The writer is chair of the BBC Commercial Board, the National Theatre and the Royal Anniversary Trust
The creative industries seem to go in and out of fashion with British politicians. So it was heartening to see their contribution highlighted in this government’s first Budget, worth £125bn to the UK economy and named as one of eight sectors to drive up growth in its cross-government industrial strategy.
A task force, led by the eminently capable Baroness Shriti Vadera and Sir Peter Bazalgette, will oversee the delivery of growth in the sector. But the key question is: how fast can we move? As prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said, the “battle for the jobs of tomorrow is happening today”. We must be ready to win, not to sleepwalk into mediocrity.
I chaired the advisory board for the Coronation Challenge, a year-long research project commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping the creative industries and what it means for skills, innovation and growth.
The findings couldn’t be clearer: what we now call createch — the fusion of creativity and technology — is one of the UK’s most potent levers for economic growth. It has the potential to generate an additional £18bn in gross value added (GVA) over the next decade, creating 160,000 new jobs.
Artificial intelligence, often portrayed as a threat to creativity, is proving a remarkable ally, revolutionising storytelling in gaming and unlocking new realms of interactivity. In fashion, 3D printing is driving sustainable design. Immersive technologies are redefining education and live experiences. The convergence of creativity and tech is more than a growth opportunity, it’s a global race — and right now, the UK has every chance to lead.
Yet we risk squandering this. There are inspiring stories from industry leaders, academics, and creative individuals. But we also encountered stark warnings: a talent pipeline strained by under-investment in education, start-ups struggling to secure Series B funding, and young people discouraged from pursuing arts-based careers in a tech-dominated narrative.
This week’s report is a call to arms. The UK’s 350,000 professionals and 14,000 creative businesses operating at the cutting edge of createch must be seen as a foundation, not a peak. To secure our position as a global leader, we need bold, decisive action.
This includes education reform so that creativity and technology are no longer siloed. From primary school through to higher education, we need to integrate these disciplines, equipping the next generation with the skills for a new era. Targeted programmes and industry partnerships should be the norm, not the exception.
Second, we must address the woeful underutilisation of public investment in research and development in this area. Increasing access to R&D tax reliefs and providing targeted funding for both academic research and business-led innovation will unlock private capital and propel UK businesses on to the global stage.
We also need to close the funding gap, which sees so many of our createch start-ups hitting a wall when seeking late-stage funding. A government-backed “fund of funds” would keep talent and intellectual property onshore, helping our businesses to scale here in the UK.
The choice is stark. Without these three steps, we risk our brightest ideas and our talent finding a home elsewhere. Task forces are a good start, but they are only as valuable as the actions they inspire.
AI and emerging technologies are not threats to creativity — they can be its accelerants. Will the UK lead this revolution, or will we watch it unfold from the sidelines? The battle for the jobs of tomorrow isn’t a far-off challenge. It’s happening now.