Policy paper

Creative industries sector vision Annex A: summary of key actions

Updated 20 June 2023

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

This annex provides readers with a comprehensive list of all the measures outlined in the sector vision from the UK Government, Devolved Administrations and industry.[^1] This list is not exhaustive.

Growth

Goal 1: Grow creative clusters across the UK, adding £50 billion more in Gross Value Added (GVA)

2030 innovation objective: increased public and private investment in creative industries’ innovation, contributing to the UK increasing its research and development (R&D) expenditure to drive R&D-led innovation

Headline actions

• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will deliver the next £50 million wave of the Creative Industries Clusters Programme to support R&D in at least 6 new clusters.^{[footnote 2]} (DSIT, UKRI) (UK-wide)
• We will build a new national R&D infrastructure for the screen industries by delivering the £75.6 million Convergent Screen Technologies and Performance in Realtime (CoSTAR) programme. In June 2023, UKRI announced the preferred bidders for: the national CoSTAR lab led by Royal Holloway University of London which will be based at Pinewood Studios; 3 new network labs, one led by University of York to be based at Production Park in West Yorkshire, one led by Abertay University to be located in Dundee, and a third led by Ulster University based at Studio Ulster in Belfast; and a new Insight and Foresight Unit led by Goldsmiths and the British Film Institute (BFI). This announcement is matched by £63 million of co-investment, bringing total government and industry investment in CoSTAR to over £138 million.^{[footnote 3]} (Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)) (UK-wide)
• Through a code of practice for text and data mining, we will ensure the UK copyright framework continues to promote and reward investment in creativity, while also meeting our ambition to make the UK a world leader in research and artificial intelligence (AI) innovation. (Intellectual Property Office (IPO)) (UK-wide)
• The government, in partnership with the Royal Anniversary Trust, will launch a challenge designed to encourage innovation and growth in the creative industries. It will bring together the brightest minds from academia and industry to address challenges and opportunities the sector faces from emerging technologies, in order to identify solutions.^{[footnote 4]} (Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)) (UK-wide)
• We welcome the recommendations of the Pro-innovation Regulation of Technologies Review. (His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT)) (UK-wide)

Additional interventions

• Innovate UK (IUK) is delivering the £30 million Creative Catalyst to support creative businesses to develop and commercialise breakthrough ideas. Innovate UK have announced the winners from the 2023 round of the Creative Catalyst which will provide funding of up to £50,000 for over 200 creative businesses across the UK to invest in innovation, with 55% of funding being delivered to regions outside of the Greater Southeast.^{[footnote 5]} (IUK) (UK-wide)
• IUK is delivering a £25 million Design in Innovation programme to inspire and invest in excellent design for innovation across the economy. (IUK) (UK-wide)^{[footnote 6]}
• AHRC, with co-funding from DCMS, has awarded an additional £2.5 million to explore options for expanding the R&D model into new areas and sectors, giving a further boost to creative businesses, spreading more jobs across the country, and testing new potential areas for investment. (AHRC, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• Through programmes like Bridge AI, IUK will also be investing in a number of activities to stimulate the adoption and diffusion of AI in a number of high growth potential sectors, including the creative industries. This will increase productivity and support the UK’s transition to an AI-enabled economy. (IUK) (UK-wide)
• We will upgrade studios, equipment and other R&D facilities via the Creative Research Capability Programme. (UKRI) (UK-wide)^{[footnote 7]}
• AHRC, Arts Council England (ACE), Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland and Arts Council of Wales are working together to support the adoption and implementation of creative immersive technologies within the arts and culture sector across the UK, building on the learning and successes of the CreativeXR and Creative Industries Clusters programmes. A consortium of research organisations, cultural organisations and creative businesses will deliver a £6 million, 3-year creative research and development innovation programme, featuring a pipeline of funding opportunities to support organisations and individuals at different scales and readiness, leading to new immersive innovations. (AHRC, ACE, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland and Arts Council of Wales) (UK-wide)
• Between 2020-2023 DCMS invested £13 million into the expansion and acceleration of the British Library’s Business and IP Centre network which, delivered through public libraries, provides business support for creative businesses as well as advice on how to protect their intellectual Property (IP). (British Library) (UK-wide)
• DSIT, IPO and DCMS will ensure a robust IP framework, including through the Counter-Infringement Strategy and continued provision of tailored IP tools and training products to help creative firms protect and maximise their IP. (DSIT, IPO, DCMS)
• Building on the previous roundtables, the government will actively engage with the tech and creative sectors to explore potential Know Your Business Customer requirements and consider issues highlighted by the Competitions and Market Authority (CMA), such as online platforms taking proactive steps to tackle infringing content facilitated through their platforms. (Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and IPO) (UK-wide)
• Learning from the significant progress already made to understand creative R&D and innovation, we will work with academia and the Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) to develop granular data on the types of R&D undertaken and its economic benefits. (DCMS) (UK-wide)
• We will welcome the proposal from the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology – the Prime Minister’s independent scientific advisory Council – to develop advice on the creative industries. The government commits to engaging with the Council to inform further action to support R&D, innovation and technology in the creative industries. (DCMS) (UK-wide)
• Through the National AI Strategy and the UK International Technology Strategy the UK government will ensure that the UK can become the best place to live and work with AI. (DSIT, UKRI) (UK-wide)
• The UK government will deliver the UK Innovation Strategy to support innovation across the UK. (DSIT) (UK-wide)
• The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill aims to ensure the UK continues to lead the world by taking a targeted and innovation-friendly approach to competition issues in digital markets. (DBT), DSIT) (UK-wide)
• As part of the DSIT’s Innovation Accelerators pilot, new projects in Greater Manchester and the Glasgow City Region will develop innovation in immersive technologies and museums in the metaverse. (DSIT) (UK-wide)
• The Digital Catapult is expanding the UK’s creative and advanced media production economy as part of a 35% increase in funding for UK Catapults, totalling £1.6 billion announced at the Spring Budget. (Digital Catapult) (UK-wide)
• We will look at the role of ‘Know Your Business Customer’ procedures to tackle IP infringing content online and consider where improvements might be made to support businesses across the UK. (IPO) (UK-wide)
• We will strengthen research and information by increased funding for the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre.^{[footnote 8]} (PEC, AHRC) (UK-wide)
• The Scottish Government has committed £60 million to implement the report’s recommendations of the Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review. (Scottish Government) (Scotland only)
• To support creative businesses, the Scottish Government has delivered the £1 million Creative Digital Initiative to upskill their digital capabilities and grow, including over £290,000 to Creative Scotland to deliver a digital commissioning programme via The Space, a Digital Pivot mentoring and peer support programme, and the Next Level Up programme. (Scottish Government) (Scotland only)
• Creative Wales has co-funded the media.cymru programme to drive inclusive and sustainable economic development of the third largest media cluster in the UK. (Welsh Government) (Wales only)
• The Northern Ireland Executive is supporting the growth of creative clusters through its 10X Economic vision, in particular digital, Information and Computers Technology and creative industries clusters that have the potential to grow through innovation. (Northern Ireland Executive) (Northern Ireland only)

2030 investment objective: creative businesses reach their growth potential, powered by a step-change in regional investment

Headline actions

• The government is committed to ensuring the audio-visual tax reliefs remain world-leading and continue to best serve the needs of creative companies. As set out in the Audio-Visual Tax Reliefs consultation response, the government is considering the case for further targeted support for visual effects work, and will provide an update on this later in the year. (HMT) (UK-wide)
• DCMS will provide £10.9 million in additional funding between 2023 and 2025 to expand the Create Growth Programme (CGP) into a £28.4 million programme. The CGP will grow from 6 to 12 English regions outside of London, supporting over 2,000 businesses to access private investment and scale up, turning today’s start-up founders into tomorrow’s CEOs. The CGP recently awarded more than £3 million to over 100 businesses spread across the 6 regions currently covered by the programme.^{[footnote 9]} (DCMS) (England only)
• DCMS will provide an additional £5 million, between 2023 and 2025, for the UK Games Fund to invest in early-stage games studios, bringing its total value to £13.4 million.^{[footnote 10]} (DCMS) (UK-wide)
• DCMS and ACE will extend and increase funding for ACE’s Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund with an additional £5 million over the next 2 years. This will support grassroots music venues, the lifeblood of our world-leading music sector and cornerstones of communities. We will work together to identify options to secure the longer-term sustainability of grassroots music venues.^{[footnote 11]} (DCMS, ACE) (England only)

Additional Interventions

• The government will maintain the UK’s competitive offer of creative industries tax reliefs to support and incentivise production in the UK. HM Treasury (HMT) announced reforms to the audiovisual tax reliefs at the 2023 Spring Budget, which included increased credit rates for film, high-end TV and video games (34%) and animation and children’s TV (39%).^{[footnote 12]} The government has also extended the higher rates of Theatre Tax Relief, Orchestra Tax Relief and Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief for a further 2 years until 31 March 2025. (HMT) (UK-wide)
• Creative businesses will continue to be able to access the British Business Bank’s (BBB) £1.6 billion Regional Investment Funds and £150 million Regional Angels Programme. These will develop and support investor communities, encouraging them to back creative businesses across the UK, turbo-charging investments in the most promising and fastest growing creative start-ups and scale ups. (DBT, BBB, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• The BBC’s Across the UK plan will see an additional £700 million investment outside of London, supporting business and creating jobs. (BBC) (UK-wide)
• The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) launched a consultation on permitted development rights that proposes further flexibilities for filmmaking at temporary sites. We will consider the evidence and decide on next steps. (DLUHC) (England only)
• DBT and BBB will continue to deliver Help to Grow: Management. This programme is designed to give businesses the tools and skills they need to raise private investment and turbo-charge their growth. (DBT, BBB, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• The government, industry and the BBB will collaborate so that current and future programmes and funds continue to support creative businesses at all growth stages across all regions of the UK. (DCMS, BBB) (UK-wide)
• We will promote our offer to support creative businesses to access finance and insurance to win contracts, fulfil orders, and get paid for their exports of goods, services and intangibles such as intellectual property (UK Export Finance (UKEF)) (UK-Wide)
• DLUHC’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK-wide) and DCMS’s Cultural Development Fund (England only) will support pan-economy priorities in local areas to accelerate creative cluster growth. (DLUHC, DCMS) (UK-wide; England only)
• We are supporting local partners to consider how the creative industries could feature within new Investment Zones proposals, to maximise the potential of local creative strengths and boost growth and productivity. (DLUHC, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• We will work with the PEC to build on their Resources for Local Authorities and provide enhanced data and evidence to understand local business environments and creative clusters, which also supports local authorities’ decision-making alongside access to industry insights and expertise. (DCMS) (UK-wide)
• We will strengthen partnerships with areas that are ambitious to support their creative industries development and build local knowledge and skills, through programmes such as the CGP. (DCMS) (UK-wide)
• Creative UK, in partnership with Local Authorities, will deliver the North of Tyne’s Culture and Creative Investment Programme, which provides specialised support for creative businesses to win investment. (Industry) (England only)
• As part of its Programme for Government, the Welsh Government is prioritising the creative industries, including a new Production Fund, which has supported 22 screen productions with £14.2 million creating £156 million in local economic impact and is nurturing Welsh screen exports. (Welsh Government) (Wales only)
• The Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) is investing over £25 million in Studio Ulster, a cutting edge large scale virtual production studio, as part of the Belfast Region City Deal. (Northern Ireland Executive) (Northern Ireland only)

2030 exports objective: creative businesses grow their exports and contribute to the UK reaching £1 trillion exports by the end of the decade

Headline actions

• The government will triple funding for the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) to £3.2 million over 2023-25). MEGS will provide grants to support touring which will enable emerging artists to break into new international markets. (DBT, DCMS) (UK-wide)^{[footnote 13]}
• DBT will more than double the number of creative industries trade missions from 4 in 2022-23 to 10 in 2023-24. The programme includes trading partners such as Australia, Japan, India and Mexico and a strong future creative economy focus including an esports mission to Saudi Arabia and Createch missions to India and South by Southwest Sydney. (DBT) (UK-wide)
• The DBT Export Support Service (ESS), which now has global coverage, is helping creative exporters by providing guidance and direct support. The ESS has scope to look at specific issues affecting the creative industries such as ATA Carnets. The ESS will be expanded and will help creative exporters through guidance, direct support and by exploring solutions, including on areas most relevant to creative industries such as the temporary movement of creative professionals. (DBT) (UK-wide)
• The new Creative Industries Faculty of DBT’s Export Academy, launched in September 2022, will deliver quarterly events and masterclasses to help businesses develop export strategies, including in more challenging markets such as in the Asia Pacific, India and the Gulf. (DBT) (UK-wide)
• DCMS will continue to support the screen sector to export their content through the 3-year £21 million UK Global Screen Fund. (DCMS, BFI) (UK-wide)^{[footnote 14]}

Additional interventions

• IUK and DBT will work with their regional advisor networks to support English regions participating in the Create Growth Programme to embed advice on exporting into their business support programme, and develop a referral process for participating businesses. (IUK, DCMS) (England only)
• DBT will encourage trade bodies and business partners to expand Exporter Accelerators, such as the export accelerator established for TV by PACT. (DBT, Industry) (UK-wide)
• The government, supported by industry and the Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board (CITIB), will deliver and increase awareness of tailored support and resources. (Industry, DBT, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• We will support foreign direct investment into the creative sector through the Export Development Guarantee, enabling future exporters to grow their business and seize global export opportunities. (UKEF)(UK-wide)
• We will continue to work together to ensure that the UK’s trade policy reflects industry priorities and delivers access to priority markets. This includes business engagement, seeking to ensure that the interests of the creative industries are pursued in Free Trade Agreements (FTA), including on IP, digital trade, audiovisual products and services, the movement of creative professionals and goods and mutual recognition of professional qualifications. DBT is also looking to more closely align its activity with markets with which we are negotiating or have already negotiated free trade agreements, such as the Gulf, India and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership member countries. (DBT) (UK-wide)
• DBT will ramp up work to increase awareness of the benefits of FTAs to creative SMEs and use bilateral government-to-government dialogues to further creative trade with priority markets. (DBT) (UK-wide)
• We will work together to help the sector adapt to the new relationship with the EU and its Member States, particularly touring musicians and performers. (DCMS, DBT) (UK-wide)
• We will ensure the UK creative industries have a significant presence at major creative global trade shows and events to showcase their creative excellence, such as South by Southwest, Cannes Lions, Fashion Weeks, the Games Developers Conference, Kidscreen and Realscreen. (DBT) (UK-wide)
• DBT will put greater focus on supporting creative technology companies as the department develops its future creative economy strategy, with creative industries having a higher profile at key tech global conferences and events such as the Web Summit in Lisbon. (DBT) (UK-wide)
• Innovate UK is increasing the number of innovation missions, as part of the Creative Catalyst. This work will build on past successes such as the LA Sync mission, the virtual production mission to the United States and creative services missions to the Gulf. (IUK, DBT) (UK-wide)
• DBT will work closely with the sector to deliver targeted activity, including meetings with international buyers, potential co-production partners and investors. (DBT) (UK-wide)
• DBT will continue to support the International Showcase Fund (ISF). (DBT) (UK-wide)

Workforce

Goal 2: Build a highly-skilled, productive and inclusive workforce for the future, supporting 1 million more jobs across the UK.

2030 education objective: a foundation of education and opportunities to foster creative talent from a young age

Headline actions

• The Department for Education (DfE) and DCMS will work with industry and cultural arm’s length bodies to publish a new Cultural Education Plan later this year, setting out a long-term approach to support cultural education and creativity in schools in England. This will tackle disparities in cultural engagement and support career pathways into the creative economy (including opportunities to engage with industry both in and out of school). The Expert Advisory Panel, led by Chair Baroness Bull, will inform the development of the plan. (Department for Education (DfE, DCMS) (England only)
• DfE, working with DCMS, is moving ahead with the National Plan for Music Education (NPME), which was published in June 2022. Implementation will include delivery of £25 million funding for musical instruments and a new Music Progression Fund which will support up to 1000 disadvantaged pupils with musical potential. (DfE, DCMS) (England only)
• DfE and DCMS will support pathways into creative careers from a young age. This will be achieved through foundational enrichment opportunities, inspiring creative careers guidance and the opportunity to learn from industry and creative practitioners through in-school programmes, work experience and the curation of specialist institutions across further and higher education. DfE and DCMS will work with industry to explore opportunities for providing enrichment activities as part of its wraparound care support for parents. (DfE, DCMS) (England only)
• DCMS and DfE will work together with industry to understand current levels of access to high-quality specialist arts, music and creative media provision for 14-19 year olds across England and explore options for enhancing access to existing and new providers. (DfE, DCMS) (England only)
• DCMS and industry partners will work together to deliver the £1 million second phase of the Discover! Creative Careers Programme in England. This will seek to improve awareness and challenge misconceptions about creative careers among young people, their parents and teachers - with a particular focus on underrepresented groups. (DCMS) (England only)

Additional Interventions

• We will work together to ensure the value of higher education creative courses is reflected in ongoing higher education reforms (Industry, DfE, DCMS) (England only)
• We will ensure the creative industries are embedded into other careers initiatives, such as the National Careers Service, Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge Programme, and the Careers and Enterprise Company. (DfE, DCMS) (England only)
• The government and industry will continue to work together ensuring the sector’s expertise and hands-on experience is embedded as a priority in all relevant education programmes. (DCMS, Industry) (England only)
• Creativity is already on the curriculum in Wales, and the Welsh Government is also adopting a cross-government approach to promote creative careers in the new Curriculum for Wales and new GCSE qualifications. (Welsh Government) (Wales only)
• The Northern Ireland Executive supports dedicated Creative Learning Centres and other partners to make cultural and creative content widely available in schools and youth settings, targeting disadvantaged groups. (Northern Ireland Executive) (Northern Ireland only)

2030 skills objective: stronger skills and career pathways generate a workforce that meets the industry’s skills needs

Headline actions

• DfE and DCMS will work with industry, including through ministerial roundtables, to better understand the opportunities and challenges facing creative apprenticeships. This work will improve SME engagement, the quality of specialist training provision, the relevance of standards for creative apprenticeships and the effectiveness and sustainability of the Flexi Job model. (DfE, DCMS) (England only)
• The government will work with the creative industries nationally and locally to ensure they are well placed to take advantage of future procurement opportunities for Skills Bootcamps in England. These provide a fast-paced, targeted route for adults to retrain and upskill and employers to fill live vacancies at intermediate skill level through courses lasting up to 16 weeks. (DfE) (England only)
• DfE and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) will work with industry, specialist educators and employers to input into the Post-16 Level 3 and below qualifications review to ensure that - where technical and academic qualifications in the creative sector are necessary alongside T-Levels and A-Levels - they meet the principles of being high-quality, employer-led with a focus on good progression outcomes. (DfE) (England only)
• The Skills for Jobs White Paper announced the development in 2023 of 38 employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) to identify the priority changes needed to reshape technical skills provision to better meet the needs of employers and the wider economy. LSIPs, which have statutory underpinning, will be accompanied by £165 million of funding (until March 2025) to help colleges and other providers respond to the priorities identified in LSIPs including in the creative sector. (DfE) (England only)
• We will continue to engage with industry to act on the findings and recommendations from the BFI’s Film and High-End TV Skills Review, and the subsequent actions to be defined by the Screen sector Skills Task Force, which will include an agreed approach to ensuring an ambitious financial commitment is made by the industry towards training the existing and future workforce. (BFI, Industry) (UK-wide)

Additional interventions

• DfE will support industry to ensure the 2 new creative T-Levels rolling out in 2024, including the placement element, are high quality and responsive to demand. (DfE) (England only)
• As we develop skilled talent across the UK, Home Office (HO), DCMS and industry will work together to maximise the effectiveness of existing immigration routes for the creative industries workforce, including freelancers and consider creative industries in future immigration reforms. This includes improving industry’s understanding of, and engagement with, the full suite of inward mobility routes the UK offers. (HO, DCMS, Industry) (UK-wide)
• By 2025, we will have rolled out Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), which are new and existing level 4-5 qualifications approved and quality marked by the IfATE. These will help to support creative industries relevant skills including through Digital HTQs that started being taught in September 2022, and Creative and Design HTQs that will start teaching from 2025. (DfE) (England only)
• We will ensure continued access to highly skilled talent from abroad by improving understanding of and engagement with the full suite of inward mobility routes. (HO) (UK-wide)
• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), DCMS and industry will work together to boost opportunities for utilising employment programmes to progress people at risk of unemployment into creative roles. (DWP, DCMS, Industry) (UK-wide)
• The government - including the Unit for Future Skills - will work to improve the availability of official data on the creative industries to inform actions and interventions through to 2030. Together with industry, the government will develop a labour market framework for understanding and tracking changing skills across the creative industries. This will draw on assessments of current and future skills needs for each creative sub-sector, undertaken within the next 12 months and coordinated by the Creative Industries Council (CIC). This follows the example of the BFI’s Film and High-End TV Skills Review and the Design Council’s Design Economy research. (DfE, DWP, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• The BFI is delivering c. £20 million per annum over this spending review period to support growth, exports and storytelling in the UK’s screen sector and promote the UK’s screen heritage. This includes c. £19 million in grant-in-aid from DCMS and c.£1 million from DfE for the BFI Film Academy (BFI, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• The Scottish Government will deliver the Creative Future Programme in partnership between XpoNorth and the University of the Highlands and Islands, that brings together industry and students to support course development and provide young people with placements, mentoring and advice to make them work ready and to address future skills gaps. (Scottish Government) (Scotland only)
• As part of its Programme for Government, the Welsh Government is prioritising the creative workforce through their Creative Skills Body and Action Plan. (Welsh Government) (Wales only)
• The Welsh Government is supporting creative skills through its apprenticeship model tailored to the Welsh workforce, its freelancers pledge, and its annual fund, which will be supporting 17 projects with £1.5 million this year. (Welsh Government) (Wales only)
• Creative Wales is also supporting skills and job quality initiatives such as the National Film and Television School in Wales, Culture Connect Wales, Beacons Cymru, and the Well-being Facilitator roles. (Creative Wales) (Wales only)
• The Northern Ireland Executive is committed to supporting creative skills and is working with Northern Ireland Screen, Arts Council of North Ireland, and stakeholders to build pathways to creative careers and support digital upskilling. (Northern Ireland Executive) (Northern Ireland only)
• The Northern Ireland Executive’s 2022 Covid Recovery Employment and Skills Initiative has provided £9 million to support new entrant employment and training opportunities in the arts and creative industries. (Northern Ireland Executive) (Northern Ireland only)
• Northern Ireland Screen’s integrated strategy prioritises creative education and skills development alongside industry investment and maximising cultural value, including support for unique Moving Image Arts GCSE and A-Level qualifications, and industry led careers programmes designed to address skills gaps. (Northern Ireland Executive) (Northern Ireland only)

2030 job quality objective: all parts of the creative industries are recognised for offering high quality jobs, ensuring a resilient and productive workforce that reflects the whole of the UK

Headline actions

• The PEC delivered its Independent Review of Job Quality and Working Practices in the Creative Industries, part-funded by DCMS, in 2023. (Industry, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• The CIC has commissioned an online cross-industry Charting Progress tool, due to launch in 2023. This will enable creative businesses to track the effectiveness of diversity and inclusion interventions across the sector and share best practice. (Industry) (UK-wide)
• To promote fair treatment, Creative UK is leading discussions with industry to address bullying, harassment and discrimination (BHD). The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority is being established by the industry to address BHD and provide trusted support and advice, particularly tailored to meet the needs of freelancers. The government welcomes industry’s work in this area and continues to push for rapid progress. (Industry) (UK-wide)

Additional interventions

• Creative UK is leading - in partnership with many others - a Redesigning Freelancing initiative to support the development of fair and equitable engagement with freelancers, the first phase of which is being supported by the English Combined Authorities. This work will build on industry best practice such as Sony Music’s Artists Forward and the Musicians’ Union’s Contract Advisory Service. (Industry) (UK-wide)
• Industry will deliver initiatives such as a new code of conduct designed by Black Lives in Music to eliminate racism in the music industry, which will be adopted in 2023. The British Fashion Council is creating an industry-standard Diversity and Inclusion Benchmark for the global fashion industry alongside practical advice and toolkits to help organisations change and measure their successes. (Industry) (UK-wide)
• The IPO and DCMS have published a UK industry agreement on music streaming metadata. This marks a significant milestone in the government’s programme of work on music streaming, paving the way for greater accuracy and efficiency in the distribution of music data. (DCMS, IPO) (UK-wide)
• Further progress has been achieved through industry action to benefit artists and creators, including the decision by many labels to disregard pre-2000 unrecouped advances. (Industry) (UK-wide)
• The government is establishing a working group to explore further issues around creator remuneration. (DCMS, IPO) (UK-wide)
• sector-led initiatives such as the Creative Diversity Network’s Project Diamond and Amazon’s TV Access Project, Screen Yorkshire’s Beyond Brontes, the Backstage Niche network and Ukie’s #RaiseTheGame pledge are seeking to ensure that all people, wherever they are, and whatever their background, have the opportunity to realise their potential. (Industry) (UK-wide)
• Creative Scotland is also supporting freelancers with the Illustrated Freelancers Guide which provides practical resources to help freelancers understand their rights and how best to avoid and address difficult situations. (Creative Scotland) (Scotland only)

Wider Impact

Goal 3: Maximise the positive impact of the creative industries on individuals and communities, the environment and the UK’s global standing

2030 wellbeing objective: creative activities contribute to improved wellbeing, help to strengthen local communities, and promote pride in place

Headline actions

• The Music Venue Trust’s £3.5 million Own Our Venues pilot is purchasing the freeholds of grassroots music venues to bring them into community ownership and support their resilience. This will complement the additional £5 million of funding for ACE’s Grassroots Music Venue Fund, described in Chapter 1, and help put our venues on a stronger path toward financial sustainability. (ACE, Industry) (UK-wide)
• ACE has increased funding outside of London to support greater opportunities in all parts of England. For example, in the 2023-26 investment programme, ACE is funding organisations in 78 ‘Levelling Up for Culture Places’ engagement - providing £43.5 million, representing an increase of 95%. (ACE) (England only)
• DCMS will support our system of Public Service Broadcasters, including the introduction of a new proportionate and flexible online prominence regime to ensure public service content is available and easy to find on designated TV platforms and devices, as set out in the Broadcasting White Paper, Up Next. This will be delivered through the upcoming Media Bill. (DCMS) (UK-wide)
• We will work together on UK Music and Music for Dementia’s Power of Music recommendations and explore opportunities in other sub-sectors to support health and wellbeing. (DCMS, Industry) (UK-wide)
• The refreshed CIC will provide a forum for the exchange of best practice and ideas on the impact of the creative industries on health and wellbeing. (Industry) (UK-wide)

Additional interventions

• IUK is investing up to £4 million in innovative projects in the immersive technologies to provide mental healthcare services via Strand Two of the Mindset Extended Reality (XR) for the Digital mental Health competition. (IUK) (UK-wide)
• The Department for Health and Social Care, through its recent funding announcement, is supporting the National Academy of Social Prescribing to contribute to the delivery of creative and art-based initiatives to communities in England. (Department for Health and Social Care) (England only)
• We will work with the PEC to strengthen our evidence in this area, and AHRC is implementing the £26 million Mobilising Community Assets to Tackle Health Inequalities programme to deliver research projects on the use of local, cultural assets and activities to support improvements in health inequalities in the UK. (AHRC) (UK-wide)
• The government is working with industry to support creative venues’ resilience through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme and DLUHC’s £150 million Community Ownership Fund. (HMT; DLUHC) (UK-wide)
• ACE’s Cultural Investment Fund (England only) totals more than £200 million and supports museums, cultural venues and public libraries across England. It is designed to protect and improve people’s access to culture, regenerate communities, upgrade buildings and digital infrastructure and use investment to promote economic growth.(ACE, England only)
• The BFI’s £27.6 million Audiences programmes, as set out in BFI’s National Lottery Funding Plan (2023-26), will increase access and engagement with audiences across the UK. (BFI) (UK-wide)
• We will continue to strengthen our evidence on the creative industries’ impact in local communities, including through the continued delivery of DCMS’s Culture and Heritage Capital Framework and AHRC’s £1.5 million Creative Communities Programme and funding for the Centre for Cultural Value. (AHRC, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• We will ensure consumers, particularly the most vulnerable, are protected from harm when they access creative content online. For example, DCMS and the video games industry are working together to strengthen consumer protections around loot boxes, in particular for children. We are also enabling better evidence on the impacts, positive and negative, of video games more broadly through the recently published Video Game Research Framework. (DCMS, Industry) (UK-wide)
• The government is working with industry to protect consumers against harmful content accessed online through initiatives such as the Online Advertising Programme, Online Safety Bill and video-on-demand regulation through the upcoming Media Bill. (DCMS, Ofcom, Industry) (UK-wide)
• We will enable the extension of the local TV multiplex licence until 2034 and subject to the same conditions (including revocation power) that apply to the national Digital Terrestrial Television multiplexes through the Media Bill. (DCMS) (UK-wide)
• Arts Council England is delivering c.£400 million per annum over this spending review period to develop creativity and culture across England. (DCMS, ACE) (England only)
• The Scottish Government is delivering Creative Placemaking which is a pioneering methodology that uses creativity to support community-led change and is being successfully applied through a network of towns across the South of Scotland. (Scottish Government) (Scotland only)
• The Scottish Government and Creative Scotland’s 2020 Culture Collective Fund has also distributed over £10 million to date to community-based projects such as [What We Do Now](https://thestove.org/what-we-do-now/#:~:text=What%20We%20Do%20Now%20(WWDN,and%20organisations%20across%20Dumfries%20%26%20Galloway.). (Scottish Government, Creative Scotland) (Scotland only)
• The Welsh Government is supporting the wider impacts of the creative industries through its Programme for Government, Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and strategic priorities on inclusive, sustainable growth and promoting the Welsh language. (Welsh Government) (Wales only)
• The Northern Ireland Executive is supporting the wider impacts of the sector through the development of a new Culture, Arts and Heritage Strategy, which aims to maximise cultural value for communities, build skills and set out priorities for investment in the future of the sector. (Northern Ireland Executive) (Northern Ireland only)
• Programmes such as the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Arts and Older People programme and Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive are targeting isolated groups, such as older people and those with dementia, to support them through creative activities. (Northern Ireland Executive) (Northern Ireland only)
• Festivals such as Belfast International Arts Festival and Foyle Film Festival are increasing community cohesion and cultural understanding. (Northern Ireland Executive) (Northern Ireland only)

2030 environment objective: creative industries play a growing role in tackling environmental challenges, helping the UK reach the targets set out in the Powering Up Britain plan

Headline actions

• The CIC will lead the development of a Creative Climate Charter, unifying the sector around shared goals and principles to drive further action in reducing climate impacts. (Industry) (UK-wide)
• The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), supported by DCMS and industry, will provide tailored advice to creative businesses via the UK Climate Hub. (DESNZ, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• The CIC will provide a forum for creative sub-sectors to share their experiences and best practice on sustainability (such as albert’s Climate Content Pledge), and promote new initiatives and track the uptake of sustainable practices and skills across creative sub-sectors. (Industry) (UK-wide)
• AHRC and DCMS are co-funding 2 creative industries clusters based in Leeds and London to demonstrate our collective world-leading capability in advanced R&D for a sustainable and circular fashion sector, across the UK. (AHRC, DCMS) (UK-wide)

Additional interventions

• Defra is delivering the Resource and Waste Strategy for England and, in line with this strategy, they are considering what framework of policy options would best reduce textiles and fashion waste and the environmental footprint of the sector, potentially using a range of powers from the landmark Environment Act 2021. (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)) (England only)
• The government is supporting industry-led change in the fashion and textiles sector through the Textiles 2030 voluntary agreement, led by the Waste and Resource Action Programme. (Defra) (UK-wide)
• UKRI is delivering the £15 million Circular Fashion Programme to encourage sustainable innovation in the fashion sub-sector. As part of this programme, UKRI have announced the winners of the £4 million recycling and sorting demonstrator programme.* UKRI will work with other sub-sectors to explore further opportunities to support sustainable innovation. (UKRI) (UK-wide)^{[footnote 16]}
• AHRC and the Design Museum are delivering the £25 million Future Observatory: Design the Green Transition, which will support design-focused research and innovation to address the climate challenge. It is the largest publicly-funded design research and innovation programme in the UK. (AHRC) (UK-wide)^{[footnote 17]}
• DCMS will work with the PEC to identify opportunities for further research into the environmental impacts and how these can be mitigated, including how the creative industries can influence social and behaviour change and practices in the wider economy. (DCMS, PEC) (UK-wide)
• DCMS has commissioned the Royal College of Arts, through the AHRC, to produce research into methods and tools used to measure the climate impacts of creative businesses to work towards a consistent picture across the creative industries. The research - titled Carbon Measurement Tools in the Creative Industries - will aid monitoring of progress towards the net zero target and will be supported by the CIC, which will share evidenced insights on which measures are most effective in reducing emissions. (DCMS, AHRC) (UK-wide)
• AHRC and DCMS are co-funding 2 creative industries clusters based in Leeds and London to demonstrate our collective world-leading capability in advanced R&D for a sustainable and circular fashion sector, across the UK.^{[footnote 18]} (AHRC, DCMS) (England only)
• The Scottish Government is supporting environmental sustainability through Culture Collective initiatives such as CULTIVATE, which brings together creative practitioners and community groups to explore climate justice in a practical and meaningful way. (Scottish Government) (Scotland only)
• Welsh Government’s Screen New Deal: Transformation Plan - in collaboration with BAFTA, BFI, albert, Clwstwr and Film Cymru Wales - aims to find a practical way forward to reach a zero-carbon, zero-waste future for Welsh film production. (Welsh Government, BFI, Industry) (Wales only)
• Creative Wales asks applicants for production funding to sign an Economic Contract that includes commitments on low carbon targets and climate resilience, as well as fair work, promotion of well-being and adaptability. (Welsh Government) (Wales only)

2030 soft power objective: creative industries increase their reach to global audiences, strengthening the UK’s soft power and positive influence on the world.

Headline actions

• The government will provide new funding of £2 million to London Fashion Week to support 5 fashion weeks from 2023-25 and £1.7 million to the London Film Festival 2024. This demonstrates our commitment to the UK’s creative excellence at leading international showcase events, which enhance the UK’s soft power and boost exports.^{[footnote 19]} (DCMS) (UK-wide)
• The government is supporting Bradford to deliver the next UK City of Culture in 2025. This will showcase the best of the UK’s creative industries to the world, attract new investment and boost pride in Bradford and the wider region. In 2024, we will launch the competition to select the UK City of Culture for 2029. (DCMS) (UK-wide)
• AHRC will deliver the £80 million ‘Research infrastructure for conservation and heritage science’ (RICHeS) programme, which will provide a network of facilities and expertise in conservation and heritage science that will secure the UK’s reputation for excellence in the field, further capability in the sector and promote collaboration at a national and international level. (AHRC) (UK-wide)

Additional interventions

• The UK has a long-lasting tradition of artistic and media freedom, which the government will continue to champion in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO, DCMS) (UK-wide)
• The FCDO is supporting the BBC World Service, providing £94 million annually for the next 3 years and announcing an uplift of £20 million in March 2023. (FCDO) (UK-wide)
• Through increased presence at key global events and platforms such as South By Southwest, the Venice Biennale and Seasons of Culture, we will amplify creative industries’ international exposure, including through continued support from the GREAT Campaign. (DBT, DCMS, British Council (BC)) (UK-wide)
• The BC is providing capacity building and support on the ground to facilitate global partnerships, including with the potential to promote inclusivity, gender equality and environmental sustainability. The BC’s International Collaboration Grants programme has provided grants to support creative work through innovative ways of working and collaborating with international peers from 41 different countries, both digitally and face-to-face. The next rounds of awards will be announced in summer 2023. The BC also facilitates capacity building and peer-to-peer exchanges with growing creative economies and develops accessible resources such as NESTA’s Creative Enterprise Toolkit, which is available in 13 different languages. (DCMS, DBT, BC) (UK-wide)
• The UK Global Screen Fund’s International Co-Production Strand, administered by the BFI, is helping UK producers to work collaboratively and create global projects for the world stage. It also extended support to Ukrainian filmmakers through the European Solidarity Fund for Ukraine Films in May 2023. (DCMS, BFI) (UK-wide)
• UK publishers continue to promote Ukrainian voices at a time when they need it most, with the publication of books including Bloomsbury Publishing’s You Don’t Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine by Yeva Skalietska. UK publishers have also supported the #BooksWithoutBorders initiative, printing 16,000 Ukrainian language books for refugee children in the UK since the initiative was launched in September 2022. (Industry) (UK-wide)
• Following the Boundless Creativity Report’s recommendation to explore how the UK’s arts and culture sectors can reach new global audiences through digital content, DCMS and AHRC awarded a research fellowship, to review what can be learnt from digital innovations during the sector’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and how this has affected engagement with international audiences. (DCMS, AHRC) (UK-wide)
• The BC has also enhanced its digital offer, with more than 70% of its content expected to be delivered digitally from 2022 onwards. (BC) (UK-wide)
• We will continue to promote creative industries overseas through the ‘Made in the UK. Sold to the World’ campaign, including through key global events and platforms, to increase the UK’s reputation abroad. (DBT) (UK-wide)
• The Welsh Government is amplifying the Wales national brand alongside the GREAT campaign. (Welsh Government) (Wales only)

1. Included in the £77 million figure. ↩

2. Included in the £233 million figure. ↩

3. Included in the £77 million figure. ↩

4. Included in the £233 million figure. ↩

5. Included in the £233 million figure. ↩

6. Where we say “we” in this annex we mean all of UK government. ↩

7. Included in £233m figure. ↩

8. £17.7 million included in £233 million figure; £10.9 million included in the £77 million figure. ↩

9. Included in the £77 million figure. ↩

10. Included in the £77 million figure. ↩

11. HM Treasury, Audio-visual tax reliefs: consultation (2023) ↩

12. £0.5 million included in the £277 million figure; £2.2 million included in the £77 million figure. ↩

13. Included in £233 million figure. ↩

14. Included in £233 million figure. ↩

15. Included in £233 million figure. ↩

16. Included in £233 million figure ↩

17. Included in the £77 million figure. ↩