š” Creative Briefing #81
News, research, case studies & opportunities for the UK creative sector
Hello,
Plans to make the UK the best place to run and grow a createch business took another step forward this month, with the announcement of an unprecedented Ā£500 million of government investment in creative industries innovation and R&D.
The funding includes Ā£369 million of investment in programmes overseen by UK Research and Innovation, including AHRCās Creative Industries Clusters programme, which has just reopened for applications - see our opportunities section below for details.
Over the past few months, UKRI has been working with AHRC, Creative PEC and the CoSTAR Foresight Lab to collate existing research on UK createch and gather insight from industry and academic experts.
Creative PEC has published an insights paper summarising the evidence, the implications for policy, and priorities for further research.
UKRI has published a policy recommendations report, āFuture Avenues for Createchā, alongside their high-level R&D strategy for the creative economy. A more detailed delivery plan will be released later this year.
The government are investing Ā£25 million in the DCMS Createch Futures programme and will also fund development of the Creative Content Exchange (CCE), a future trusted digital marketplace for digitised cultural and creative assets, through the R&D Missions Accelerator Programme.
IP expert Cerys Win-Davies of law firm Pinsent Masons has written an analysis of the CCEās potential to help AI developers access the data needed to train their models, while ensuring content creators are fairly remunerated.
Creative industries news
DCMS will invest Ā£1.5 billion over the course of this parliament to save more than 1,000 arts venues, museums, libraries, and heritage buildings across England from closure.
Londonās Creative Enterprise Zones (CEZ), launched by the Mayor of London in 2018, are set to receive an additional Ā£2.2 million to expand and protect creative studio spaces in the capital.
A new national action plan unveiled by the Scottish Games Network aims to make Scotland the home of a āgames superclusterā.
All hail the tassel queen of Bethnal Green
Jessica Light, the last working passementerie (elaborate trimmings) weaver left in East London, is featured on the DCMS Instagram as part of publicity for the UKās new Inventories of Living Heritage. Members of the public are invited to submit traditional crafts, customs and celebrations to the new register.
Jessicaās work has adorned the Buckingham Palace balcony drape, the Aldwych Theatre stage curtain and tablecloths for the film 'Death On The Nile'.
She recently received funding from the Heritage Crafts Endangered Crafts Fund (currently open for applications) toĀ train artist Anna Ray as an apprenticeĀ and preserve her knowledge for the next generation.
š Creative Growth
š² UK toy sales returned to growth in 2025, rising 6% to Ā£3.9 billion - the first increase since the pandemic. It was helped by a surge in toys tied to licensed entertainment IP from the film, TV, games and publishing industries, illustrating the interwoven nature of the creative sector and its spillover effects for the rest of the economy.
Examples include the Taskmaster board game made by Cheltenham-based Ginger Fox Games and inspired by the Channel 4 tv series, which was first devised by comedian Alex Horne for the Edinburgh Fringe.
Last yearās live-action reboot of āHow to Train Your Dragonā - filmed in Northern Ireland and based on the novels by British author Cressida Cowell - also drove demand for figurines, plush toys and puzzle tie-ins.
š® 30 UK games studios will be supported to expand their businesses after being selected for the second year of UKIEās Video Games Growth Programme.
šļø The Architectsā Journal explores how plans for 100 new data centres across the UK over the next five years provide architects with an opportunity and an interesting design challenge, as more centres are constructed near urban centres.
š±ļø Lincoln-based design and development agency Jolly Good Web has been awarded funding from Innovate UK to develop Luminary, a new digital learning platform designed to help the UKās creative sector learn, grow and connect.
Opportunities
Amplify: XR Labs. Funding for new and emerging producers from film, television, games and other adjacent screen industries to explore the narrative potential of creative technology and immersive formats. Apply by 6 February.
UK City of Culture 2029. Regions, groups of places, cities and very large towns can all apply for the 2029 title and receive funding for a year-long programme of cultural activity and transformation. Apply by 8 February.
Creative Industries Clusters programme. Applications are open for the latest cohort, with AHRC investing Ā£27 million in the development of four creative clusters across the UK, bringing together universities, businesses, local and regional policymakers, and private funders to drive research, innovation, collaboration, and growth. Apply by 3 March.
UK Town of Culture 2028. The first-ever UK Town of Culture competition is open to small, medium and large towns, with the winner receiving a Ā£3 million prize to deliver a full cultural programme and two runners-up receiving Ā£250,000 to deliver elements of their bid. Apply by 31 March.
For a full list of funding and development opportunities, visit our opportunities page.
Events
5 March 2026 - UKIE Conference (London): gathering for leaders from across the UKās games and interactive entertainment ecosystem.
From 5 March - Immersed Festival (Cardiff): festival of creativity and imagination curated by students from the University of South Wales, with workshops, gigs, art installations and a careers fair.
20-24 April - London Experience Week: creators, leaders and entrepreneurs gather to share, learn, and build the future of experiences ā from immersive, location-based experiences to live events and experiential marketing.
Until next time,Ā
Rachel Wareing (Newsletter Editor) &
Carlos Grande (Editor,Ā thecreativeindustries.co.uk)