Nesta sets out ten steps towards a healthy creative economy

The Treasury and the DCMS should conduct a broad–based assessment of the value of public arts and cultural spending in the UK, and funding decisions should be made in the light of evidence from studies on cultural impact, like the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Cultural Value Project, according to a new report by Nesta. These assertions are among ten recommendations made in its ‘Manifesto for the Creative Economy’, which details the steps that the Government, businesses and educators should take to ensure that the UK’s creative industries remain robust. Endorsed by Britain’s top business lobbying organisation, the CBI, the list also includes the recommendations that research and development tax relief is made available to creative businesses; that funders should incentivise cultural organisations to experiment with digital technologies; that schools should pledge to include digital and creative innovation in the curriculum; and that higher education should ensure that students studying creative subjects are taught skills that the creative industries require. The report also repeats Nesta’s call for the Government to adopt its proposed classifications of creative industries, a subject on which the DCMS has recently opened a consultation to gather opinions from interested parties.