Unleashing the power of creative clusters

Why Creative Corridors and what does it mean? 

The UK is a creative superpower. It is home to 55 creative clusters identified by the DMCS, alongside an additional 700 creative microclusters which have been the focus of policy intervention. However, this economic growth isn’t reflected equally nationwide. London and the M25 collectively account for 68% of the UK’s creative industry’s gross value added (GVA) totalling £71 billion in 2019.

A recent government Industrial Strategy Green Paper places the creative industries among the top sectors driving national growth. Creative Corridors is an exciting new policy concept designed to harness the enormous potential of creative industries to drive growth across all four UK regions. There are already examples of successful experimentation with 'corridors’ in the UK – such as the Northern Creative Corridor and the Thames Estuary Production Corridor which we can learn from.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy emphasised: “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”.

How will connecting creative clusters drive economic growth?

The UK government has set an ambitious goal to achieve the fastest economic growth in the G7. By nurturing greater connections between creative clusters and microclusters, this initiative can fuel multiple avenues for economic growth, including:

1. Better supply chains – streamlining production and distribution across all creative sectors to enable faster and more cost-effective collaboration

2. Stronger Research & Development partnerships – creative enterprises can share resources and work together. These collaborations can improve the competitiveness of local creative industries and attract investment

3. Develop labour market networks – bridging skill gaps and preventing regional disparities by increasing access to creative job opportunities

The RSA’s role moving forward

Now that we have set out this radical new framework for action- with the power to unlock billions in untapped potential- it’s time for us to work with partners across government, civil society and the creative industries to identify new creative corridors, and replicate successes such as One Creative North, in places up and down the UK, By connecting the country’s creative hubs, the RSA hopes to catalyse inclusive growth, ensuring every UK region plays an integral part in the country's creative economy.

The Creative Corridors report draws on a rapid evidence review, international case studies and a series of nationwide workshops with over 100 industry and policy experts from across the UK. Read the full report here.