UK creative industries
Topic 1: UK creative industries’ commercial success
The creative industries have become one of the UK’s great strengths in overseas trade over the last few decades, helping to cement the UK’s reputation as a centre for creative businesses.
The annual two-week London Design Festival is a major event for the UK design industry (c) London Design Festival
Growing sector of the economy
Creative businesses are one of the fastest-growing sectors of the UK economy, growing at an average of six per cent each year between 1997 and 2002, compared with an average of three per cent for the UK economy as a whole.
The sector also accounts for a substantial and growing proportion of the UK workforce, employing around 1.8 million people according to figures for 2004.
Design, music and film
The UK is particularly strong in the design, music and film industries, which have a large impact on the impression that overseas buyers and consumers have of the country.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is using the success of these creative businesses to support its new strategy, which places a great emphasis on marketing the UK more effectively overseas. Exporting the UK’s design industry
UKTI and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have produced an export strategy for the UK design industry, which covers disciplines ranging from crafts and packaging to graphics and branding.
The strategy is aimed at supporting two elements of the design industry – consultants in fields such as branding, multimedia and commercial interiors; and furniture, lighting and textiles manufacturers.
London Design Festival
The annual two-week London Design Festival is a major event for the industry. UKTI supported a record number of national groups at this year’s festival, with part icular emphasis placed on the Chinese market.
Cutting edge of the music industry
Ever since the glory days of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in the 1960s, the UK has been at the cutting-edge of the music industry.
The UK is a major player in the world music business
UKTI and its partners have developed a strategy that focuses on the four countries that give the British music industry the best chance of building on this tradition: the USA, Japan, China and India.
Promoting UK music
Major trade events are a key part of the international music business. Midem –held every January in Cannes – is one of the most important and the UK is always well represented.
UKTI teams up with the music trade associations and other partners such as MTV at the SXSW event, which is held every March. Events like this provide a platform for UK artists and give them the best possible chance of international success.
Taking British music overseas
A number of music trade missions also target overseas markets. For example, the Association of Independent Music recently took three of the top five UK independent record labels to China.
