Creative Industries

South West England is a hotbed of creative and digital media and the sector is growing more rapidly than anywhere else in the UK, employing more creatives than any other region outside London. World recognised innovative companies in this sector based in the region include, Aardman Animation, Twofour Productions, BBC and HP Labs.

The South West is nationally recognised as a region with a vibrant arts, crafts and music scene and has an increasing wealth of cultural diversity with a thriving community of craftspeople and artists working in glass, metalwork, textile, pottery, paint, woodwork, and jewellery.
 
Looking to the future, some of the best and brightest minds are studying and researching at specialist departments within the region's universities. There are over 7,700 creative students, as well as several thousand students whose work covers technical areas of digital media. Many of these are leaders in their respective fields and have developed strong and synergistic links with business.

The region has established media clusters currently established in the Plymouth, Wessex, Gloucestershire and Bristol areas, providing an opportunity for growth and innovation.

Follow the links to read more about University Centres of Expertise and case studies of university and business collaboration in the Creative Industries sector. Additoinal information can be found about the great work being done in this area by reading the creative industries sector plan. A media brief is also provided.

External Links

Creative Enterprise Gateway

Arts Matrix

South West Screen

Culture South West

Arts Council England, South West