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Geography of the Creative Industries

Geography of the Creative Industries

Introduction

Companies, organisations and practitioners in the creative industries tend to be physically near each other, often in localised clusters. But where do creative clusters tend to appear? What impact do they have on people, companies and places? And where can researchers – and crucially, policymakers – focus their efforts. The research in this theme looks at identifying where creative businesses are located, why they cluster together and the impact of these creative clusters on innovation.

Publications and Posts

Research Reports
image of urban industrial building with signage on exterior - courtesy of Alyssa Bossom
Creative radar: Mapping the UK’s creative industries

Major urban centres are the sorts of places we would expect to find creative businesses clustered to…

skyline of town - courtesy of Benjamin Elliott
Geographies of Creativity

A Creative PEC State of the Nations report Place matters when it comes to creativity. Where do creat…

aerial shot of rural village set in green landscape
Mapping and examining the determinants of England’s rural creative microclusters

More targeted support could unleash the potential of Rural Creative Enterprises It is well documente…

abstract illustration of Preston city
Supporting the Creative Industries: The impact of the ‘Preston Model’ in Lancashire

The economic geography of the UK is highly uneven, with many of the largest clusters concentrating i…

VR Headset
Createch activity in the UK

Createch is an emerging field that combines technology and creativity in novel ways. This report is …

building with advertising board in Belfast Northern Ireland
Cultural brokerage and creative clusters

Future Screens NI and levelling-up in a pandemic environment Future Screens NI is one of nine creati…

street wall art
Creative Radar 2021: The impact of COVID-19 on the UK’s creative industries

This is the second report from the Creative Radar series, by PEC researchers at the University of Su…

Policy Briefings
image of alleyway with sign for Centre Space Gallery
The importance of a UK-wide recovery plan for the creative industries

New research shows that following the global financial crisis in 2008 we saw an accelerated tre…

black iron railings with coloured bunting
How policymakers can support local growth in the creative industries

As part of our research agenda around local growth, we consulted our Industry Champions on…

coastal village scene with waves lapping sea wall
Policy briefing: Creative industries innovation in seaside resorts and country towns

This policy brief is based on a PEC Discussion Paper: Creative Industries Innovation in Seaside Reso…

view across Albert Docks Liverpool
Placemaking, Culture and Covid

In September 2021, we consulted a Panel of our Industry Champions on their experiences of …

photo of modern walk bridge over river linking to a town on riverside
Creative places: Growing the creative industries across the UK

This is in part because of the economic importance of the sector: one in eight UK businesses are par…

person wearing VR Headset while standing in front of TV screen
Mapping the R&D landscape for creative technologies

Creative technologies (“CreaTech”) will play an increasingly big role driving innovation and g…

Press Releases
Introducing the Creative PEC’s Research Fellows Network 

By Professor Hasan Bakhshi, Director Creative PEC and Professor Giorgio Fazio, Director of Research …

Angel of the North - boris-yue
‘One Creative North’ plans finalised at summit ahead of Convention of the North

30 organisations meet to set out a bold new vision for the north of England’s creative industries To…

city centre shopping street scene
Press release: With coordinated action North of England based creative industries could add £10bn to the UK economy

Today, the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and the Creative Industries Polic…

interior of Victorian shopping arcade
Press Release: ‘Creative Corridors’ can be the key to the UK’s creative industries’ ambitions

Today (Saturday 16 September), three major institutions announce a joint agreement to work together …

street wall art
Press release: Relationship between creative industries and gentrification overstated says new study

August 2023 – It’s a commonly held view that the arts drive gentrification. Many city leaders …

stack of old books
Press Release: Could the UK be a creative haven for writers? With support from policymakers, yes, says new report

17 August 2023 – The latest Authors’ Earnings Survey, from researchers at the CREATe Research …

camera person carrying camera on shoulder
New research calls for change in film, TV and games sectors to improve access and progression for disadvantaged young people

While the film, TV and games industries are one of the UK’s greatest success stories, new research c…

abstract graphic
Press release: Landmark Creative Industries report says: prioritise creative education, end unequal access to the arts and focus on the regenerative power of the creative sector

27 April 2023 – Today, the Creative PEC launches a landmark report – The State…

coastal scene with white cliffs harbour and sea
Press release: Growing skills shortage & international trade decline post-Brexit

NEWS RELEASE Download the Press ReleaseEmbargoed: 00.01 UK time Thursday 30th March Two papers …

city montage of bridges in Newcastle and millennium foot bridge in London
Press Release: New Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre co-hosts announced

Newcastle University and the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) have been announced as new hosts of the Cre…

good work review graphic image
Press release: Major review of job quality in the Creative Industries

Published today: 23rd February 2023 Download the Press Release The Creative Industries – from …

person working at sewing machine
Press release: Landmark report on the Creative Industries and Climate Emergency heralded as a ‘call to action’

A sector by sector overview of activity taking place in the creative industries to achieve Net Zero …

Blog
University of Birmingham music building
Too many demands are being placed on universities to support their regional economies, without sufficient support and partnership

The creative industries have long been heralded as a UK success story. The creative economy grew at …

city skyline courtesy of Zack Davidson
Looking at regional inequalities in the UK’s creative industries

The UK’s Creative Industries have been growing rapidly, both in terms of employment and economic out…

rural village with hills in background
How can policy makers help rural creative businesses contribute to Levelling Up?

The creative industries have the potential to play a major role in the development of rural communit…

River Thames London with Westminster Bridge and Houses of Parliament in view
PEC’s comment on the 2021 Spending Review and Autumn Budget

The UK’s creative industries – from film to fashion, and from video games to the performing ar…

people on top of vehicle performing at a carnival
The austerity decade: local government spending on culture

Local government has been hit hard by austerity. On average, grants from central to local government…

industrial factory near canal
When policy meets place: ‘Levelling Up’ and the culture and creative industries

The UK Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ agenda aims to address regional disparities in economic prosperit…

River Tyne Newcastle
Small engines of growth: Understanding creative microclusters

Think about a creative cluster: What comes to mind? Creative clusters are the buzzing centres of the…

image of quayside scene co urtesy of Martyna Bober
A first look at connections between the presence of creative industries and the wider urban economy

Creative industries have long been a focus of urban researchers and policymakers. There is a good re…

Image of metal artwork near coast
How location impacts the creative industries

Location matters, especially in the creative industries. The area of work I am leading will be looki…

image of urban industrial building with signage on exterior - courtesy of Alyssa Bossom
Creative radar: Mapping the UK’s creative industries

Major urban centres are the sorts of places we would expect to find creative businesses clustered to…

skyline of town - courtesy of Benjamin Elliott
Geographies of Creativity

A Creative PEC State of the Nations report Place matters when it comes to creativity. Where do creat…

aerial shot of rural village set in green landscape
Mapping and examining the determinants of England’s rural creative microclusters

More targeted support could unleash the potential of Rural Creative Enterprises It is well documente…

abstract illustration of Preston city
Supporting the Creative Industries: The impact of the ‘Preston Model’ in Lancashire

The economic geography of the UK is highly uneven, with many of the largest clusters concentrating i…

VR Headset
Createch activity in the UK

Createch is an emerging field that combines technology and creativity in novel ways. This report is …

building with advertising board in Belfast Northern Ireland
Cultural brokerage and creative clusters

Future Screens NI and levelling-up in a pandemic environment Future Screens NI is one of nine creati…

street wall art
Creative Radar 2021: The impact of COVID-19 on the UK’s creative industries

This is the second report from the Creative Radar series, by PEC researchers at the University of Su…

In Numbers

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London

London represented 31% of Creative Industries employment,
31%
34% of businesses
34%
Of economic output (GVA
52%

London and the Greater South East

London and the Greater South East
54%
62% of businesses
62%
Of economic output (GVA)
74%

North of England

London represented 31% of Creative Industries employment,
31%
34% of businesses
34%
Of economic output (GVA
52%
57%

of UK createch companies are based in London (Createch activity in the UK 2021).

78%

78% of AI and Data createch businesses based in the UK are located in London.

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