The UK Government has unveiled a £60 million package to support the creative industries.
The announcement was made by culture secretary Lisa Nandy at a major economic growth summit held at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead, where over 250 creative businesses and cultural leaders convened to discuss how to drive growth and investment.
The summit also marked the launch of the “Soft Power Council”, chaired by foreign secretary David Lammy. The council aims to champion British culture internationally and drive investment at home.
Members include Katherine Grainger, Baroness Grey-Thompson, and V and A director Tristram Hunt. The initiative seeks to harness the UK’s cultural assets to enhance international relationships.
As part of the plan, the British Business Bank has committed to increasing its support for creative enterprises while the government will also implement changes to offer shorter apprenticeships from August 2025, tailored to the specific needs of the creative industries.
Priority regions for investment have been identified as 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. Additional funding will also be allocated to six Mayoral Combined Authorities to strengthen these areas’ creative industries and maximise their potential for economic growth.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “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.”
While celebrated by some, the move comes against a backdrop of intense turbulence for many venues and organisations across the UK, as local authorities reduce budgets for cultural spend. Drama schools, theatre groups and charities have all had to cease operations due to long-term struggles.
The £60 million funding package includes £40 million for initiatives such as the Create Growth Programme, the Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, the UK Games Fund, the Music Export Growth Scheme, and the UK Global Screen Fund. Additionally, £16.2 million will be allocated to four cultural projects under the Cultural Development Fund. These include a creative writing centre in Newcastle, a glassmaking facility in Sunderland, a music education centre in Sheffield, and the transformation of the Tropicana in North Somerset into a cultural venue.
Representatives from major organisations such as Netflix, Spotify, Warner Brothers, the National Theatre, and the British Museum attended the summit.
A spokesperson for Amazon said today: “We welcome the Government’s announcement. Amazon has invested over £4 billion in the UK creative industries since 2010, and the culture secretary’s leadership to further strengthen the UK’s reputation as a creative powerhouse is very welcome.
“Having experienced first-hand the exceptional talent and opportunities across all the nations and regions through our UK-wide productions, including landmark shows in Scotland and Wales, we applaud the Government’s commitment to developing creative clusters beyond the South East, which will ensure the sector’s benefits are felt across the nation.”
