Creative industries fuel UK’s local economies
- New research from Nesta and Creative England maps 47 creative clusters across the UK
- Findings reveal 28 percent growth in creative employment in these clusters over seven years
- Motorway towns like Slough, Basingstoke and Warrington, alongside more obvious towns and cities help drive UK’s creative industries success
Key North West findings
- 5 of the UK’s creative clusters are in the North West
- Warrington and Wigan form one of the key ‘creative conurbations’ that are driving the UK creative industries, alongside the more obvious towns and cities. 7,128 people in Warrington and Wigan are in creative employment, making it the fourth largest cluster in the North of England
- Manchester is the creative cluster with the third highest number of creative businesses in the UK, and has 43,050 people in creative employment. 29% of those are employed in Film TV and Radio
- 7.8% of businesses in Crewe are in the creative industries
- 6.6% of businesses in Liverpool are in the creative industries and 44% of those are software and digital businesses
- 7.4% of businesses in Chester are in the creative industries, 49% of those businesses are software and digital businesses
In The Geography of Creativity in the UK, Nesta and Creative England identified 47 creative clusters – where creative employment and businesses are co-located – representing three quarters of all creative businesses in the UK.1 These clusters now employ on average 28% more creative workers than seven years ago.2 Understanding where creative businesses and employment are based is important if policymakers are to support their growth.
London employs 40 percent of the UK’s creative industry workers and seven of the largest creative clusters are in the south of the country, benefitting from access to a strong local talent and knowledge ecosystem and international connections. However, one in five clusters are in the North of England, Scotland, and Wales, and are supported by highly engaged universities, including Cardiff, Glasgow and Newcastle. The Midlands and North of the country have seen substantial growth in creative industry employment.
‘Hip’ cities and towns like Manchester, Brighton, Liverpool, Bristol or Sheffield have long been renowned for their creative output. This new research confirms their importance and highlights a less well-known group of ‘creative conurbations’ situated along motorway corridors and close to major transport hubs, including Slough and Heathrow, Basingstoke, Warrington and Wigan or Luton.
Although the number of creative businesses within the 47 clusters has grown, pointing to an entrepreneurial explosion, the average size of these businesses has fallen, suggesting policymakers should do more to support their growth. Recommendations include:
- supporting the development of clusters outside of London and the South East
- continuing efforts to share the benefits of London’s status as a global creative industries hub across the UK
- Local Enterprise Partnerships and universities should consider what more they can do to address the strengths and weaknesses within their particular area, such as an over reliance on large firms or growing links between graduate talent pools and creative clusters
- networks of UK creative industries should strive to maintain their global reach
Juan Mateos-Garcia, Head of Innovation Mapping at Nesta, comments: “The UK’s geography of creativity is diverse and growing. London and other creative cities are very important, but so are other areas which are sometimes overlooked when we talk about creative clusters. A better understanding of their specialism and impact on the local economy will help ensure that these hotspots continue to gain access to the talent and knowledge they need to thrive.”
Caroline Norbury, Chief Executive at Creative England, said: “Creative England is dedicated to nurturing talented people and their creative ideas – this report clearly shows the huge contribution they make to driving prosperity in communities across the UK. Now, perhaps more than ever before, we need to work together to give our creative talent the backing they need to continue to flourish and grow.”
The Geography of Creativity in the UK: creative clusters, creative people and creative networks is available on request. The report follows the publication of new statistics from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport showing jobs in the creative industries have increased three times faster than the UK average.3
The data behind the report is available for policymakers to view at www.nesta.org.uk.
