• Major new £14 million Creative Careers Programme will help attract more diverse talent
• Creative businesses in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Bristol to benefit from new £4 million investment to help them grow
• Additional funding to support the games sector: Digital Schoolhouse and UK Games Fund powered by PlayStation

More than £20 million is being pumped into the UK’s thriving creative industries to help inspire and attract new talent, scale up existing businesses, boost skills and provide education.

The package of support announced by Creative Industries Minister Margot James during a visit to Dudley Technical College, will help to increase the diversity of the sector’s workforce and maintain the future pipeline of creative talent in an industry that now contributes more than £100 billion to the UK economy.

Improving the nation’s skills and boosting business opportunities is at the heart of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, which this week celebrates its one year anniversary. This new funding follows the publication of the Creative Industries Sector Deal earlier this year and includes:

• A new £14 million Creative Careers Programme led by industry that will see leading industry figures working with schools and colleges to raise awareness of employment opportunities in the sector, reaching more than 160,000 students by 2020. Around 2 million young people will be able to access better advice about pursuing a creative careers.
• A £4 million programme to help scale up creative enterprises in Bristol, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands – helping creative businesses to access finance and translate their ideas into investment.
• £2 million to continue the successful ‘Get it Right’ campaign with industry until 2021 – helping to educate consumers on the dangers of copyright infringement and direct them to legitimate sources of creative content online.
• £200,000 investment to upscale the Digital Schoolhouse programme being delivered by games trade body Ukie powered by PlayStation – inspiring the next generation of game creators, growing the programme to 50 schools by September 2019 and reaching an extra 7000 pupils next academic year.
• £190,000 to the UK Games Fund to build on the new Pitch Development Programme. This helps promising companies gain industry support to receive UK Games Fund grants of £25,000.

Minister for the Creative Industries, Margot James, said:

Millions of people around the world enjoy our world-class creative and cultural output every day and we want to stay as a frontrunner in these vibrant sectors.

Our creative industries are a vital part of the economy, contributing over £100 billion to the economy so it is important we maintain the pipeline of talent. This package will take the sector from strength to strength by arming the next generation of creatives with the necessary skills and giving businesses in the sector the support they need to succeed.

The Creative Careers programme will see leaders of creative businesses inspire students through talks and work experience. Businesses will also be helped to develop more accessible routes into employment in the sector, this includes creating apprenticeship standards for a number of priority roles which will be identified by industry.

The initiative will also boost the number of apprenticeships to 3000 across the creative industries by 2025 and join the hundreds of apprentices already working across the sector with employers including Pinewood Studios, Royal Opera House, V&A Museum, McCann and Google.

Tim Davie, co-chair of the Creative Industries Council said:

One year on from the Government’s announcement of its industrial strategy, it’s excellent to see delivery of the commitments in the landmark Creative Industries Sector Deal.

Our world-class creative sector is a powerhouse built on brilliant ideas. It’s vital we ensure a healthy pipeline of diverse talent to continue building on our creative success, and that we ensure a strong business environment to maximise the potential of those ideas. These commitments will provide vital support in both areas, to help our industries thrive.

The Sector Deal implementation is now well under way and I look forward to working with colleagues on the Creative Industries Council and with others across industry and Government to keep up this momentum.

Alongside skills, the government is also prioritising access to finance for creative businesses. The new scale up programme will see coaches and mentors available for businesses in the West Midlands, Bristol and Greater Manchester to overcome specific barriers to growth such as marketing, strategy planning or improving their digital footprint and specialist help will be on hand to identify appropriate sources of finance through the British Business Bank. Participating regions will also work to increase the numbers of investors interested in investing in creative businesses.

Lowell Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Dudley College of Technology / Chair of the Board of Dudley Academies Trust, said:

With the creative industry in the West Midlands generating nearly £4 billion a year to the regional economy, Dudley College of Technology is proud to be developing new talent across a range of disciplines including film and TV, fashion, games design and crafts. We recognise the huge contribution the creative industries play, not only in economic terms but in providing a rich, vibrant culture and we are keen to train the creatives of the future. The announcement today will help support the skills agenda and also provide a boost for entrepreneurs and small businesses who have the potential for growth.

The cash injection follows the publication of new figures which reveal the value of the creative industries to the UK is up from £94.8 billion in 2016 to £101.5 billion, growing at nearly twice the rate of the economy since 2010.

The Government is committed to making sure creative businesses around the UK are supported. The creation of nine new Creative Clusters, the Government will support innovation by part-funding research partnerships between universities and industry. They will explore how digital technologies can improve the use of digital technologies to improve audience experience in the screen and performance industries, and shorten production times in the design industry.

Notes to editors

For media enquiries please contact DCMS News and Communications team on 020 7211 2210

Creative Scale Up programme

The new Creative Scale Up programme will be available for businesses in the West Midlands, Bristol and Greater Manchester to overcome specific barriers to growth such as marketing, strategy planning or improving their digital footprint and specialist help will be on hand to identify appropriate sources of finance through the British Business Bank.

West Midlands

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said:

The creative and digital industries are hugely important to the West Midlands, contributing almost £4 billion to our economy.

We know we have creative strengths in the region. More than 10,000 creative businesses are based here, and we’re working to support the rapid growth in this sector, with the ambition that the digital and creative industry will employ more than 100,000 people in the West Midlands by 2030.

We want to continue the momentum we’ve built in recent months. This DCMS funding will allow us to provide dedicated support to our creative industries, match businesses with investors, and sustain the growth of this industry into 2030 and beyond.

Greater Manchester

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said:

Greater Manchester is a proud city-region of innovation and our creative businesses are truly thriving. With almost 9,000 businesses, our Creative sector is the fastest growing part of the Greater Manchester economy. With more than 82,300 people and generating £4.1 billion of economic growth annually we are already home to the largest digital and creative cluster outside London.

This new programme will help us accelerate our creative businesses with ambitions to grow. We are going to work with creative businesses at scale here in our city-region to help them become investment ready and linked with the wide range of excellent business support that is on offer across Greater Manchester.

Bristol

Mayor of the West of England, Tim Bowles, said:

This is terrific news; our region is recognised for its thriving creative sector and Bristol is soon to be home to one of Channel 4’s new creative hubs.

This investment will support the work we are doing on the Local Industrial Strategy, which recognises the importance of the creative industries. We are perfectly placed to drive innovation and growth here in the region, setting the direction for our economy and pushing for future growth for the UK and the world.

Caroline Norbury, MBE, Chair of the Creative Industries Council Investment Group, said:

Creative industry businesses have the potential to deliver even greater growth, but too many lack the skills to secure the investment they need to take their business to the next level. The creative scale-up programme gives us a fantastic opportunity to test how much more these companies can contribute to regional economies when they have access to the right expert advice and investor networks.

Creative Careers Programme

Of the funding for the £14 million Creative Careers Programme, £2 million is allocated for a specific programme to improve careers advice and to develop new apprenticeship standards which will be delivered jointly by ScreenSkills, Creative & Cultural Skills and the Creative Industries Federation. Government will provide £2 million funding to kick-start the programme and £12 million in-kind support has been secured from industry to-date.

Those organisations delivering the programme intend to partner with the devolved nations and industry working across them in order to ensure that it ultimately becomes UK-wide.

Quotes from partners delivering the programme:

Creative & Cultural Skills chief executive, Simon Dancey, said:

Creative & Cultural Skills is delighted to be working with ScreenSkills and the Creative Industries Federation on the development and delivery of the Creative Careers Programme. In partnership with key stakeholders and our world leading creative and cultural industries, we will together support careers advisers, teachers, parents and guardians, and thousands of young people to better understand the sector and the range of careers within it. This ambitious programme will encourage the industry to open its doors, ensuring we are accessible to all so the next generation of talent can join us and help us thrive for years to come.

Creative Industries Federation chief executive, Alan Bishop, said:

The quality and diversity of talent working in our creative industries has been central to its growth and world-leading success. We are hugely excited about our role mobilising industry’s engagement in this programme, inspiring young people to consider careers across the creative economy and helping the next generation of talent to discover the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.

Seetha Kumar, CEO of ScreenSkills, the skills body for the UK’s screen industries, said:

It is really important to attract bright young talent into creative industries such as film, TV and video games so we are really pleased to be taking the lead in transforming online careers information for hundreds of thousands of school, college and university students across the country.

Digital Schoolhouse

The Digital Schoolhouse programme has already upskilled over 5000 teachers in the new computing curriculum and improved the digital skills of over 31,000 students since 2014.

Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie (The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment) said:

It’s critical that we solve the creative and digital skills gap in the UK. Digital Schoolhouse is an inclusive and essential programme that gives inspiring training and accessible tools as well as confidence to educators. Crucially, it helps equip the next generation with creative computing literacy and valuable transferable skills to become part of the digital creative workforce of the future. With this valuable support, the programme can extend its reach and impact.

Shahneila Saeed, Director of Digital Schoolhouse and Head of Education at Ukie said:

Digital Schoolhouse aims to revolutionise computing in schools by bridging the gap between industry and education in order to inspire and engage the next generation. We’re thrilled that DCMS have recognised the programme’s impact by injecting vital funds to accelerate the growth of the programme. The new funding will help us to grow the programme to 50 schools across the country, providing crucial training for 3000 teachers and providing inspiring lessons and workshops for 25,000 children next year – improving their knowledge and giving them all the confidence to use the digital skills that they and the country need.

Sam, Yr 7 pupil and participant in Digital Schoolhouse workshop at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy said:

I remember Mr Ward coming to my school last year to run a computer science class using the Micro:bit devices. I’d never used anything like that before and it made me want to find out more. I asked my mum if I could buy a Micro:bit so that I could carry on at home. Having Mr Ward explain about computer science using magic made it much easier to understand. I would recommend that all primary school pupils (and their teachers!) get involved in the Digital Schoolhouse project if they can – you learn lots and it’s so much fun!

The ‘Get it Right’ campaign will be supported by leading industry organisations including Motion Picture Association, British Phonographic Industry, PRS for Music.

Ian Moss, Director of Public Affairs, British Phonographic Industry said:

Get it Right from a Genuine Site is a great example of partnership between the creative industries, Government and the Internet Service Providers. The research into the campaign has shown it really makes a difference and that a positive campaign that is relevant to fans can help change the way people think about accessing content online. With fantastic music services providing the whole history of recorded music, fans know that by choosing a legal service over illegal sites, the artists they are passionate about are rewarded for their art and creativity. The Government’s continuing commitment to the successful campaign is warmly welcomed.

Stan McCoy, President & Managing Director, Motion Picture Association EMEA said:

The Motion Picture Association thanks the UK Government for deciding to continue to support the Get It Right campaign as part of the Sector Deal. This investment will support creative sector jobs by reminding young people of the value of accessing the films and television programmes they love in a way that respects the hard work of those who made them. We look forward to the new materials that will be developed for the next stage of this important initiative to highlight opportunities in the creative industry, signpost where consumers can access legitimate forms of content of all types, and support them in making the right choice.

Ministers will meet with local people in their communities, schools and hospitals, as well as local employers in industries such as transport, life sciences and food, including:

• Brexit Secretary, Stephen Barclay, will visit engineering companies in Peterborough and Donnington
• Chancellor Philip Hammond will visit a school in Chertsey
• Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, David Lidington, will speak to small businesses representatives in Belfast.
• Chief Secretary, Liz Truss, will visit a local butchers in East Anglia
• Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, will host a roundtable in Glasgow with employers from across Scotland

Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, is also announcing an almost £1 billion funding boost for health facilities across England today, as he visits a hospital in Portsmouth.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

We have delivered a deal that honours the vote of the British people.

I’ve been speaking to factory workers in Scotland, farmers in Wales and people right across the country, answering their questions about the deal and our future. Overwhelmingly, the message I’ve heard is that people want us to get on with it. And that’s why it’s important that ministers are out speaking with communities across the UK today about how the deal works for them.

This deal delivers on crucial issues like protecting jobs in the community, ensuring streets across the UK remain safe, making sure that local businesses can continue to access skilled workers, establishing fairer fishing and farming policies that work for our rural and coastal communities, and investing more in our the vital public services, such as the NHS.

Statement by Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council Open Debate: A greater involvement of States, sub-regional and regional Organisations for more effective conflict prevention and resolution, in close cooperation with the United Nations

Thank you very much indeed Mr President and welcome back to New York. Can I join other speakers in saying how welcome it is to have ECOWAS and the African Union also with us today.

Mr President, yesterday the Council discussed the complex challenges of post-conflict reconstruction, where President Ouattara reminded us of the immense human and economic cost that civil war wrought on his country and the steps that Cote d’Ivoire had taken to sustain peace and promote economic development.
With the cost of conflict so clear, if we are to prevent the worst atrocities and injustices in accordance with the aspirations of the UN Charter, it is crucial that we learn the lessons of what it takes to resolve conflict and sustain peace in the long term.

Today Mr President, I would like focus on the complementary roles that states, sub-regional and regional organisations, and the UN can and should play in the prevention and resolution of conflict.

I would like to make three specific points:

Firstly, as other speakers have noted, the role of states is paramount. Member States bear the primary responsibility for protecting their inhabitants and for refraining from acts of aggression. That also means, Mr President, refraining from persecuting their own people. The best and most durable solutions are ‘home grown’ and inclusive.

But building resilient societies is not an easy task. By addressing the structural drivers of fragility, and ensuring that people’s legitimate demands are met – including for justice, security, and economic opportunities – we can significantly reduce the risk of conflict. This is why Mr President, democracy and human rights do have a very important role to play in stability but also in prosperity. There is some very good evidence freely available that explains the link between democracy, human rights and prosperity and thriving societies. Strong national capacities for conflict prevention are also essential, and it is important that the multilateral organisations are willing and equipped to support such national efforts. For this reason, the United Kingdom supports the UNDP-DPA joint programme on building national capacities for conflict prevention. The deployment of UN Peace and Development Advisors has assisted Member States to generate the analysis that allows for early identification of conflict risks and the ability to devise de-escalation strategies. One such risk identification system is now operational in Cameroon where it tracks emerging conflict trends and risks in a situation that is of increasing concern for international peace and security.

Secondly, Mr President regional organisations often have a considerable comparative advantage over more distant international institutions, including at times the UN. Few regional organisations have been as active on conflict prevention and resolution as the African Union – a welcome development of the last two decades. And in the Lake Chad Basin, the Central African Republic, Comoros, and the DRC, the AU has often in the driving seat. In countries the Sahel region, where a range of cross-border issues form fertile ground for conflict, the work of ECOWAS has been crucial. When it comes to sustainable and inclusive economic development, regional co-operation can ensure that limited resources are deployed effectively, and economic isolation does not persist to become another cause of conflict. In the Horn of Africa, IGAD supports countries to achieve better economic integration. With regard to support for conflict prevention and mediation, regional actors have a unique advantage due to their understanding of the local context and conflict dynamics. In Guinea Bissau for example, successful ECOWAS mediation delegations comprised senior officials from Equatorial Guinea and Senegal. With regard to peace support operations, regional groups have a crucial role, as we saw in the Gambia in 2017. Quick mobilisation by ECOWAS succeeded in restoring stability to that country.

The United Kingdom is committed to ensuring that regional entities are sufficiently resourced so they can fulfil critical functions alongside the United Nations. Specifically on financing of African Union peace support operations, this is the why the UK supports the principle of providing UN assessed contributions – up to a ceiling of 75 per cent – to AU-led peace support operations authorised by this Council. We continue to work constructively with our partners to ensure the necessary conditions are fulfilled, particularly with regard to human rights compliance, to make this a reality.

And thirdly, I would like to emphasise that coordinated efforts between the UN, regional organisations and member states, based on comparative advantages, increase the effectiveness of all our efforts to prevent conflict and sustain long term peace. The UN Charter, Mr President, underscores the important role of regional organisations in the pacific settlement of disputes, and the Secretary-General was absolutely right to point to the farsightedness of the Charter’s framers in this respect.

It is positive to see today the broad commitment from this Council to strengthen work with the AU and others. And it occurs to me that broader support in this forum for the important roles of NATO and the OSCE might have provided for more effective responses to the challenges faced in Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine.

Mr President, where national and regional efforts fail, this Council has a responsibility, as the only competent body legally to surpass State monopoly on military intervention, to act to restore international peace and security. This is a last resort we can better avoid by mobilising all the tools at our collective disposal for early peacebuilding and prevention to avoid escalation.

Thank you Mr President.

Michael Ellis, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, delivered the keynote speech at the 2018 Heritage Day, hosted by the Heritage Alliance.