The creative industries can lead economic growth in the post-Brexit UK, industry leaders said this week.
The assessment from industry members of the Creative Industries Council (CIC), a partnership of industry and government, is based on the global reputation and strong recent growth of the UK creative industries.
It believes prospects for the creative industries remain strong and has developed Create Together, a five-year strategy to cement the UK’s status as a global hub for commercial creativity.
The Create Together strategy outlines;
• A five-year plan aiming to grow exports and encourage creative businesses to scale up
• Eight key drivers of future growth
• The role for creative industries in UK regions
It recommends measures to help grow creative exports to £31bn by 2020, encourage creative businesses to expand, and ensure the UK has a productive and diverse creative workforce.
Industry members of the CIC argue that creative industries are well placed to address the opportunities and challenges created by the ‘Leave’ outcome in the UK referendum on EU membership.
It is calling on the Government to ensure in its negotiations that;
· the UK remains able to receive favourable access to the international and digital single market
· the people and skills needed to deliver economic growth continue to have access to the UK
Official data shows creative jobs and service exports are growing much faster than in the rest of the economy.
Creative industries contribute £84.1bn a year to the UK, and almost 2.9m jobs feature in the wider creative economy.
Nicola Mendelsohn, Industry Co-Chair of the CIC, said: “The UK’s creative industries are open for business as usual.
‘We have long been an engine in delivering economic growth, new jobs and service exports to the UK.
“We now believe we can be instrumental in shaping the new growth agenda in the post-Brexit world and play an important part in economic development of all parts of the UK.
“We are ready and willing to play our role in the UK’s future strategy and we want to work with government to ensure our world-beating creative organisations thrive in the post-Brexit world”.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittingdale said: “The Creative Industries are one of the UK’s greatest success stories.
“That success is built upon the extraordinary talent which exists in this country, an amazing cultural heritage, the English language and a tax system designed to support and encourage growth in the creative sector.
“None of this is changed by the UK’s decision to leave the EU and I am confident that our creative industries will continue to thrive and take advantage of the new opportunities which are opening up to do business across the world.”
Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “Our creative industries are world renowned and I know this vital sector will have a key role to play as we develop our economy.
“I have been clear that Britain is open for business and we need to make the result of the EU referendum work. I am sure the creative industries, with all their talent and entrepreneurial skill, will look to take advantage of these opportunities and this strategy refresh will help deliver growth across the sector going forward.”