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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
Beyond growth: promoting inclusive development of creative clusters in the UK

Beyond growth: promoting inclusive development of creative clusters in the UK

The UK creative industries have been an economic powerhouse for over two decades, contributing £125 …

Improving economic statistics in the creative industries

Improving economic statistics in the creative industries

Towards multi-regional creative industries satellite accounts In today’s ever-evolving economi…

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…

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…

Discussion Papers
Antiques - Vasilis Caravitis

Regional Trade Agreements, Cultural Provisions and Trade in Cultural Goods

A Creative PEC Discussion Paper Muharrem Cevik, Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University and Giorgio Fazio an…

metal wire art installation - courtesy of Alina Grubnyak

International Trade Challenges and the Effectiveness of Support Measures for the UK’s Creative Industries

The formidable challenges confronting the UK’s creative industries in the realm of exports, st…

High Street

Northern England’s Creative Industries

The Creative Industries are already a driver of growth across the UK economy. Export-intensive and m…

Side of building with artwork of man and a robin

Creative Destruction? Creative firms, workers and residential gentrification

A new study by Tasos Kitsos, Max Nathan, and Diana Gutierrez-Posada finds only a minor influence of …

Family watching a tablet

Speaking with One Voice

A fundamental remit of the BBC, and other public service broadcasters (PSBs) like ITV and Channel 4,…

Dance performance

Transitioning to Sustainable Production across the UK Theatre Sector

This discussion paper examines transitional pathways to sustainable theatre production in the UK. By…

Policy Briefings
Policy Brief: Insights from the Northern Creative Corridor Workshops Sprint

Policy Brief: Insights from the Northern Creative Corridor Workshops Sprint

The Northern Creative Corridor is an initiative aimed at connecting creative clusters across Norther…

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…

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…

Press Releases
purple graphic with title on white shape - Creative industries employers’ perspectives on skills initiatives: 2025

Education and skills reforms essential for Government to achieve new Creative Industries ambitions, says new research

Embargoed: 11am Tuesday 8 July 2025 The creative industries are identified as a key sector for the U…

Migration report graphic in orange and white

Highly skilled, international talent helps fuel UK creative industries growth, finds new report

Embargoed 9am (UK time) Tuesday 10 June 2025 As the dust settles on the UK government’s Immigration …

Green graphic with white shape and title for Arts culture and heritage 2

Increasing inequality in arts and culture revealed by new research

Embargoed 00.01 Wednesday 7 May 2025 A new report from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence C…

Creative Business Panel Logo on white background

New Government-backed survey will provide unprecedent insight on what drives growth in the creative industries

In further indication of the increasing importance the Government is putting on the creative industr…

Purple graphic with white box and Skills Mismatches In the UK's Creative Industries title

UK Government’s growth ambitions threatened by widening creative industries skills gap

Embargoed 00.01 GMT Wednesday 12 February 2025 The rapid growth of the UK’s creative industries has …

Foreign Direct Investment in the UKs Creative Industries

Invest at scale in place-based approaches to unleash potential of ‘Foreign Direct Investment’ in UK’s creative industries says new research

Embargoed 00.01 Wednesday 20 November 2024 GMT With the UK Government’s forthcoming industrial strat…

growth finance for creative industries

With the right financial support creative industries could fuel the Government’s growth mission and help tackle persistent regional inequality

A new report published today by the AHRC-funded Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Crea…

Access to Finance: launch of new research project

Access to Finance: launch of new research project

New research is being undertaken by Creative UK in partnership with the Creative Industries Policy a…

New research points to a looming creative economy skills shortage across the UK

New research points to a looming creative economy skills shortage across the UK

New report shows ‘severe’ decline in creative further education participation Embargoed 17 July 00.0…

Press Release: New research, including – once in a decade data – provides comprehensive overview of audiences and workforce across arts, culture and heritage.

Press Release: New research, including – once in a decade data – provides comprehensive overview of audiences and workforce across arts, culture and heritage.

Embargoed 00.01 Wednesday 15 May 2024 (BST) For the first time, census data has been used to provide…

Press Release: UK’s creative industries are an export success story

Press Release: UK’s creative industries are an export success story

New report shows creative strength despite Brexit and Covid Embargoed 00.01 Wednesday 20 March 2024,…

Introducing the Creative PEC’s Research Fellows Network 

Introducing the Creative PEC’s Research Fellows Network 

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

Blog
View along the river Tyne.

Creative Corridors: Connecting Clusters to Unleash Potential

Introducing the Creative Corridors framework.

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 …

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…

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…

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…

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