Creative Industries Federation launches to speak up for a thriving sector 3 Dec 2014

A new body, the Creative Industries Federation, has just launched.  Writing in the Guardian, its director John Kampfner highlighted the strength of the sector, which grew 10% in 2012, outperforming other UK industries.  He also spoke about UK creativity’s global reach (with Chinese audiences begging the Prime Minister for more Sherlock during a recent visit) but warned that cuts and underinvestment could undermine this advantage:

“The financial, curatorial and jobs benefits of links such as these are potentially enormous.  For this to happen, the private sector must look beyond its bottom line and assume its role in developing talent; the public sector must rid itself of any vestiges of 1980s-style entitlement thinking and embrace a more entrepreneurial spirit… We will challenge both ourselves and politicians.  If we continue to under-invest in our culture at its grassroots we will choke off the source of our creative industries.  If politicians continue to denigrate cultural education, as education secretary, Nicky Morgan, did when she crassly said an arts degree would harm young people’s job prospects, we will destroy the talent pool.  As we disinvest, others, such as the Chinese, are pouring resources into the next generation of creatives.”