Pan-Northern collaboration can unlock opportunities

The North of England’s creative industries are experiencing a significant growth surge, with businesses flocking to dynamic and thriving ecosystems that offer an alternative, affordable environment compared with the high costs of the South East.

Between July 2023 and June 2024, the North West region alone created 196,000 jobs in the creative industries and generated £7.77 billion, which accounted for 3.5% of the region’s total gross value added (GVA). And this momentum continues, as more creative and digital businesses choose to make the move up North.

But this growth is concentrated in pockets, primarily in major cities like Manchester and Liverpool. To fully unlock the economic potential of the creative boom, we must adopt a more collaborative, region-wide approach, connecting the dots to build a true powerhouse of creativity across the North.

By embracing a pan-Northern strategy, we can secure the region’s future as a creative leader and the destination of choice for businesses seeking to thrive in a collaborative, innovation-driven environment.

Creative hubs as catalysts for growth

Enabling the sector’s growth are dedicated hubs across the North, hotspots for creativity and collaboration. These small but powerful communities are home to clusters of creative businesses, providing affordable workspaces and fostering vibrant neighbourhoods that fuel innovation. By providing affordable and flexible workspaces, they lower the barriers to entry for creative and digital companies, helping them launch and grow.

They also bring like-minded businesses together in one area, fostering collaboration and creating communities in which companies can support and elevate one another. This plays a crucial role in retaining homegrown talent while attracting international expertise, helping to position the North as a magnet for the global creative economy.

A prime example of a successful creative hub is Baltic Creative CIC, a vibrant community at the heart of Liverpool’s renowned Baltic Triangle. It stands as a leading model of community-led development powering the creative economy. Baltic Creative demonstrates that when creative SMEs are provided with dedicated, long-term protected spaces and support – shielded from gentrification and the risk of being priced out – they not only thrive but also make significant contributions to the broader economy.

The success of hubs such as these across the North has sparked a growing trend, with similar clusters emerging throughout the region, including the recently announced Campfield in Manchester, a new campus for technology and creative industries, designed to accelerate innovation.

Building stronger partnerships

Leveraging strategic partnerships through collaboration across the public and private sectors, as well as pan-Northern cooperation, can address shared challenges such as funding gaps, talent shortages and infrastructure limitations.

By working together, cities and regions can pool resources, attract investment and take a unified approach to growth. These partnerships not only strengthen individual communities but also position the North as a cohesive, competitive force in the global creative economy.

In the current challenging business climate, it’s more important than ever to give companies the best possible chance to succeed. External pressures such as the cost-of-living crisis, rising operational costs and economic uncertainty are making it increasingly difficult for businesses to grow and thrive. Supporting them with the right infrastructure, strategic partnerships and affordable workspaces is essential to helping them to navigate these challenges and continue contributing to the wider economy.

The power of a unified and connected North

Ultimately, the power of pan-Northern collaboration lies in its ability to create a more connected and competitive ecosystem. By fostering stronger ties between Northern cities, such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle, the region can better share resources, talent and opportunities, strengthening its position as a national and global leader in key industries like creative and digital.

As the North’s reputation for fostering creativity and innovation grows, people will begin to recognise the region as the destination of choice to base their creative businesses, attracted by its collaborative environment and thriving support networks.

By uniting the region’s unique strengths and pooling resources, towns and cities across the North can create dedicated spaces, foster strategic partnerships, and build a more connected ecosystem.

This collaborative approach enables them to tackle challenges while driving growth. In doing so, the North can unlock new opportunities, boost regional resilience and position itself as a powerhouse for innovation and creativity on both a national and global stage.