At risk: our creative future

In the face of increased international competition and rapid technological change, the report from the House of Lords Communications Committee entitled At risk: our creative future sounds the alarm over missed opportunities and a failure among senior government figures to recognise the sector’s commercial potential. It calls for action to put the creative industries at the heart of the UK’s economic growth plans. 

Neil Puffett (NP): This is a very stark report saying the creative future of the UK is at risk, that the government is neglecting creative sectors in terms of investment, planning and legislative support, and highlighting a lack of joined-up cross-departmental thinking and action. Why do you think this is the case? How has this come about?

Deborah Bull (DB): What we try not to do on the committee is deal in speculation. We try to hear from industry, academics and practitioners - figures who can give us their evidence on what's happened. If you go over the last 20 years, since the concept was defined, we saw a sustained focus on creative industries. 

Successive governments have tried to create the conditions in which they can survive and thrive. Over recent years that focus has slightly dropped off. What we point to is a degree of complacency that the UK has gained this leadership position and that laurels can be rested on. What our committee is saying is that, given the changes coming down the pipeline in terms of technology and rising international competition, we can't afford to rest on those laurels. 

We must redirect attention to what the sector needs in order to retain its leadership role and deliver the benefits. It's not just about being world leading. That is nice but what we are saying is the creative industries are an economic powerhouse that can contribute to the UK's growth agenda, to placemaking, and civic life.

'Ministry of Fun?'

NP: The report mentions that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is seen, and [DCMS Minister] Julia Lopez admitted this, as the ‘Ministry of Fun’. Do you think the creative industries are not taken seriously?

DB: I think historically that has been the case. I find it baffling and the committee found it baffling because the figures that get quoted around the contribution to the economy and the levels of innovation and the returns to the UK [are impressive]. And these are government figures. So, the evidence is there. 

But successive governments and ministers have had differing levels of belief in those arguments, or perhaps willingness to address them. Certainly, if you look at the potential for jobs and growth, the creative industries do represent a major opportunity. We struggle to understand why, given the evidence, the sector is not taken more seriously.

NP: Do you think the revolving door nature of the position of Culture Secretary has had an impact?

DB: Those of us who are long in the tooth have seen a number of ministers go through this role. Where people have stayed in the role for some time - one can point to the late Tessa Jowell - they have been able to make significant and sustained change. But where people are going in and out of post it is harder for change to be embedded. 

Lack of joined up thinking

NP: In a recent interview with the BBC’s Katie Razall, Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said she intends staying in the role for the long term and thinks it’s the most important job in government. Does that give some solace? Is it important for her to stay in post for a long time?

DB: I think there’s a great deal of hope about what Michelle Donelan can achieve: she is a serious Secretary of State. She seems to be taking the sector seriously and seems willing to listen and to make difficult decisions. So those things are all very good. 

What is important about the creative industries is their potential for delivery across a range of agendas. It can deliver for the economy, for levelling up and for health. It can deliver for innovation and technology and so on. But to do so it needs to be joined up. 

In the report we pointed to quite a serious lack of join-up across government departments and a recognition that, unless you have the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, DCMS, the Department for Education - and arguably the Department for Housing, Levelling Up and Communities - all working together, you are never going to unlock the full potential of the creative industries or provide the support for them to thrive.

'Plethora of intitiatives leads to confusion'

NP: That’s something the DCMS Select Committee mentioned in its report last week on music streaming. They also said they were concerned about the scatter gun approach of government to cultural policy and pointed to other places where there’s a better approach, such as Canada and South Korea. Do you think government needs to look at other models?

DB: We took evidence from both South Korea and Canada – those are two of the jurisdictions we looked at. I think you’re right about the lack of coherence in policies, but I also think the plethora of policies and initiatives can be very confusing. Given that most of the UK’s creative industries are small, navigating that complexity of programmes, funding streams, initiatives, tax relief and so on is mind boggling. So, a lack of coherence in policy making yes, but also the plethora of initiatives leads to a great deal of confusion among small businesses and freelancers trying to navigate that environment.

NP: And to get your recommendations followed through, do you need a champion at Secretary of State level? Who should be driving this? Should it be Michelle Donelan? Gillian Keegan at Education? Or does it required Rishi Sunak to take a stance?

DB: Well, I was really pleased when the Prime Minister gave his speech on innovation. He spoke specifically about the importance of innovation to the economy and that he would make innovation a defining focus of his government. And he said innovation was a combination of creativity and ingenuity. 

So I think there is potentially a champion right at the top. Creative industries do sit in the DCMS portfolio so that’s where the champion has to be. But I don’t think we can stress strongly enough that various ministers and departments need to hold hands on this and recognise the need for a network or ‘crochet’ of policies. They must start in education, go through careers guidance, post-16 apprenticeships, T Levels on to Higher Education and then, of course, into the cultural portfolio but also innovation and technology. 

Hence the need for those departments to be working together and for those ministers to absolutely understand the potential of the creative industries to deliver for their own particular policy areas.

We need a new roadmap for where the sector is now

NP: Are you confident that the government’s Creative Industries Sector Vision, which I understand is due soon, will drive change and be a comprehensive vision?

DB: Where I would be confident is that the Creative Industries Council has been central to the vision and there some serious people on that council. We know that [DCMS Minister] Julia Lopez is absolutely committed to that vision. And we took evidence from people like Sir Peter Bazalgette who sits on that council and Dinah Caine [the council’s Working Group Chair on Education and Skills] too. We heard them tell us there had been serious work on this vision. I think that’s where we can have confidence. 

Until we see it, we can’t comment on what might be in it. But it’s really important that it is happening. As we said in the report, the conditions that led to the success of the creative industries in this country – and as a global player - have changed. In every sense – the technology, the conditions for trading, import and export – they’ve all changed. We need therefore to have a different roadmap that recognises where we are now and what needs to be put in place for the future success of this incredibly important sector.

Baroness Deborah Bull is a member of the Lords Communications Committee.  
Neil Puffett is News Editor at Arts Professional.
@BullDeborah | @NeilPuffett