Publications and Research

The economic importance of the creative industries 

What does the term 'creative industries' mean? How significant is the creative sector? What opportunities does the sector present?

In the past, consensus on defintions has not been easy to achieve. As a result the estimates of the size of the creative sector vary.

This is straight from NESTA's website. Your views on the NESTA studies are welcome.

Commercialisation of ideas

Creating growth: How the UK can develop world-class creative businesses
This research is a commercial analysis of the UK's creative industries and considers how well placed these industries are to seize on the opportunities of a growing global market. (April 2006)

View the Creative Industries report (PDF format, 453 kb)
View the Creative Industries report summary (PDF format, 76 kb)

Survey of Creative Businesses
This survey comprised interviews with chief executive officers in small and medium sized creative enterprises. Interviews were distributed across six business sectors, including advertising, design, film and video, interactive software, music, TV and radio, and high tech, where a creative product or service was a necessary component of the business.

The survey found that commercial conditions over the last five years have not affected creative businesses greatly in either a positive or negative way, but one in three businesses think they might be a problem at the current time. (March 2006)

View the Creative Businesses Research Report (PDF format, 1.50 mb)
View the Creative Businesses tables (PDF format, 435 kb)

Creating value: How the UK can invest in new creative businesses
This research investigates the state of investment in new creative businesses. It reveals the lack of private investment in the sector, and the 'patchwork' nature of business support and development services. (April 2005)

View the investing in creative businesses report (PDF format, 557 kb)
View the investing in creative businesses executive summary (PDF format, 107 kb)