Motorway towns drive UK’s creative growth

Motorway towns and big cities have contributed to a 28% boost in creative employment over a seven-year period to 2014, according to a new report by Nesta and Creative England.

Areas such as Slough and Heathrow, High Wycombe and Aylesbury, and Basingstoke are identified alongside key creative cities such as Bristol, Manchester and London, as areas with a high concentration of creative businesses and a high level of creative growth.

Creative clusters

The report, The Geography of Creativity in the UK, identifies 47 ‘creative clusters’ in which creative employment and businesses are co-located across the country. It provides datasets and interactive data maps to demonstrate the economic significance of the creative industries across the country and help strengthen policy.

The selected clusters account for around 80% of creative industries employment and 87% of creative industries Gross Value Added (GVA) in the UK. They are classified into three categories: those with a high concentration of creative businesses; those showing high growth; and those with both of these characteristics.

While the majority of the creative clusters are found in the South East of England and around London, just over 20% are found in the North of England and not all of them are grouped around a creative city. Motorway towns and ‘creative conurbations’ – areas which are less visible than the established hotspots but “equally important” for the UK’s creative health – are also noted, such as Peterborough, Colchester and Tunbridge Wells.

The cluster areas are selected ahead of other cities which have a creative presence, such as York, which was designated a UNESCO City of Media Arts in 2014.

Policy advice

The report identifies a number of ‘blind spots’ of support for creative sub-sectors, such as music and performing arts, revealing that some places have a much higher proportion of creative businesses specialising in the field relative to the proportion of the creative workforce employed in it.

It advises policymakers to do more to support the growth of creative businesses in these areas, noting that while the number of creative businesses in the 47 clusters has grown, the average firm’s size has fallen in almost all sub-sectors.

In addition, the report advises Local Enterprise Partnerships and universities to consider what more they can do to address the strengths and weaknesses in their particular area. It notes that there are significant levels of university activity relevant to the creative industries outside of creative clusters, which could be built on to increase creative employment elsewhere in the UK

Speaking about the report, Juan Mateos-Garcia, Head of Innovation Mapping at Nesta, said: “The UK’s geography of creativity is diverse and growing. London and other creative cities are very important, but so are other areas which are sometimes overlooked when we talk about creative clusters.

“A better understanding of their specialism and impact on the local economy will help ensure that these hotspots continue to gain access to the talent and knowledge they need to thrive.”

Caroline Norbury, Chief Executive at Creative England, added: “Now, perhaps more than ever before, we need to work together to give our creative talent the backing they need to continue to flourish and grow.”