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Creative Industries Council meets for first time

The newly-formed Creative Industries Council will meet for the first time today.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The Council has been created to provide the creative industries with a real voice and to support the Government in identifying ways to help the sector grow.

Business Secretary Vince Cable will chair today’s meeting of the Council, which consists of leading figures from across the creative industries including TV, computer games, fashion, music, arts, publishing and film.  Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey will also attend.

Mr Cable said: “The UK leads the world in creative talent, representing over five per cent of our economy and a large and rapidly growing share of our exports, we have the largest creative sector in Europe.

“But we can’t take that for granted. The Creative Industries Council will provide a forum for action by the industry and will ensure that it has a strong voice in developing a partnership with the Government.”

Mr Vaizey said: “The UK is rightly proud of its creative industries.  Across the world people listen to our music, play our video games and watch our films.

“The creative industries are a key part of our economy and we must ensure the Government helps this sector grow.

“I look forward to working closely with the Council to ensure the UK’s creative industries can continue to thrive and grow.”

The Council will focus on a limited number of key issues to ensure they are considered in real detail.  Each area will be examined by a working group made up of Council members with the greatest expertise in the subject.

The groups will look at skills and training in the creative industries, access to finance and ‘routes to scale’, which covers intellectual property, innovation and exports.

They are expected to present their findings and recommendations when the Council meets again in January next year.

Today’s meeting will discuss the working groups and what they should consider in greater detail.

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Notes to Editors

  • The formation of the Creative Industries Council was announced in the Government’s the Plan for Growth, which was published alongside the Budget in March.

  • The Council membership consists of representatives from ITV, UK Music, BPI, CBI, British Fashion Council, Karmarama, TIGA, UKIE, NESTA, Warner Brothers, Creative England, PACT, ACE, Square Enix, Microsoft UK, Sorrell Foundation, Ingenious, Aardman, RIBA, Amazon UK, BSkyB, BBC, Google, Telegraph Media Group, Design Council, Harper Collins, Double Negative, The Advertising Association, Icon UK and Skillset.

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Published 13 July 2011