Greater Brighton and neighbouring coastal West Sussex are well known as places where creative industries thrive, with thousands of residents employed in this innovative and growing sector.
From the music industry and performing arts to publishing, architecture, design, fashion and textiles, the region offers a wide range of skills and talent and has huge potential for growth.
To help maximise this potential, a new regional vision has been published, to support and grow the Creative Industries in the Greater Brighton and Coastal West Sussex region and create a world-class Creative Industries sector.
‘Unleashing potential: a creative industries vision for Greater Brighton and coastal West Sussex’, is based on research commissioned by the Greater Brighton Economic Board (GBEB) and the Coastal West Sussex partnership from the Fifth Sector consultancy.
Greater Brighton and Coastal West Sussex’s creative industries comprise 10,225 companies and a workforce of 54,428 people. In addition, more than 21,000 creative freelancers live and work in our region.
The vision document aims to support creative industries, strengthen routes into the sector and develop a successful and inclusive economy in the region.
It highlights the sector’s strengths and suggests ways to retain talent, attract creative entrepreneurs and innovators, provide residents with skills and opportunities for meaningful careers and ensure everyone benefits from the sector's economic, social and cultural impact.
It also recognises the challenges and opportunities faced by the region and sets out a vision for the region to be recognised as the best place in the UK for creative talent to succeed.
Councillor Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council and Chair of the Greater Brighton Economic Board, said: “We are extremely proud that through a collaboration between local authorities, academia and sector representation, we have developed this innovative vision for the region – the first of its kind.
“We want to ensure that people from every community have the opportunity to develop their capabilities to the full – from access to training and skills to support in starting and growing their own creative businesses.
“In short, we are aiming to become the best place in the UK at nurturing creative industry talent.
“Our vision is relevant, ambitious and achievable. It has the potential to secure local and national buy-in from both industry and government; the Modern Industrial Strategy highlights the UK’s creative industries as one of 8 growth-driving sectors and acknowledges the need to drive growth in the sector.
“Devolution in Sussex provides our region with an enhanced opportunity to re-energise our creative industries, release potential and make our towns and cities better places in which to live, visit, work and study.”
West Sussex County Council, in partnership with Brighton & Hove City Council, has been awarded £15.6 million by the Department for Work and Pensions to deliver personalised employment support.
East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) has announced the appointment of an Advisory Board to Support Growth of Sussex’s Visitor Economy.
East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex has received VisitEngland status as a Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP).