Commercial Creative Industries Sector
North East England is increasingly recognised as a vibrant and creative region, supported by enviable cultural infrastructure and a growing and competitive creative economy. The region has a tradition of creativity and values a distinct cultural heritage.
The broader regional Culture and Creative sector is a miscellaneous sector comprising public cultural institutions, venues and organisations, and private creative industries. It is a large and complex sector, with a broad range of ownership. Central to much of the sector is a focus on sustaining innovation and creativity, leading to new expressions of product development but also enhancing the region’s proposition as an attractive location. The broader creative and cultural sector employs almost 60,000 people in the region, with over 5,000 businesses in the sector, making up 12% of the region’s VAT registered businesses.
The Commercial Creative sector is a specific part of this environment, concentrating on key sub-sectors that provide potential for further growth and scalability. These are:
- Advertising, design and brand communication
- Performing arts (focus on content creation)
- Publishing (focus content creation)
- New media, games and software
- Film, tv and video
- Music
Understanding the broader ecology for growth is complex. In some instances there is a direct link between industry sectors and creative art forms, with a continuum from subsidised cultural activity through to more commercial production and distribution. In other areas, the relationships are more focused on issues such as commercialisation of intellectual property, convergence or a shared talent pool. Digital technology is clearly a very strong driver here.
Much of the sector remains young and emergent although evidence now exists for critical mass. There is increasing evidence of a ‘brain gain’ to the region, which can be in part attributed to the region providing an attractive location for creative entrepreneurs and professionals (Demos). However, this also stems from the improving opportunities for high skilled jobs, graduate retention, exporting activity and regional image as part of the growth in the ‘knowledge economy’.
Recent research has highlighted that the Commercial Creative sector employs 35,000 people and contributes £1.167 billion. Subsequent research has refined this further. (see downloads below)
One North East is working with partners to invest in the sector to support growth and the development of a competitive advantage – key areas include:
- Skills, company growth and development
- Access and connectivity to markets
- Promoting the sector to key audiences
- Talent development and attraction
- Attracting mobile investment
Commercial Creative Sector Research - Final Report [3.2 MB] [pdf]
(3.20 MB)
Commercial Creative Sector Research - Presentation [1.3 MB] [ppt]
(1.32 MB)
