Shifting geographical work distribution patterns within creative industry hubs in England from 1991 to 2018
In a recent research report published by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) on 16th June 2020, the growth trends of creative industries in the UK from 1991 to 2018 have been analysed by Dr. Ben Gardiner, Director at Cambridge Econometrics, and Professor Peter Sunley, Professor of Economic Geography at the University of Southampton. The report emphasises the importance of a UK-wide recovery plan for the creative industries, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study reveals that the creative industries experienced substantial growth in employment across the UK since 1991, with certain regions and cities showing more pronounced increases than others. Initially, the geographical concentration of creative industries was relatively stable. However, following the 2008 recession, London’s role as a hub for creative industries became more pronounced, with employment in these sectors becoming more concentrated in the capital.
London has been a major focal point for creative industries, with its influence increasing over time. The city's creative industries employment has shown resilience, especially post-2008, contributing to a heightened concentration in the capital. Outside of London, fast-growing regional cities like Leicester, Bristol, Bath, Greater Manchester, and the Leeds city region have seen significant employment growth. These areas highlight the importance of connectivity and larger nodal cities in supporting creative industries.
Employment growth has also been noted in smaller rural areas and along motorway corridors connecting London to the South West, West, and North East. This indicates diverse geographical patterns depending on the specific subsectors of the creative industries.
Prior to the 2008 recession, the degree of geographical concentration in many creative industry subsectors was fairly stable across English Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). Following the recession, there was a shift towards greater concentration in London, which continued until about 2016. After this period, concentration trends became more varied, with some subsectors experiencing decreased concentration.
The report recommends that a key goal for place-based creative industry policy should be to support creative industries in mid-sized and secondary locations. This could help to address the dominance of London in the creative industries and foster growth in other regions.
It's important to note that these views and interpretations do not necessarily represent those of the PEC or its partner organisations. The report was undertaken for the PEC and Creative England, and all PEC research reports have been peer-reviewed prior to publication.
The report suggests that understanding these trends can inform policy decisions, emphasising the need for connectivity and strategic support for nodal cities to foster creative industry growth outside of London. As the UK prepares for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, these insights could prove invaluable in shaping policies to support the creative industries nationwide.
- The analysis of data from 1991 to 2018, conducted by Dr. Ben Gardiner and Professor Peter Sunley, reveals that the creative industries experienced substantial growth in employment across the UK, with London becoming a more pronounced hub post-2008.
- In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre emphasises the importance of a UK-wide recovery plan, particularly focusing on supporting creative industries in mid-sized and secondary locations outside of London.
- The report, which was peer-reviewed, suggests that understanding the geographical patterns of creative industry subsectors can inform policy decisions, emphasising the need for connectivity and strategic support for nodal cities like Leicester, Bristol, Bath, Greater Manchester, and the Leeds city region to foster creative industry growth.
- Data-and-cloud-computing technology plays a significant role in the analysis of creative industries trends, as it allows researchers to identify diverse geographical patterns depending on the specific subsectors, such as those in smaller rural areas and along motorway corridors connecting London to the South West, West, and North East.
- The research evidence from creative industries shows that regional cities have seen significant employment growth, highlighting the importance of connectivity and larger nodal cities in supporting creative industries, which could facilitate a more balanced growth across the UK.
