All around the world, the creative economy has become an important and growing part of the global economy. Governments and creative sectors across the world are increasingly recognising its importance as a generator of jobs, wealth and international trade. The UK has been a leader in the development of this agenda, not just as a driver of the economy but also promoting social inclusion, diversity and future prosperity. A broad range of local agencies have delved into the workings of the cultural sector over the last decade in order to try to understand it in a more comprehensive way: its overall economic size, its specific economic characteristics, its resilience to recession and capacity to generate new jobs, its new skills’ needs, its relationship with technological innovation (and indeed business innovation and competitiveness as a whole), its export-friendliness and potential on an international trade scenario.
In recent years, and largely due to the impact of the global economic recession, public policy debate and support for the creative economy and the cultural sector has changed. Through our Policy Investigations' events and publications we seek to re-engage cultural players and institutions in the UK and around the world in multi-lateral discussions around what we believe to be a fundamental economic agenda for countries’ future prosperity. Through these dialogues, we aim to tell the story of the economic value of culture to organisations, policy-makers and investors so that they can better understand their value and how to work with the sector.