Pioneering placemaking and regional identity in the creative industries foregrounded at the Labour Party Conference

The South West has the potential to become a testbed for investment and policy for the creative industries, according to a special event held at the Labour Party Conference, today.

A panel drawing together the region’s higher education institutions – Bournemouth, Exeter, Falmouth, Plymouth, Arts University Plymouth and Arts University Bournemouth – as well as businesses and other organisations, said the excellence and innovation of the creative sector in the region should be recognised more widely.

The ‘Creative Alliance South West’ session took place as a part of Creative UK’s Cultural & Creative Industries Pavilion, and showcased numerous examples of the impact, creative thinking, and innovative projects taking place across the South West. They included those supporting local communities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds or rural locations.

The discussion focused on the role of place in regional development of sectors, and how joint working between industry, local government and education can drive innovation in the creative sector and support the flow of money into the region to enrich coastal and rural communities.

With an audience of MPs, universities, businesses and party members, the panellists talked about the opportunities in the region, building on a recent report launched in Parliament showcasing sector research by the six universities, the region’s creative strengths, and the impact that the South West creative sector has on local jobs and the national economy.

Professor Will Higbee, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Business Engagement and Innovation in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, represented the University of Exeter at the event. He said:

“The South West is rightly identified as a hub of excellence in the creative industries, and the region’s universities provide an essential talent pipeline for them in addition to fostering research and development and innovation in partnership with the sector that can successfully deliver on the Government’s Industrial Strategy.”

Caroline Norbury OBE, Chief Executive of Creative UK, added: “I was delighted to host a panel with South West colleagues on the importance of place-based creativity and learning from the experience of Liverpool Baltic ventures. The impressive collaboration between Crowdfunder, Real Ideas Organisation and higher education from talented students to advanced start-ups in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall cannot be ignored.”

The report, Creative Industries in the Great South West: Leading from the Edge, launched in July, this year, was based on new research that details how the Great South West is outpacing even London with a remarkable 4.1% compound annual growth rate. It is generating £2.7 billion in annual GVA (gross value added) through more than 15,870 creative businesses, 35,000 employees, and an estimated 40,000 freelancers.

For more information about the University of Exeter’s collaboration with creative industries in the South West, visit the Exeter Innovation website.