Nandy backs creative corridors vision as blueprint launches

Government has backed efforts to establish ‘creative corridors’ across the UK following the publication of a “groundbreaking” blueprint for their development.

A report published today (Thursday 24 October) by the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), Arts Council England and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) sets out details of how best creative corridors can be established in order to grow the economy by “tens of billions of pounds”.

The launch follows the recent publication of the government’s Industrial Strategy Green Paper, which lists the creative industries as one of eight sectors on which the UK’s economic growth will be based.

Commenting on the report, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “This new report sets out a clear vision. We are committed to playing our part in driving growth and ensuring that every region’s contribution is seen, valued and reflected in our national story.”

“We want to put rocket boosters under the creative industries, helping them to create more opportunities in all parts of the country and give people from all communities access to art and culture.”

New frontier

The report says creative corridors are “a new frontier” for creative industries policymaking, building on years of good work around creative clusters and the wider geographies of creativity in the UK.

“For local leaders, making the political decision to invest in corridor development and implementing these recommendations will take a degree of bravery,” it states.

“However, we believe that supporting more effective coordination and connection between clusters to become creative corridors that achieve supercluster style benefits could have significant social and economic impact for the UK’s regions across the four nations.”

The report sets out four steps for parties to consider when looking to develop a creative corridor: fostering collaboration; identifying research and development opportunities; boosting the profile of the project; and streamlining skills pathways and work opportunities.

The RSA will has said it will now work with partners across government, civil society and the creative industries to apply the learnings of the report, identify new creative corridors, and replicate successes such as One Creative North – the creative corridor across the North of England – in places up and down the UK.

One Creative North, which was announced at the Convention of the North by Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin in March, will involve the launch of a new multi-million-pound investment fund, as well as life-long training opportunities to help nurture and retain creative talent in the North.

‘Huge potential’

Andy Haldane, chief executive of the RSA, said: “The new government has, through its recent green paper on industrial strategy, put the creative industries front and centre of its growth agenda.

“This groundbreaking new report outlines the huge potential for the UK’s vibrant and pioneering creative industries and, crucially, explains how this potential can be unlocked.

“This will mean connecting and collaborating, on a pan-regional basis, as never before to develop creative corridors. The One Creative North initiative, pioneered by the RSA in collaboration with Northern Mayors and the BBC, is one example, but there are many other potential creative clusters right across the UK primed for lift-off.

“This report explains how to achieve that lift-off.”