bring together soft power and foreign policy experts to champion the UK abroad, and drive investment and growth at home.
Members include former rower and chair of UK Sport Katherine Grainger, former athlete and television presenter Baroness Grey-Thompson and V&A director Tristram Hunt.
Lammy said: “Soft power is fundamental to the UK’s impact and reputation around the world.
“I am often struck by the enormous love and respect which our music, sport and educational institutions generate on every continent.
“But we have not taken a sufficiently strategic approach to these huge assets as a country.
“Harnessing soft power effectively can help to build relationships, deepen trust, enhance our security and drive economic growth.
“That is why I have created the Soft Power Council to channel British expertise as we look to re-imagine Britain’s role on the world stage, reinvigorate alliances and forge new partnerships.”
