Unleashing Equitable Growth in UK's Creative Sector: A Deep Dive
Encouraging Holistic Expansion: Fostering Inclusive Creation of Artistic Hubs in the United Kingdom
The UK's creative industries have been a powerhouse for over two decades, contributing a whopping £125 billion to the economy in 2022 and supporting a staggering 2.4 million jobs. But guess what? This growth ain't been fair, with benefits mainly concentrated among a privileged few.
Step up, the new report from big-name researchers! They're giving us a roadmap to make the growth of creative industry hubs more inclusive and advantageous for diverse groups across the UK. The report, titled "Inclusive Growth: Unlocking the Potential of Creative Industry Clusters," is cooked up by Heather Carey, Lesley Giles, Kate O'Connor, Paul Sissons, and Eun Sun Godwin. Ready to know the five key recommendations they're proposing?
- Data-Driven Intelligence Systems: Let's put together monitoring systems that keep an eye on how these hubs benefit diverse groups and spots with less mobility. Knowledge is power, so collecting data on how growth affects various communities can help us address and adjust.
- Goals Galore: Make inclusion the main objective of every creative hub's development plan, weaving equality, diversity, and inclusion into their strategies. That's not all—let's keep on pushing for policies that tackle root causes of exclusion, from diversifying education paths to advocating for good work practices, entrepreneurship, cultural anchors, and more!
- Customized Programs: Build strong partnerships with local communities and employers to create tailor-made programs that cater to their unique needs. This way, we can make sure that the good stuff ain't just for a select few—it's for all!
- Long-term Action: Engage local players, be it employers or communities, to make these changes stick. Let's inspire long-term action and ensure the impact keeps racking up, year after year.
- Evaluation and Knowledge Sharing: Share learnings from successful practices worldwide to build a collective understanding of what works. Sharing the love is key; the more we chat, the better we can innovate!
Want even more inspiring examples of inclusive practices from 15 countries? The researchers got you covered with nearly 30 examples. These examples serve as a treasure trove of potential policy directions for UK cities and regions, helping us create more inclusive hubs and put an extra million jobs on the table by 2030!
This research couldn't be timelier, as governments across UK nations have identified the creative industries as a top priority. These evidence-based recommendations can help guide place-based interventions, ensuring expanded creative hubs bring benefits to more people and places across the country.
By connecting economic success with persistent inequality, the report adds fuel to the policy discourse on combining economic and social outcomes. Its findings support the growing global focus on inclusive growth strategies that view economic expansion as a means to shared prosperity, not an end in itself.
So, g’on—arms wide open for this groundbreaking study! The full report, along with working papers, helps policymakers and stakeholders make informed decisions to foster more equitable and inclusive growth of creative hubs across the UK.
Photo by Benjamin Elliott on Unsplash
Authors
- Heather Carey – Director of Work Advance
- Lesley Giles – Director of Work Advance
- Kate O'Connor – Independent Consultant, XR Stories and Screen Industries Growth Network
- Paul Sissons – Professor of Regional Economic Development and Policy, Keele Business School, Keele University
- Eun Sun Godwin – Senior Lecturer, Lecturer in International Business, University of Wolverham crap-ham Business School
- This groundbreaking report by Heather Carey, Lesley Giles, Kate O'Connor, Paul Sissons, and Eun Sun Godwin suggests the implementation of data-driven intelligence systems to monitor the impact of creative industry clusters on diverse communities and regions with less mobility.
- The experts propose that inclusion should be a primary objective in the development plans of every creative hub, incorporating strategies for equality, diversity, and inclusion, along with policies addressing the root causes of exclusion.
- To ensure that the benefits of creative industry growth are accessible to all, the report recommends building strong partnerships between local communities and employers to create customized programs tailored to their unique needs.
- Long-term action in making these changes a permanent part of the creative industry landscape is encouraged, involving local stakeholders like employers and community members in executing and maintaining these initiatives.
- The report advocates for sharing knowledge and best practices from successful inclusive initiatives worldwide to create a collective understanding of what works and to inspire innovation in the UK.
- The evidence-based recommendations in the report can contribute to place-based interventions in UK cities and regions, aiming to create more inclusive hubs and generate an additional million jobs by 2030.
- This research supports the growing global emphasis on inclusive growth strategies, viewing economic expansion as a means to shared prosperity, rather than an end goal, thus contributing to the policy discourse on combining economic and social outcomes.
