£150m creative boost for West and other regions
Helen Godwin, the new Mayor of the West of England, has welcomed £150 million of funding for the creative sector, shared across our region and five others outside of London, announced by government ahead of the Industrial Strategy next week.
This backing will empower mayors like Helen to support creative businesses in their areas with access to finance, mentoring, and networking to help them connect with investors and skills programmes. Just days after the UK-first citizens’ assembly on cultural policy was launched here, this is another vote of confidence in the West.
The boost for the creative industries is part of a wider £380 million investment package for grassroots music venues to world-class film studios. It underpins the Creative Industries Sector Plan, which sets out a national aim to drive regional growth and remain globally competitive.
Helen Godwin, the new Mayor of the West of England, said:
“I promised to work with the government and invest in the West. To have our creative industries recognised with this funding is a real vote of confidence in our region. People are drawn here from all over the world, whether it's for our balloons and street art or the city so historic that UNESCO listed it twice. Creativity in the West knows few limits – or equals.
“Culture is part of who we are, whether it’s Oscar-collecting Aardman Animations or treble-winning Bath Rugby. It’s also a big part of the West of England's economy, and it’s growing. Now we can invest in the future through the Industrial Strategy: helping businesses to grow, bringing through the next generation of creatives, and driving economic growth.”
Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, announcing the news, said:
"Our creative industries are powerful economic drivers in this country. By placing them at the heart of our Industrial Strategy this Sector Plan, backed by £380 million of investment, will boost regional growth, stimulate private investment, and create thousands more high-quality jobs.
“This Sector Plan will help nearly double business investment to £31 billion by 2035, supporting our mission to raise living standards everywhere as part of our Plan for Change, ensuring the UK remains the world's creative powerhouse."
Jonathan Reynolds, the Business and Trade Secretary, announcing the news, said:
“The UK’s creative industries are world-leading and have a huge cultural impact globally, which is why we’re championing them at home and abroad as a key growth sector in our Modern Industrial Strategy.
“We’ve seen the power of investment, with this Government welcoming around £100 billion into the UK since taking office, and our Strategy will not only ensure that the UK is the best country to invest and do business in, but deliver economic growth that puts more money in people’s pockets.”
The investment also includes tailored packages for high-growth sub-sectors. A £75 million Screen Growth Package will support UK content development and international investment, and showcase the best of UK and international film. This includes an enlarged UK Global Screen Fund and scaled-up BFI Film Academy to support 16–25 year olds from underrepresented backgrounds to enter the film industry.
A Music Growth Package worth up to £30 million will help emerging artists break through at home and abroad. Measures will create new touring, performance, mentoring and export opportunities for emerging talent, while also delivering a significant uplift in funding for the grassroots sector to support small venues and help them to platform more high-potential artists.
A £30 million Video Games Growth Package will back the next generation of start-up games studios and developers. This will drive inward investment in the sector through expansion of the UK Games Fund (UKGF) as well as new support for the London Games Festival.
The overall funding also includes a £10 million investment in the National Film and Television School, which will help train 2,000 new apprentices and trainees over the next decade – backed by industry giants like the Walt Disney Company, the Dana and Albert R. Broccoli Foundation, and Sky.
Alongside the West of England, five other Mayoral authorities will be part of the new devolved £150 million Creative Places Growth Fund: Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East, West Midlands, and West Yorkshire.
