CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE

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1 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE

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3 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE Brighton & Hove has succeeded in developing a sustainable and inclusive economy based on creativity, innovation and knowledge based industries. The city's location, its skills base, the links which exist between industry and the Universities, the presence of a number of fast growing companies and the presence of a significant artistic and scientific community are some of the factors which make Brighton & Hove a place to watch in the future. Its creative and high technology talents already make a key contribution to the UK creative economy. These industries are central to the future prosperity and quality of life of all our communities and citizens. Rt Hon Chris Smith, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport Lord Sainsbury, Minister for Science, DTI

4 The Creative Industries The creative industries play a central role in the reputation, profile and economic strength of cities. They are one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy, growing at 5% per annum, twice the overall UK growth rate. Private sector enterprise from micro businesses to multinationals is driving this forward. Creativity is now acknowledged as a central component in the new knowledge and innovation driven economy, adding value to processes, products and services. The creative industries also add value to the life of the city and to the experience of city living by contributing to social, economic and environmental regeneration attracting inward investment, helping to attract and retain creative and skilled workers and attracting visitors from the UK and beyond.

5 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE in Brighton and Hove In Brighton and Hove, there is a real opportunity to establish the city s global reputation for creativity and innovation. This needs to be strongly grounded on getting a number of basic requirements right in the business and public domain. These include a commitment to risk taking and innovation, an uncompromising search for quality and success, the right kinds of enterprise support structures for people and companies, and getting the networks working to allow creative businesses to help themselves and to help make the city a more prosperous and better place. All of this should aim to make a measurable difference to the city and the quality of life of all who work and live in it. It can achieve this with creative companies and individuals working to the same ends as the Council and other public sector partners. In the next ten years Brighton and Hove should aim to have established an international reputation as a powerhouse of creativity and innovation. It should have created the conditions in which creative companies of all sizes can achieve the level of commercial success and critical recognition they aspire to. It should demonstrate that it has a working and public environment which has successfully tackled the long standing problems of poor urban design, difficult transport and access, and poverty of opportunity for many in its communities.

6 What are the creative industries and why are they important? ADVERTISING, ARCHITECTURE, THE ART AND ANTIQUES MARKET, CRAFTS, DESIGN, DESIGNER FASHION, FILM, INTERACTIVE LEISURE SOFTWARE, MUSIC, THE PERFORMING ARTS, WRITING AND JOURNALISM, PUBLISHING, SOFTWARE AND TELEVISION AND RADIO, THE VISUAL ARTS, HERITAGE, MUSEUMS A new generation of creative and cultural entrepreneurs has come to live and work in the city. They share three essential characteristics for the creative economy of the future: creative origination in film, music, story lines, visual arts, dance; command of the technological opportunities both for creative work and for the digital economy; and an understanding of how differently and profitably businesses might be run within the creative and cultural sectors. At the centre of all of this fast moving commercial and creative activity are companies in which: The core skills and activities of the enterprise are creative Creative activity produces intellectual property Intellectual property rights add significant value to the creative process and the product High level technology, craft and innovation skills add significant value to products and services The size and depth of the creative community is one of Brighton and Hove's particularly distinctive qualities. The challenge is how best to nurture and strengthen it. Digital media is of critical importance to many parts of the creative sector, and whilst growing exponentially in local and global markets is very far from being the only area of creative success in Brighton and Hove. There will undoubtedly be a digital dimension in almost every area of economic activity now and in the future, but creative origination really adds value and quality. This is a diverse sector, with widely differing histories and prospects. It is closely connected to the wider economy, with creative businesses working closely and profitably with the public and personal service sector, with financial services and with tourism. There are important connections between the creative industries and the research and development skills in engineering and high technology. The exploration of new ideas, and their application and exploitation in local, national and global markets will be central to the future success of the creative industries in Brighton and Hove. Creative businesses provide a key to unlocking the new knowledge based economy. Education for a future of work based on creativity and innovation requires a profound appraisal of the ways in which schools, colleges and universities deploy their resources and offer their curricula to young people. Success will contribute greatly to the future prosperity of the whole community. AND GALLERIES

7 What are the really striking things about creative industries in Brighton and Hove CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE The number of creative companies in Brighton and Hove is already large and is growing, but is heavily dependent on micro-businesses. Brighton and Hove is a small city near one of the world s great creative and commercial markets; other parts of the South East are doing just as well if not better. Just under 1,600 of the 8,600 businesses in Brighton and Hove are part of the creative economy: this is nearly one in five of local businesses. 48% of these creative companies are involved in the media or the performing arts, and around one third in design and visual activities. A small number of digital media companies are on a fast track, some employing hundreds of people and still growing. Most other creative businesses are much smaller scale. Throughout the United Kingdom, the creative economy is founded on the skills and efforts of a large number of very small enterprises, and thousands of freelancers and independents: musicians, actors, writers, designers, film and media technicians. This is especially true in the South East, where 98% of small and medium scale creative businesses are sole traders or employ fewer than 20 people, a pattern which is also found in Brighton and Hove. There are large numbers of individuals living in the city musicians, actors, writers, designers and freelance film and media technicians who work in Brighton and Hove, London and elsewhere. The creative industries are hugely important to the future for Brighton & Hove. The City Council prizes the contribution they make to the local economy, to the culture of the city, to its prosperity and to its energy and buzz. Cllr Ian Duncan Brighton & Hove City Council There is already some good practice in the relationship between the creative and the cultural sector, and between commercial and publicly funded work. The city shows the potential for some really strong creative chemistry. Digital companies work with the Universities, dancers work with engineers; new music and new audiences are developed with commercial and with public funding. Sustained investment will be needed from private and public sector sources to get the best out of this growing hybrid economy. With some notable exceptions, Brighton and Hove is not a city with a reputation for producing new work from its home based creative community. To earn its international reputation

8 What are the really striking things about creative industries in Brighton and Hove as a creative city, originators, commissioners, funders and cultural agencies must work closely to develop production capacity in all aspects of live performance and particularly dance, theatre and music, in the visual arts and crafts, and in other forms of programme making, broadcast and publication. However, compared to some other parts of the South East, the creative economy is still relatively small scale. Brighton and Hove trails behind the M3/M4 corridor and places like Guildford and Reading. For some creative businesses success is growth; others wish to win prizes and stay small - size isn t everything. There is a commitment to attracting the most talented people and developing their skills, and achieving quality of work with quality of life. Some creative sectors are really making their mark: others seem to be moving more slowly. Alongside some of the fast-growing digital media companies, there are film, music and creative software development companies that prove that it is possible to be small and highly successful making sales and winning prizes in national and international markets. The current hotspots in the creative sector in Brighton and Hove are where it works most successfully in the cutting edge or testing zone of creative activity and where creative talent works across conventional boundaries the growth and success of companies in digital media leads the way in the club and commercial music scene where there is continued growth and investment on the basis of a large, longstanding market in contemporary dance, street arts and the promotion of unusual and innovative events, a small number of Brighton artists and entrepreneurs have an international reputation where there is a small but distinguished number of creators and originators, for example writers and film-makers, who live and work in Brighton and Hove. Other sectors seem to be moving more slowly or with more difficulty: for example Brighton and Hove does not have a broadly based national reputation in the visual arts despite a community of many hundreds of visual arts and a number of studio complexes. There are few performing arts companies theatre, music or dance of national or international stature in the South East. Brighton and Hove s reputation in some of these areas rests on a very small number of companies and individuals. Creative businesses often find public, commercial and professional agencies in Brighton and Hove - including the Council - difficult to access for the right kind of advice, for financial and legal expertise and for the right workspace where and when they want it. Brighton and Hove has a lot of new companies

9 What are the really striking things about creative industries in Brighton and Hove CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE and a lot of young creative entrepreneurs and start-ups. They are often working in areas where there are few precedents, and where the global markets, investment patterns and the technologies themselves are moving at great speed. These burgeoning companies need access to legal, entrepreneurial, market development, financial and investment advice to enable them to work successfully and profitably at the national and international level. At the moment this is only readily available in London. Traditional business networks, training, advisory and other support agencies must respond decisively to this challenging opportunity. Some parts of this business community network and collaborate effectively with each other, the Council and other business and knowledge networks. Many creative businesses and individuals in Brighton and Hove find themselves isolated and in need of regular information, advice and support Much of the creative community in Brighton and Hove is individualised, fragmented and competitive. Wired Sussex offers a model example of how networking, advice, information and market development can be undertaken for a fast growing and complex sector: there are fewer established networks (for example illustrators, visual artists, dancers) where there are more limited market opportunities. In the design, digital and media industries face-toface contact and informal networking is regarded as a critical part of doing successful business. A lot of companies miss out on the potential business synergies and benefits that might flow from them. The creative sector in Brighton and Hove is also isolated from the business and civic community. Developing links with institutional and professional groupings, for example with the financial sector, will start to tackle the lack of understanding of and confidence in the creative sector. A lot of creative companies are very committed to Brighton and Hove, and want to make it a better place to work and live in. Their skills and energies should be tapped. They have a keen interest in ensuring that the regeneration of Brighton and Hove produces a highly skilled work force and a distinctive urban working environment of international quality. The new media industries show how talent, ambition and a fast growing global market lead the way forward. We need to work closely with our public sector partners to get the support which is timely and helpful to reduce barriers to growth. Donald Clark, Managing Director, EPIC

10 What are the really striking things about creative industries in Brighton and Hove Brighton and Hove must promote itself nationally and internationally as a seriously creative city and as a place where innovation and experiment take place, and where diversity and change are valued and can strengthen its welcome and its reputation. In the last few years, Brighton and Hove has developed a clear profile of the kinds of business visitors and tourists that it is seeking to attract. Its artists and creators make a significant contribution to its international profile as a tolerant, vibrant, innovative place that offers quality and choice, diversity as well as diversion. The same arguments will attract businesses and skilled creative workers looking to move to Brighton and Hove from London and elsewhere. their clients to. The city should exploit every opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Brighton and Hove s creative community and to use this as a platform to promote Brighton and Hove s creative industries locally and nationally. A bid to become the UK s nominee for European City of Culture 2008 would reflect the new city s celebration of its cultural and creative achievements. It would also create a significant platform to promote a globally recognisable brand Brighton and Hove; The Place to be Creative. The Brighton Festival - the largest in the England - provides a continuing focal point for innovation, world-class performance in an annual programme with a truly international reputation. The completion in the next year of a multimillion pound rebuilding investment, and the substantial development of its programme and its audiences on a year round basis will give Brighton and Hove a world class facility. The Brighton Dome and Corn Exchange will set the standard for other venues throughout the South East of England. For large and small companies, getting the connections to London and to international markets is absolutely essential for success. It is equally important that international decision makers can get easily to Brighton and Hove and that the city is a place companies want to bring

11 What can creative businesses, the Council and other private and public partners do about this? A detailed programme of action is being developed by the key partners who commissioned this research which will be taken forward by creative businesses, the Council and other private and public partners. Some examples of things that will be done are listed below. Brighton and Hove s skills base, higher education and cultural and creative industry strengths and unique personality have already made a significant contribution to its reputation as an attractive location for investment, relocation and creative business start ups. In addition, its proximity to London and international transport hubs offers the potential to develop a globally recognised cluster of creative application - establishing, with Oxford and Cambridge, a golden triangle of knowledge and innovation around London. GOING FOR SUCCESS IN NATIONAL AND GLOBAL MARKETS To achieve sustainable development, success in national and global markets and international recognition as a world centre for creative innovation Brighton and Hove s Creative Industries will: Provide the leadership to ensure that Brighton and Hove is promoted and recognised as a world creative brand CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE It's no surprise that Brighton and Hove is the home to one of the world's great cultural festivals. Creativity and culture play an essential part in presenting the city internationally. This is not just for three weeks in May. Artists making new work and audiences for all sorts of events are integral to the year round health, culture and spirit of the place. Nick Dodds, Chief Executive Brighton Dome and Festival Put in place the support to sustain and develop Brighton and Hove s creative economy To deliver leadership and support, the creative industries strategy will consist of six programme areas, whose objectives and targets are set out overleaf:

12 Provide the leadership to ensure that Brighton and Hove is promoted and recognised as a world creative brand 1 2 PROVIDING CO-ORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP Targets An effective, broadly based industry lead group in place and in action Improved sectoral and cross sectoral networking Specialist sector support brokers in place Partners' actions Endorse and validate the position of the lead group, and provide appropriate support and resources MARKETING BRIGHTON AS A WORLD CREATIVE BRAND Targets "Brighton based" to be recognised world wide as a brand that adds value to creative companies services, products and reputation Win City of Culture in 2008 Partners' actions Promote Brighton and Hove companies and creative clusters in key market locations, such as international trade fairs and regional and international transport hubs Promote creative product and services in UK European and global markets Work to secure the reputation of the Brighton Festival as a major event in the international festival diary and the Brighton Dome as a world class programming and producing venue Develop a winning bid for City of Culture Put in place the support to sustain and develop Brighton and Hove s creative economy 3 4 SUPPORTING INNOVATION, RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND WORK ON THE EDGE Targets Significantly increased opportunities and facilities for research and development Completed facilities and support for the creation of original work Increase and diversify funding levels for creative and cultural projects and for infrastructure Partners' actions Develop centres for creation; facilities for research and development; support for the devising and testing of original work Provide increased encouragement and support for Brighton and Hove based creative producers eg dance/live, performed, visual arts and film Set up programmes of critical debate and exchange GETTING EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN PLACE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY Targets A Creativity Education Business Partnership, with a wide spread education and private sector membership, to raise profile, resources and investment A Creative Industries Skills Forum, to set standards and monitor effectiveness of training Increased opportunities for professional development amongst freelancers Partners' actions Creative Industries Skills Forum to set training standards and targets devised by industry groups, for funding and/or delivery through Learning and Skills Council, Connections and other agencies

13 Open up work experience, modern apprenticeship, mentoring and other experiential routes into the industry for Brighton and Hove school leavers Build links between schools and creative businesses Build links between schools and further and higher education courses to provide encouragement, support and recruitment for admissions Higher Education Institutions to develop pre and post graduate training; business development; specialist, higher level business and digital skills CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE GETTING CREATIVE BUSINESSES TO DETERMINE WHAT SUPPORT THEY NEED Targets A Brighton and Hove focussed network of bankers, investors and others to promote the creative sector in the financial community A Small Business Service and a Council Regeneration Department which prioritises and responds effectively to creative business needs Increase creative business start up survival and success rates Partners' actions 5 6 Enterprise Hub to embrace the role of the whole creative sector in its planning and programme delivery Brighton and Hove's industry lead group to agree standards and targets for Small Business Service and the Council's Economic Development Unit Small Business Service and Enterprise Hub, and other business support and funding agencies to recruit creative sector experienced staff/advisors Develop platforms for giving smaller businesses access to the global market place PUTTING CREATIVE BUSINESS TO WORK IN REGENERATION AND THE DESIGN OF THE CITY Targets Landmark buildings, spaces and other structures which reflect contemporary, creative Brighton A supply of work space that matches the demands of the creative market Completion of high profile cultural and creative developments Partners' actions City wide debate and programme of action to raise quality of design and develop the framework for a twenty-first century working and living culture Engage the skills of the creative sector in developing and delivering design solutions to make Brighton and Hove a better place to live in Prioritise the creative dimension in regeneration strategies, securing the participation of creative sector in regeneration sites, through responding to infrastructure requirements; in the design process Publish planning and development briefs which facilitate the creative contribution Protect and enhance existing creative clusters Public and commercial landlords and developers to develop more fluid and responsive workspace and facilities, driven by creative sector market requirements

14 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE The Place to be Creative Who is taking this forward? A Brighton and Hove Creative Industry Group offering industry inclusive representation and advocacy would play a lead role in the development and implementation of The Place to Be Creative; develop links with professional and institutional sectors; establish a funding partnership to provide for a creative industries broker to ensure effective work with partners. Brighton & Hove Council and its public and private sector institutional partners, both local and regional, will also play a central role in creating the right conditions in which the creative industries sector can flourish in the city. The place to be creative Brighton and Hove s future lies in making ideas, in becoming a city that harnesses the intellectual and creative skills of everyone in the city. In recent years Brighton and Hove s profile and reputation has changed. Brighton and Hove is earning a worldwide reputation as a centre for digital media, for specialist conferences, for its international festival. It attracts people as much to its club and music scene as to the Pier and Pavilion. Both its universities have established world-class reputations for innovation in highly specialist and creative areas of work. For 200 years or more Brighton and Hove has attracted people who want to enjoy the energy, style and internationalism of a big city on a small scale: a place for unconventional ideas, to try new things before they are widely accepted, a place for experiment and refreshment. This is the place to rediscover and reinvent city living. Brighton and Hove is just far enough away from London to make all the difference, and just close enough to be a very special part of the largest international market for creative ideas, services, products and people. What was a day s journey for the Prince Regent in 1820 now takes an hour from the centre of London or Gatwick International. New technologies; new media; new applications of traditional art forms, a cultural and creative chemistry that runs from the Prince Regent to Fat Boy Slim and from John Nash s Pavilion to the Sussex Innovation Centre. With vision, investment and concerted effort, Brighton and Hove will become the place to be creative. Research, strategy development and text by: David Powell and Prudence Robey, David Powell Associates Ltd. Funding and support for the Creative Industries Review has come from: Brighton & Hove Council, South East Arts and The Place to Be. For further information please contact: Economic Development Team, Brighton & Hove City Council, Kings House, Grand Avenue, Hove BN3 2LS (01273) The Brighton and Hove Creative Industries Report (the source of data in this report) is downloadable from SERIG (Sussex Economic Research & Information Group) at

15 Brighton and Hove is a cluster of the imagination. Its history and its atmosphere attract creativity and creative people. The opportunity now is to build on that quirky and glorious tradition and to make a step change in our aspirations. Our task is to support and encourage growth in creative companies so that potential is transformed into a solid part of our local economy. We have the chance now for Brighton and Hove to become known world wide for the very best and most innovative creative and media work. This report provides a starting point for the creative industries to build a reputation for the city of international significance. Simon Fanshawe Chair, The Economic Partnership Designed and printed by Mint

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