The growth of the creative industries has impacted most towns, cities and regions in the UK, bringing place-based economic, social and cultural benefits. Creative networks create value which enhances the development of the creative industries in places across the UK. While recognition and support from policy-makers support is increasing, it remains peripheral to public funding in the creative industries. This report provides evidence that creative networks are of significant importance to industry, policy and academic stakeholders, making a case for their playing a more central role in public policy.
Our research suggests that the value contribution made by creative networks is extensive, providing a key central node for a range of stakeholders with an impact felt far beyond the local creative industries. Despite their contribution, creative networks face a number of key challenges. These include a lack of resources (time and money) with most identifying uncertainty of funding and workload as their main obstacles. Other challenges include a lack of external understanding of the role, value and status of creative networks in the wider ecosystem.
We used the quadruple helix approach to consider groups of actors and identify the relationships and value flows between groups. This proved particularly useful in identifying the many actors involved with creative networks, allowing us, for the first time, to assess the value flows and contribution of creative networks with all stakeholders. This revealed both the breadth and depth of value flows and signalled the overall contribution of creative networks to the ecosystems (including the wider economy) of the places they serve. These are not fully appreciated and understood by all stakeholders; an issue intensified by the current economic environment. We hope our recommendations will go some way in addressing this.
Please click below to read the full report.
The research on value generation of UK creative networks has also been published in MDPI Sustainability journal.
This study was conducted in conjunction with Cardiff University’s Creative Economy Unit, and with Creative Cardiff.
Authors:
Dr. Marlen Komorowski Impact Analyst at Clwstwr, Creative Economy Unit at Cardiff University & Senior Researcher / Guest Professor at imec-SMIT-VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel).
Sara Pepper, Director of Creative Economy, Cardiff University
Prof. Justin Lewis, Professor of Communication and Creative Industries, Cardiff University
