Impact of COVID-19 on the Creative Sectors in the UK: 2021 Overview of the UK's Creative Industries
Supporting the UK's Creative Microclusters: A Focus on Skills and Migrant Needs
The creative economy in the UK has proven to be surprisingly resilient during the pandemic, but certain sub-sectors such as Music, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts have been significantly impacted. A recent report, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), has shed light on this issue and provided insights into the migrant and skills needs of creative businesses in the UK.
The report, titled "Creative Radar 2021: The impact of COVID-19 on the UK's creative industries," was authored by a team of researchers at the University of Sussex and can be referenced as Siepel et al., 2021. The report provides valuable insights into the labor market needs of the creative sector in the UK.
The report was not part of the initial Creative Radar series, but it does contribute to the broader understanding of the UK's creative industries. The first report in the series created a map of the UK's creative industries by scraping data from 200,000 creative businesses' websites, uncovering hundreds of creative 'microclusters' around the country.
The report on the migrant and skills needs of creative businesses in the UK focuses on the results of a survey of employers. It does not provide data from a survey conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report calls for the government to target funding to creative microclusters around the UK as part of the PEC's campaign Creative Places. However, it's important to note that the report published by the University of Sussex did not receive funding from the AHRC.
The UK government supports creative microclusters through funding schemes and policies designed to stimulate growth, innovation, and regional development in the creative industries. The Creative Radar 2021 report, though not detailed in the search results, generally informs policy by highlighting the location and impact of creative clusters and guides targeted support efforts.
One of the key elements of government support includes the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Create Growth Programme, which offers grants from £10,000 to £30,000 to creative micro, small, and medium businesses in designated English regions, fostering innovation and business growth. Additionally, local schemes such as the Norfolk & Suffolk Innovation Grant Mentoring Project and the Suffolk UK Shared Prosperity Fund provide tailored financial and advisory support to creative businesses, including microclusters involved in music, performance, and digital creativity.
The PEC's Creative Places campaign emphasizes the importance of geographically concentrated creative industries (microclusters) for economic growth and regional development. Their research supports policies that improve access to finance and infrastructure for these clusters, aiming to drive innovation and narrow regional disparities in the creative sector.
Creative businesses within these microclusters were found to have grown their employment more than companies outside of microclusters or larger clusters. An image of the Graffiti Art of Digbeth Walk in Birmingham, England, provided by Creative Nerds, serves as a testament to the vibrant and thriving creative scene in the UK.
In summary, government support for creative microclusters in the UK is operationalized through targeted grant funding, regional innovation mentoring, and policy advocacy driven by reports like Creative Radar 2021 and campaigns led by bodies such as PEC's Creative Places, aiming to unlock economic and social benefits from creative clustering.
- The creative economy in the UK has faced significant impact in sub-sectors like Music, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts due to the pandemic, as revealed by a report authored by researchers at the University of Sussex.
- The report, titled "Creative Radar 2021: The impact of COVID-19 on the UK's creative industries," highlights the migrant and skills needs of creative businesses in the UK.
- The report was not part of the initial Creative Radar series but it contributes to a broader understanding of the UK's creative industries.
- The UK government supports creative microclusters through funding schemes and policies aimed at stimulating growth, innovation, and regional development in the creative industries.
- One such government program is the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Create Growth Programme, offering grants to creative micro, small, and medium businesses in designated English regions.
- Local schemes like the Norfolk & Suffolk Innovation Grant Mentoring Project and the Suffolk UK Shared Prosperity Fund provide targeted financial and advisory support to creative businesses, including microclusters involved in music, performance, and digital creativity.
- Creative businesses within microclusters have shown greater employment growth compared to companies outside of or larger clusters.
- The PEC's Creative Places campaign advocates for policies that improve access to finance and infrastructure for creative industries (microclusters), aiming to drive innovation and narrow regional disparities in the creative sector.
- Evidence from reports like Creative Radar 2021 and campaigns led by bodies such as PEC's Creative Places inform policy by highlighting the location and impact of creative clusters, guiding targeted support efforts.
- The goal of these policies is to unlock economic and social benefits from creative clustering, as exemplified by the vibrant creative scene in areas like Digbeth Walk in Birmingham, England.
