The Path to Net Zero: Exploring Funding Options for Retrofitting Cultural Buildings
Examining the real world energy and cost savings and ROI from cultural retrofitting projects.
>> Home > Research by Themes >
Business Models and Access to Finance
Creative Industries present huge investment opportunity
New research shows ‘high-growth potential firms’ outnumber both Life Sciences and Advanced Manufacturing.
High-Growth Potential Firms in the UK’s Creative Industries
This new report demonstrates that the Creative Industries account for almost a tenth of UK firms classified as having ‘high-growth potential’.
Taking stock of the Creative Industries Sector Plan
We summarise some of the key sector-wide announcements from the Creative Industries Sector Plan.
What does the 2025 Spending Review mean for the creative industries?
A read out from Creative PEC Bernard Hay and Emily Hopkins On Wednesday 11th June the UK Government published its Spending Review, which outlines UK Government departmental budgets for day-to-day… Read More »What does the 2025 Spending Review mean for the creative industries?
Bridging the Imagination Deficit
The Equity Gap in Britain’s Creative Industries[1]. by Professor Nick Wilson The creative industries are significant contributors to the UK economy and to intellectual exports. However, underlying this vibrant growth… Read More »Bridging the Imagination Deficit
What just happened to funding for culture in Scotland?
First the facts: Creative Scotland announced the outcome of its new Multi-Year Funding Programme on 30th January 2025. Over the next three years, more than £200 million will be provided… Read More »What just happened to funding for culture in Scotland?
Unleashing Creativity: Fixing the Finance Gap in the Creative Industries
This report is a collaboration between Creative UK and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC). It is based on a survey of 896 firms from all creative… Read More »Unleashing Creativity: Fixing the Finance Gap in the Creative Industries
Measuring the economic value of digital culture
What are consumers are willing to pay for digital streaming services, and how do we measure it?
Lifelong learning in the creative industries, part 2: the solutions
In part 2 of the blog, our Industry Champions discuss possible solutions to the challenges of lifelong learning in the creative industries
Foreign Direct Investment in the UK’s Creative Industries
A Creative PEC State of the Nations Report With the UK Government’s forthcoming industrial strategy highlighting the creative industries as a key sector for both investment and growth, this new… Read More »Foreign Direct Investment in the UK’s Creative Industries
Scaling Up: AI and Creative Tech
Creative PEC Submission for the Communications and Digital Committee Creative PEC responded to the UK Government’s inquiry examining the challenges facing SMEs seeking to scale up in the UK. The… Read More »Scaling Up: AI and Creative Tech
Growth Finance for Creative Industries
A Creative PEC State of the Nations report Re-imagining growth finance could boost the creative economy and help tackle regional inequality in support of the UK’s Government’ s growth mission.… Read More »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 (Creative PEC) says re-imagining growth finance could boost the creative economy and help tackle regional inequality… Read More »With the right financial support creative industries could fuel the Government’s growth mission and help tackle persistent regional inequality
Creative UK Access to Finance Survey: Share Your Views
Professor Hasan Bakhshi, Director Creative PEC and Josh Siepel, Research Lead, R&D, Innovation and Creative Clusters, Creative PEC Over the past few weeks, you may have been contacted or seen… Read More »Creative UK Access to Finance Survey: Share Your Views
Access to Finance: launch of new research project
New research is being undertaken by Creative UK in partnership with the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) and BVA BDRC, supported by the Creative Industries Council, Bloomberg Philanthropies… Read More »Access to Finance: launch of new research project
Policy Brief: Transitioning to Sustainable Production across the UK Theatre Sector
This policy brief outlines recommendations for transitioning to more sustainable theatre production practices across the UK theatre sector. It is based on research by Professor Roberta Mock that examined sustainable… Read More »Policy Brief: Transitioning to Sustainable Production across the UK Theatre Sector
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 to determine the skills, policies and investment required to achieve sustained growth in the creative sector.… Read More »Press Release: ‘Creative Corridors’ can be the key to the UK’s creative industries’ ambitions
The PEC’s response to the 2023 Spring Budget
The creative industries are a vital part of the UK economy. There are, however, some continued challenges that limit the sector’s growth. Yesterday’s Spring Budget addressed a number of these critical… Read More »The PEC’s response to the 2023 Spring Budget
Working Together – Cooperatives as a creative industry business model
This authors looks at how creative workers and students typically understand cooperatives, explore the skills and training people need to set up cooperatives, and discuss how public policy can support… Read More »Working Together – Cooperatives as a creative industry business model
What the Autumn Budget means for the Creative Industries
With the UK almost certainly entering a recession – Q3 has seen negative GDP growth – and inflation driven mostly by energy prices and other supply bottle necks, difficult times… Read More »What the Autumn Budget means for the Creative Industries
Trade in creative services: scale, trends, and geography
Creative services such as advertising, publishing, and design are an important part of global trade. Their rise has been partly due to technology, which has made it easier to trade… Read More »Trade in creative services: scale, trends, and geography
Press release: Poorest areas excluded from Manchester’s creative industries success story
Research shows poorest parts of Manchester have few firms & little/no employment in creative sector 29 September 2022 – Manchester has long been considered a creative industries success story. It… Read More »Press release: Poorest areas excluded from Manchester’s creative industries success story
Three ways to support growth in the creative industries
Three ways to support growth in the creative industries The Creative Industries are an economic powerhouse, delivering £115.9bn GVA, accounting for 2.2 million jobs, and exporting more than £50bn per year at the last count. Around… Read More »Three ways to support growth in the creative industries
Press release: What happens to coastal towns when the holiday-makers leave?
Could investment in the Creative Industries be key to year-round, economic development? Could investment in the Creative Industries be key to year-round, economic development? 1 September 2022 – As August… Read More »Press release: What happens to coastal towns when the holiday-makers leave?
What distinguishes creative industry exporters? And does engaging in innovation, R&D and design matter?
Post-Brexit, the UK government is keen to accelerate UK exporting, including in creative goods and services. To best support and expand exporting, it is vital to better understand the characteristics… Read More »What distinguishes creative industry exporters? And does engaging in innovation, R&D and design matter?
How Research and Innovation can help level-up the Creative Industries
The Levelling-Up White Paper produced by the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities notes that ideas and innovation are key drivers for rebalancing the economy. Since 2018, UKRI’s £56.8m Creative Industries Clusters Programme (CICP) has… Read More »How Research and Innovation can help level-up the Creative Industries
PEC Response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s proposed study ‘Music and streaming market’
This submission responds to the consultation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as part of its proposed market study on the ‘music and streaming market’. Three key areas… Read More »PEC Response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s proposed study ‘Music and streaming market’
PEC announces the launch of six new commissioned research projects
The research will cover everything from fashion and music, to migration and seaside towns The PEC’s open calls for commissioned research are a fantastic opportunity to develop cutting edge ideas… Read More »PEC announces the launch of six new commissioned research projects
How theatre can contribute to the UK’s net-zero targets
“It is with ambition, courage and collaboration as we approach the crucial COP26 summit in the UK that we can seize this moment together, so we can recover cleaner, rebuild… Read More »How theatre can contribute to the UK’s net-zero targets
Managing transition in the UK fashion sector
The UK fashion industry, like other sectors, is experiencing significant transformation due to the collision of three major issues: climate emergency, Brexit transitions and the economic and social crisis caused… Read More »Managing transition in the UK fashion sector
PEC’s Representation to the Autumn Spending Review
The UK’s creative industries – from film to fashion, and from video games to the performing arts – are integral to local communities throughout the country. This is in part… Read More »PEC’s Representation to the Autumn Spending Review
Driving local growth: Lessons from the Preston Model
The ‘Preston Model’ of Community Wealth Building (CWB) is an innovative policy intervention that ensures that local growth benefits local communities. A key component of the Preston Model is changing… Read More »Driving local growth: Lessons from the Preston Model
Cultural consumption in the UK – data and analysis from the six month study
A summary of the data and blogs published as part of our COVID-19 digital consumer survey tracker Summary of the project The PEC partnered with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO)… Read More »Cultural consumption in the UK – data and analysis from the six month study
Plugging the Data Gap: Freelance Workers in the Creative Industries
The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the lack of available data on the self-employed and freelance workforce, and this gap is particularly acute in the Creative Industries. Although well documented nationally this gap… Read More »Plugging the Data Gap: Freelance Workers in the Creative Industries
On-Demand Culture: How the lockdown is changing games and streaming services
Covid-19 regulations and restrictions have meant conventional forms of leisure and culture have either stopped or greatly changed. The lockdown has, however, also seen dramatic growth for on-demand services. This… Read More »On-Demand Culture: How the lockdown is changing games and streaming services
Why regulating the public sphere matters more than ever
Schlesinger argues that in capitalist democracies we can only guess at how the post-public sphere will develop in the future. In previous work on the public sphere he explored the… Read More »Why regulating the public sphere matters more than ever
Understanding how our habits of cultural consumption changed during lockdown – wave 9 data
Insights from the nine-week study into consumers cultural consumption habits – data from wave 9 of the survey This is the latest release of the data from a survey of people’s… Read More »Understanding how our habits of cultural consumption changed during lockdown – wave 9 data
What we learned about digital cultural consumption as we went in and then came out of lockdown
Lockdown has had a calamitous impact on the arts and cultural sector, especially, but by no means exclusively, on venue-based organisations. The sector is naturally looking to digital means of… Read More »What we learned about digital cultural consumption as we went in and then came out of lockdown
Artificial intelligence, levelling-up and R&D: the PEC’s response to the Spending Review 2020
We analyse the Spending Review and the extent our recommendations feature in today’s announcement The creative industries – from film, to fashion, art, advertising, games, design and more – are… Read More »Artificial intelligence, levelling-up and R&D: the PEC’s response to the Spending Review 2020
Beyond bailouts: three ways the upcoming Spending Review should support the creative industries
The creative industries – from film, to fashion, to creative digital – are now widely recognised as a thriving part of the UK economy, contributing £111.7 billion in gross value added (GVA)… Read More »Beyond bailouts: three ways the upcoming Spending Review should support the creative industries
Business model disruption and innovation during COVID-19 in the creative content industries
To understand how COVID-19 continues to affect the creative industries, we have consulted our Industry Champions about their experience of business model disruption and innovation within their own organisations during… Read More »Business model disruption and innovation during COVID-19 in the creative content industries
As lockdown eased: How our habits of cultural consumption at home are changing
The outbreak of COVID-19 and the halt on many cultural and creative activities, from live music, to museums, and cinemas, has changed the way that we experience content. During April-May… Read More »As lockdown eased: How our habits of cultural consumption at home are changing
Ten reflections on the consumption of digital culture in lockdown
This week we published some of the insights on cultural consumption during the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown from our Consumer Tracking Study, a collaboration with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and the… Read More »Ten reflections on the consumption of digital culture in lockdown
Understanding how our habits of cultural consumption changed during lockdown – newest survey data
Insights from the nine-week study into consumers cultural consumption habits This is the latest release of the data from a survey of people’s consumption of culture through lockdown, commissioned by… Read More »Understanding how our habits of cultural consumption changed during lockdown – newest survey data
Cultural consumption in the UK during the COVID-19 lockdown
The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown has led to unprecedented changes in how we live, including the ways in which we interact with cultural content. Movement restrictions leading… Read More »Cultural consumption in the UK during the COVID-19 lockdown
Silence speaks volumes
The economic value of our creative industries is clear. But are they a priority for Britain’s political leaders? The impressive growth performance of the UK’s creative industries, from design and… Read More »Silence speaks volumes
Regulating a platform economy
The Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) offers a unique opportunity to respond to a dramatic challenge to the industrial organisation of the creative industries: Are the creative industries… Read More »Regulating a platform economy
Found In Translation
How social media platforms can help UK publishers understand their market in China In this paper, the authors explored how British publishers and writers can negotiate some of the market… Read More »Found In Translation
The New Art of Finance
Making money work harder for the arts This report showed how a portion of arts funding could be reinvented, making use of new methods that would bring in additional finance… Read More »The New Art of Finance
Inside the Datavores
How data and online analytics affect business performance This briefing paper describes the background, data, method and findings of an analysis of the link between data activity and business performance.… Read More »Inside the Datavores
Rise of the datavores: how UK businesses can benefit from their data
This report looked at how only a small minority of UK businesses use data analysis despite the significant benefit it brings. A business survey by Nesta showed how a small… Read More »Rise of the datavores: how UK businesses can benefit from their data