The creative industry in London is experiencing impressive growth and has become a significant contributor to the city’s economy, according to recent data from City Hall. In the past five years alone, the number of creative jobs in the capital has witnessed a remarkable increase of over 200,000, reaching a total of 1.1 million jobs in 2021. This surge means that the creative sector now accounts for 21.6% of all employment in London, compared to 16.9% in 2016. Furthermore, this industry’s economic output represents more than half of the entire output of the UK’s creative industries.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is enthusiastic about these findings and recognizes the creative sector as the “beating heart of our city.” However, despite its strong recovery following the impact of the pandemic, challenges still exist for related sectors. Khan is urging the government to continue providing adequate funding and support to sustain the growth and success of the creative industry.
In order to promote London as the world’s most creative capital, Khan recently launched London Creates, a campaign in partnership with cultural leaders. Additionally, the Mayor has made a significant investment of over £600 million in the development of East Bank, an emerging cultural and education hub situated at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This visionary initiative aims to establish 12 Creative Enterprise Zones, which will provide affordable workspaces for 800 creative businesses. It also aims to create opportunities for 5,000 young Londoners to enter the creative industries by 2026.
Ben Evans, the director of the London Design Festival and Executive Director of the London Design Biennale, emphasizes the need for government investment to maintain London’s leadership position in an increasingly competitive environment. Evans suggests that investment should prioritize promotion, market access, technology integration, and talent recruitment. He further recommends the introduction of a creative visa, in order to attract top international talent to the city. Moreover, he advocates for the expansion of UK training and apprenticeship schemes to address skills shortages that have been exacerbated by Brexit.
Aligned with these efforts, the government unveiled plans in June to bolster the country’s creative industries by £50 billion and create an additional one million jobs by 2030. To support these ambitions, the sector will receive £77 million in new funding.
The growth of London’s creative industry is not only driving economic prosperity but also shaping the city’s cultural identity. Therefore, it is crucial that the government continues to prioritize and invest in this sector to ensure its sustained success and contribution to both London and the wider UK.
Useful links:
1. City Hall – Creative Industries
2. London Creative Capital
