Event kickstarts drive to bring multi-million pound funding to East Midlands’ creative and cultural industries

A concerted drive to secure multi-million pound funding for the East Midlands’ creative and cultural industries was kickstarted at an event held by Leicestershire’s universities.

Leaders from big tech companies including Google, IBM and Adobe joined the region’s business leaders, academics, funders and policymakers for The Future of the Creative and Cultural Industries event, on Wednesday 18 June.

The event was hosted by Universities Partnership – a civic agreement between De Montfort University (DMU), University of Leicester, Loughborough University and five local authorities to work together to benefit the region.

Held at the University of Leicester School of Business, it was the first step in getting together key players who could support bids for millions of pounds of government and private funding to help Leicestershire’s and East Midlands’ organisations working in design across a range of industries, including product design, engineering, fashion, architecture and tourism. 

Leicestershire alone is home to 1,440 creative industries companies, supporting a workforce of 30,000 people.

Professor Katie Normington, Vice-Chancellor of DMU, said: “Our creative industries already span an exciting and diverse range - from fashion and product design to architecture, media, and visitor experience.

“Through working together, with universities, businesses and political leadership, we have a real chance to build a significant creative cluster and to shape a regional ecosystem that supports creative business, unlocks innovation, and connects talent with opportunity.”

“The creative and cultural industries contribute £124bn in gross value added a year, and are pervasive in the everyday lives of individuals and organisations,” said the event’s lead organiser, Dr William Darler, Associate Professor in Applied Analytics and Digital Economy at the University of Leicester. 

“These industries are disproportionately comprised of sole traders and microbusinesses compared to other sectors, and particularly so in Leicestershire and the East Midlands. This event is the first in a series of a programme designed to engage smaller creative organisations in a dialogue to help shape the future of funding, support and collaboration between creative organisations, Government and academic institutions.”

Professor Emily Keightley, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor Vibrant & Inclusive Communities at Loughborough University, said: “We are delighted to be working together with our Civic Universities Partners to drive a step change in collaboration between Leicestershire’s creative sector, policy makers, and Universities. Supporting creative, impact-driven businesses is a priority and a commitment for Loughborough University and aligns closely with our core strategy of Creating Better Futures. Together.

“We know creative businesses do more than generate revenue. They drive innovation, stimulate economic growth, and improve lives. They create jobs, attract talent, and enrich our cultural and social landscapes making our communities more vibrant, resilient, and forward-looking. By working together, we can leverage our regions’ outstanding research and innovation to support emerging creative business and social entrepreneurs and grow Leicestershire’s creative economy.”

A panel session about key sectors and the challenges they face saw Niels Stevens from Adobe, Google’s John Gallant and Debjit Aikat from IBM discuss the issues.

Another was dedicated to funding opportunities and strategies to secure financial backing, with the third and final session exploring Leicestershire’s business innovation.

The event included representatives from a host of organisations, including Bulb, LCB Depot, Innovate UK, Leicester City Council, Phoenix Independent Cinema, Soft Touch Arts, National Space Centre, Department for Business and Trade and East Midlands Chamber of Commerce.

Also speaking at the event were the three universities’ Vice Chancellors, Professor Katie Normington (DMU), Professor Nishan Canagarajah (Leicester), and Professor Nick Jennings (Loughborough).