What have statistics ever done for us?

The creative and cultural industries have, in the past, had to rely too heavily on anecdotal ‘evidence’ to prove their economic worth, formulate business strategies and make big decisions. This is no longer the case. As the industry has matured, quantitative research and statistical data analysis are becoming more common, and as time goes by, more and more relevant.

The UK has one of the largest cultural economies in the world as a share of its GDP1 , employing nearly 800,000 people and contributing more than £28bn to the UK economy each year2 . The world’s creative economy is growing faster than service industries overall and at more than four times the rate of manufacturing3. To remain competitive, UK creative and cultural businesses need to attract, train and retain the right workforce, developing skills to ensure that the country stays at the forefront of artistic and business success. We need to use data effectively to prove to Government and budget holders that we, as an industry, should be valued and respected as an economic (and growing) force to be reckoned with.

As the effects of the recession started filtering down, it was interesting to see how creative and cultural organisations began very quickly ascribing a lot more data, facts and figures to what they were doing. Most noticeably, this manifested itself in reflecting how much added value they were generating for the wider economy. And why not? Proving your worth in social as well as monetary terms is essential in building profile and helping to maintain present or secure future funding.

Of course, statistics should not be used in isolation. Good research practice dictates that data should be substantiated with real-life examples, case studies and rich qualitative data for its value to be realised, or to be applied effectively. Collecting statistical data has, over the past decade, played a role in shaping creative and cultural sectors into the industry we now recognise. The development of statistical analysis in the industry has been vital in establishing the importance of the sector not only for its social worth, but also for its significant economic contribution. Of course, making decisions purely on quantitative data runs the risk of causing knock-on and detrimental effects to artistic or creative integrity, so we need to find a happy medium where industry can access the right data and apply it to business needs on an individual, case-by-case basis.

For employers, data is there to help them understand their position in the broader economic chain, and where the industry influences business growth beyond its boundaries. Creative and cultural organisations require accurate and relevant data to inform their business strategies and to prepare for the future. The collection of quantitative data reinforces and re-informs the decisions and assumptions they make.

Naturally, data is only of any real value if it is respected and understood. This means it must meet certain criteria. It must be sustainable, so that that any underlying data on which quantitative analysis is built is available to all and can, if necessary, be collected again easily. It must also be replicable, in that the methods by which the analysis is undertaken must be completed with ease should anyone wish to conduct research or analysis again. It must be robust, based on statistically verifiable methods of collection and interpretation and finally, it must be comparable, so that it can be easily related back to data produced either by other organisations or to other economic sectors.

With 66% of businesses employing fewer than 10 people, the majority of those represented by Creative & Cultural Skills, do not have the time or resources to trawl through the vast amounts of data that is now available. With this in mind, to make access to sector- or regional-specific data easily accessible, we developed and launched the Data Generator.

Designed to help individuals and businesses access the latest economic and demographic research and analysis, the online tool helps with advocacy, strategic decisions, future planning, funding applications and presentations. Data Generator hosts a fully searchable database of published sector-specific data and bespoke reports, and allows the user to generate their own reports from a range of economic and demographic data. Importantly, it allows industry to access its own data quickly, making quantitative data a little more palatable and accessible.

Through the development of statistical research in the area, the value of the creative and cultural industries to the UK economy can now be realised, enabling it to better influence Government policy, to better understand where there is potential for the sector to grow, and to adapt to changes in the broader labour market ensuring that it remains economically viable, sustainable and successful for years to come.

Statistics in particular, and quantitative data in general, provide the creative and cultural industries with an opportunity to understand the economic contribution of the sector in the UK, assess employment growth, compare and contrast demographic data across sectors and regions, and analyse the skills the industry needs to be successful. This information will help the industry is to remain the economic force that it undoubtedly is.