
Lisa Nandy says the creative industries will be at the heart of the government's forthcoming Industrial Strategy
Photo: Labour Party
Nandy announces £60m funding boost for creative industries
Culture Secretary says money will support creative and cultural organisations to ‘turbocharge growth’ by transforming local venues, creating jobs, supporting businesses and spreading opportunity.
Government funding of £60m has been announced as part of a package of measures to boost the creative industries.
The money, announced today (17 January) by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has been earmarked for grassroots music venues, creative businesses involved with music and film exports, as well as start-up video game studios.
The government says the money will “facilitate investment and innovation in communities, in turn supporting businesses and employment”.
The announcement coincides with Nandy meeting with more than 250 creative businesses and cultural leaders at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead today.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the summit is the first step towards delivering the Creative Industry Sector Plan, as part of the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy.
Priority regions
At the summit Nandy will also announce the priority regions for Creative Industries: the North East; Greater Manchester; Liverpool City Region; West Yorkshire; West Midlands; Greater London; West of England; South Wales; the Glasgow, Edinburgh-Dundee corridor; and Belfast.
Alongside this, the government will provide additional funding, to be agreed as part of the Spending Review, to six Mayoral Combined Authorities: the North East; Greater Manchester; Liverpool City Region; West Yorkshire; West Midlands; and the West of England.
The funding will aim to maximise the strengths of the areas to deliver growth.
Meanwhile, planned changes to introduce shorter apprenticeships, to support the specific needs of the creative industries, will be brought forward to August 2025.
And more detail and policy announcements on the creative industries sector plan and there will be made in the months ahead.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “From film and fashion to music and advertising, our creative industries are truly world-class and play a critical role in helping us deliver on this government’s mission to drive economic growth in all parts of the UK.
“Our £60m funding boost will support creative and cultural organisations across the UK to turbocharge growth by transforming local venues, creating jobs, supporting businesses and spreading opportunity across the country.
“But this is by no means the limit of our ambitions, which is why the creative industries are at the heart of the forthcoming Industrial Strategy and will continue to play a key part in this government’s Plan for Change.”
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