Creative Industries Federation and Creative England to join forces

The creative industries is the UK’s fastest-growing sector, employing more than 2 million people, worth £101.5 billion to the economy, and presenting incomparable opportunities to drive inclusive growth right across the UK.

However, while talent and creativity can be found everywhere, access to the money, markets and networks needed for success is not. We need to work together more closely in order to create the right environment to ensure that talented creative enterprises, cultural organisations, individuals and creators from all backgrounds and right across the UK have access to the support they need to thrive.

To this end, we are delighted to share that Creative England and the Creative Industries Federation are joining forces. We will be launching the united organisation, which will have a UK-wide reach, in Spring 2020. In December, Caroline Norbury (Founder and Chief Executive, Creative England) will become Chief Executive, Rick Haythornthwaite (Chairman, Creative Industries Federation) will become its Chair, and Alan Bishop will commit to a new non-executive role.

Over time, it has become increasingly clear that our organisations have a shared mission — to drive the creative power of the UK, to open up opportunities throughout the sector, and to strengthen the economy.

By combining the Creative Industries Federation’s history bringing together UK-wide networks and as an advocate and champion for the sector with Creative England’s significant experience uncovering, investing in and growing creative businesses beyond London, we believe that we will be able to make a greater difference than would be possible alone.

At a very broad level, our objectives are clear. Through this united organisation, Creative England and the Creative Industries Federation will be better placed to bring together SMEs, creators, freelancers and start-ups with big brands; to represent and champion the interdependent commercial and subsidised elements of the creative industries; to support creative businesses at grassroots level; and to work with partners to secure the success of the creative economy in every region of the UK and across the devolved nations.

The work of both the Creative Industries Federation and Creative England will continue and develop through the united, UK-wide body. Joining forces will enable improved access to insights and the ability to harness a network that is larger and more representative of the UK’s creative industries, both of which will increase the power and impact of the Federation’s existing advocacy work. We are confident that by joining forces we will ultimately be able to provide more significant benefit to our members, collaborators and the sector at large.

As we build this new organisation, we will be listening to the sector and working with the many fantastic enterprises already doing brilliant work to ensure that we can work together to serve the whole of the creative industries as impactfully as possible.

We want to hear from you, so if you would like to help shape this organisation as it develops, please share your views here.

Alan Bishop (Chief Executive, Creative Industries Federation) and Caroline Norbury (Founder and Chief Executive, Creative England)