Post-Brexit Impact on Creative Industries Talent Acquisition from Abroad
The creative industries in the UK continue to rely heavily on international talent, with migrants accounting for 16% of the workforce in 2024, according to a study by Professor Ian Fillis of Liverpool John Moores University. This reliance has been tested by Brexit, which has introduced substantial barriers, particularly for artists touring Europe and participating in EU festivals.
Post-Brexit visa frameworks have seen a 70% increase in temporary visas issued for creative occupations since 2021, indicating some success in drawing foreign creative workers through specific visa routes. Notable examples include Nigerian creatives leading in securing UK Global Talent Visas in fashion, demonstrating the UK’s strategic support for underrepresented global talent.
However, the music sector has faced notable challenges. The number of British acts playing EU festivals remains 26% below pre-Brexit levels, obstructing emerging musicians from crucial exposure and touring opportunities across Europe. This has contributed to a decline in British music’s global market share, with industry leaders calling for urgent government action to restore access to European tours.
In response, the UK government’s 2025 Modern Industrial Strategy aims to double investment in creative industries by 2035 and acknowledges the sector’s dependence on international talent and innovation. The strategy also aims to boost competitiveness post-Brexit by supporting diversity in creative migration.
Despite these efforts, attracting and retaining global talent remains complex post-Brexit, as stricter visa policies and more complex migration systems have made it harder for UK creative firms to hire the talent they need. The live music ecosystem, essential for an artist’s commercial success globally, has been negatively affected, making it more difficult for UK artists to sustain and grow their careers internationally.
Industry voices emphasize the need for urgent reforms for touring and visa access to mitigate Brexit’s damaging effects on talent mobility and industry growth. The worldwide exports of creative goods have seen a 150% increase since 2000, reaching over $500 billion in 2015, underscoring the importance of addressing these challenges to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in the creative industries.
This case study highlights both the strategic adaptations in UK policy and the ongoing operational challenges faced by foreign talent and migrants working in creative industries after Brexit. The research, authored by Ian Fillis, Mohamed Haddoud Mohamed, and Tammy Murphy, presents an analysis of two stages of research, an initial qualitative stage based on interviews with managers in the creative industries, and a second quantitative stage using data from a questionnaire of creative industries firms with 147 responses. The report focuses on the migrant and skills needs of creative businesses in the UK.
- The report, authored by Ian Fillis, Mohamed Haddoud Mohamed, and Tammy Murphy, provides an analysis of the challenges faced by foreign talent and migrants working in the UK's creative industries post-Brexit.
- The creative industries in the UK have relied on international talent, with migrants accounting for 16% of the workforce in 2024, as revealed by a study by Professor Ian Fillis.
- The music sector has struggled post-Brexit, with the number of British acts playing EU festivals remaining 26% below pre-Brexit levels, hindering emerging musicians from essential exposure and touring opportunities across Europe.
- The UK government's 2025 Modern Industrial Strategy aims to boost investment in the creative industries, recognizing the sector's dependence on international talent and innovation, and supporting diversity in creative migration to enhance competitiveness post-Brexit.
- Attracting and retaining global talent remains complex within the UK's post-Brexit visa framework, making it hard for UK creative firms to hire the necessary skills and talent.
- The worldwide exports of creative goods have increased significantly since 2000, reaching over $500 billion in 2015, emphasizing the importance of addressing Brexit's damaging effects on talent mobility and industry growth to maintain the UK's global leadership in creative industries.
