Staying ahead: the economic performance of the UK?s creative industries

• Will Hutton
• The Work Foundation

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28 June 2007The UK has the largest creative sector in the EU, and relative to
GDP probably the largest in the world. It is a national asset in
multiple ways. The creation of ideas, images, symbols, design and
cultural expression on this scale would alone be enough for the
sector to warrant attention; such vitality needs to be honoured
and nurtured. Yet the creative and cultural industries play an
increasingly important role in economic life. They account for
7.3 per cent of the economy comparable in size to the financial
services industry. They employ 1 million people themselves, while
another 800,000 work in creative occupations. The livelihood of
a growing proportion of British citizens will depend upon the
sector maintaining its trajectory of growth.

The objective of this report is to open up a debate about the
drivers of this phenomenon, and to understand the opportunities
and challenges facing the sector. It will help the 13 industries
that currently constitute the sector on the definition established
in the 1998 and 2001 DCMS Mapping Documents to recognise
many of their commonalities. This would allow them to begin to
speak with a more effective voice to their varying stakeholders
and represent common interests to the Government with more
self-confidence.