The music, visual and performing arts sectors have failed to match the achievements of other creative sectors, despite overall growth of 4% in the UK creative industries between 1997 and 2006, according to a new report from the DCMS. The annual ‘Creative Industries Economic Estimates Statistical Bulletin’, published this month, shows that the growth in employment in performing and visual arts in 2006 was only 2%, compared with 11% in the crafts sector and 14% in video, film and photography. The number of businesses in the sector actually declined, from 32,600 to 31,200, while the video, film and photography sector grew from 4,800 businesses to 11,000. Music, visual and performing arts showed no growth in Gross Value Added, which is defined by the Office of National Statistics as “the difference between the value of goods and services produced and the cost of raw materials and other inputs which are used up in production”. This compares with 6% growth in video, film and photography and 8% in software, computer games and electronic publishing. Exports of services by the creative industries, which totalled £16bn – 4.3% of all goods and services exported in 2006 – were led by the software, computer games and electronic publishing sector (£4.9bn) and the art and antiques market (£3.1bn), with the arts sector at £270m. The DCMS states in the report that the figures cannot be regarded as National Statistics, because “the classifications used by international convention for official statistics do not accurately reflect the structure of the Creative Industries and as such it is difficult to capture the full extent of activity”.