The UK Creative Industries Public Funding Allocations and Investment Review

Abstract

The creative industries in the UK are not only the country’s most powerful engines of growth, but also an important source of innovation and welfare development. British creative industries have also been identified as a critical asset to help build and deepen the country’s soft power abroad effectively. On this basis — including other factors that this review explores, the Government has selected the creative industries as one of the eight growth-driving industries in its forthcoming Industrial Strategy scheduled for publication in June 2025. This is significant and informs the three-fold rationale for this review. First, to contextualise and systematically explore public funding allocations to, and investment in, the creative industries between 2015 and 2025. Second, to make five key recommendations to the current Government on future-proofing the economic power and welfare development role of the creative industries in the UK. Third, to contribute to robust policy evidence to inform Government efforts to develop simplified, sustainable, and more efficacious models of public funding allocations and investment to reduce geographical inequalities across the UK in the context of greater and fast-changing devolution arrangements.

This report is for the Improving Public Funding Allocations to Reduce Geographical Inequalities project funded by the ESRC.

The project brings together a highly experienced interdisciplinary team from the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, De Montfort, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth and Sheffield, together with the National Centre for Social Research and Metro Dynamics.