A framework for innovation to thrive

The Sector Vision sets out the ambition to maximise the growth of the creative industries by £50bn by 2030, creating a million extra jobs and delivering a creative careers promise that builds a pipeline of future talent. 

The British Council has both contributed to and features in the document, unsurprising given our commitment to championing the international creative economy. Our Creative Economy programme focuses on policy, research and advocacy, and on capacity building for creative professionals and policymakers. 

We support collaboration for long-term impact, mutual benefit and greater international understanding, as well as aiding the development of dynamic, diverse and future-facing creative economies, with long-term links to the UK. This work through our global teams on the ground gives us a unique perspective as we spot evolving trends and work closely with creative professionals to support them in developing their practice through collaboration. 

In 2021 our International Collaboration Fund, an inaugural £5m programme of grants to support UK artists to develop creative work with international peers, resulted in 94 international collaborations between UK organisations and their international counterparts, with nearly 200 participating organisations globally. We will be launching a new round of funding later this year.

Exciting time to be working in the sector

Exposure to international contexts breeds new ways of thinking about shared challenges and supports creative industries in the UK to deepen their creative edge by strengthening their intercultural fluency. It is an exciting time to be working in our sector. 

The creative economy is the ‘economy of ideas’ protected by IP, allowing millions of young people who might not have exposure to higher education but who have access to smartphones to become content creators. This is partly why we are seeing the rise of creative trends in Sub Saharan Africa and India where young people can connect directly with their audience or customers and build their brand.

Africa’s population is young and expected to nearly double to 2.5bn by 2050. Their creativity and entrepreneurial mindset present an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine future creative economies, where original ideas from an informal economy can be blended with technology and inclusive policymaking to build a new framework where innovation can thrive through increased diversity. 

At the British Council we work with partners to research, monitor and understand the growth of creative economies. We recently supported the development of the African Creative Vibrancy Index which provides quantitative and qualitative data regarding support for Arts and Culture and the Creative Industries in African Cities. 

Stronger, more climate conscious communities

In 2021 we worked with the Global Creative Economy Council – an international group of advisors who support the work of the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) – to investigate the informal economy. The research found much of the most effective and innovative policy practice is in the southern hemisphere.

As the world emerges from Covid and its impact on young lives, now is the time to reimagine economic growth, in which everyone has the chance to thrive and where growth is measured by our ability to collaborate and protect the planet. To do this we need to create more opportunities for international dialogue between policymakers to encourage real future facing change. 

We already have some great examples such as the Well-being of Future Generations Act, a policy distinct to Wales which is attracting international interest as it offers an opportunity to make a long-lasting, positive change to current and future generations. 

The Sector Vision places emphasis on the unique ability of the creative industries to help address health and well-being, and their ability to support stronger and more climate conscious communities. This is precisely the shift we need, and it is also the approach that is getting traction from impact investors who are leaning into more inclusive creative economies.  

To ensure young people are equipped with the skills they need in an increasingly connected world, the school curriculum will need to diversify to include more international content and connection to industry. The British Council has recent experience in this area with the Climate Connection programme bringing people around the world together to meet the challenges of climate change through arts and culture, education and the English language.

Future-facing policymaking

As the vision says, we need to support more informed career choices. And PEC’s recent report states: ‘priority areas for creative industry policymakers over the coming years should include the need to focus on creative education in schools and universities, ending unequal access to the arts and the regenerative power of the creative sector’. 

This is vital if the UK is to fully realise the potential of its world-leading creative industries. There are already some great examples such as The Roundhouse in London opening its doors to 15,000 young people each year, the majority from disadvantaged backgrounds, to learn skills, build confidence and make connections to equip them to work in the creative industries. We need to see more of this.

The British Council is working with international partners to support future-facing policymaking. We are currently reviewing our training offer, delivered in thirteen countries, to support policymakers in developing more inclusive policies and enabling a creative economy to thrive.

The future looks bright for the creative economy, but it must strive to adopt a more global perspective, focused on collaboration, diversity and sustainability. Like human behaviour, our creative economy is multifaceted. It should be nurtured to be cooperative and caring, just as it can be competitive and individualistic.

Rehana Mughal is Director Creative Economy at the British Council.
 www.britishcouncil.org/arts
@BritishArts | @rehanamughal

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