Minister Ian Murray's speech at the British Screen Forum conference
Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray addressed the British Screen Forum event, speaking about "Standing Out in an Age of Abundance"
Good morning, everyone.
Susanna, thank you for that warm introduction, and my thanks to Pete Johnson and the entire British Screen Forum team for inviting me to deliver this policy keynote.
I’m conscious that I am speaking to you all today at a challenging time for the screen sector.
Today’s conference theme is “Standing Out in an Age of Abundance.”
It will be evident to everyone here: the challenge isn’t whether British content can compete - you’ve already proven it can.
From The Traitors castle in the Highlands where iconic TV moments are made, to the producers behind global phenomena like Peaky Blinders, House of Guinness and Adolescence. From beloved franchises - Paddington, Harry Potter, Bridget Jones, James Bond - that define British storytelling worldwide, to games developers creating Forza Horizon in Leamington Spa. The proof is everywhere.
The challenge is whether we can do more than compete, and ensure we truly thrive in this new era.
It is about looking back in a decade’s time and saying we forged a brilliant, vibrant, independent ecosystem for content, creativity and storytelling to flourish.
And it would feel wrong today to not acknowledge how uncertain the next chapter feels.
Whilst the government cannot solve all challenges, what we can do, and what we have started to do, is create the conditions where our creative industries have the stability, the resources and the recognition to stay at the forefront and be ambitious.
We are doing all this through our Industrial Strategy, and our Creative Industries Sector Plan, which we published in June.
Our sector plan recognises that at the heart of our creative industries sits our screen sector. And that the dynamic mixed ecology of our commercial broadcasters, streamers, studios and producers, together with our public service media system, make the UK screen sector world-leading.
For decades, the BBC, ITV, STV, Channel 4, S4C and Channel 5 have been more than broadcasters. They have been the fabric of our national voice. Talent incubators. Risk-takers. The trailblazers setting the gold standard for world-class content.
They remain essential to the creative industries. And more than ever, they face the challenges of a world they’ve helped build changing around them.
That is why, when we conduct the BBC Charter Review, we will do so with the seriousness, care and diligence it demands - working in partnership to maintain the quality, trust and creativity it is renowned for. Yes, the BBC is facing challenges - events over the last week have reminded us about the responsibility that the BBC has to uphold the highest editorial standards. But the public and parliamentarians have also shown their support for a fiercely independent BBC that continues to provide trusted and truthful news. This Government, through Charter Review, will ensure that the BBC can remain independent and accountable to the public it services while also continuing to drive growth, good jobs, skills and creativity across the UK. What would our life be like without the BBC.
That is why we will continue to implement the Media Act with clear focus: ensuring these institutions can evolve and survive.
So across our screen sector, the UK has the talent to compete and create content for this age of abundance. And choice benefits audiences and brings innovation.
However, there is a risk that in a sea of seemingly infinite content, we are at risk of losing the shared national moments and cultural experiences that bring us together.
What we choose to make prominent is more important than ever in an attention economy. And that is a responsibility all of us have.
That is why we have committed to act on the recommendations in Ofcom’s Transmission Critical report - ensuring broadcasting regulation can keep pace with a world where the very definition of “television” is changing before our eyes.
We will ensure that high quality public service content is easily discoverable, and we agree with Ofcom: it should be prominent on major video sharing platforms, on fair commercial terms for everyone. The standards we expect from our public service media need to be reflected across the whole of broadcast media so that the highest standards are upheld, and people can trust what they see.
And as this ecosystem evolves and new horizons open, new challenges emerge.
Global competition is intensifying and we have new competitors. Technology transforms not gradually but overnight. What worked today, might not work tomorrow.
The economic pressures are real. Energy costs. Volatility in demand. Limited financing opportunities. These are challenges that land on balance sheets and stifle momentum and stile innovation.
These concerns are genuine. We recognise them. We acknowledge them and we want to help.
But they are precisely why we have developed the most comprehensive plan ever dedicated to this sector - part of a modern Industrial Strategy that recognises continuing to shine on a world stage needs blockbuster support.
Our ambition is clear: by 2035, in a decade’s time, the UK will be recognised as the best place in the world to create, invest in, and grow creative businesses.
It is why we’re investing £75 million through our Screen Growth Package and £30 million through our Games Growth Package - bolstering independent UK content, attracting international investment and showcasing British content globally.
We’re building on our reputation for expertise and innovation, helping creators navigate content creation and production for the future by supporting UKRI’s creative R&D clusters and funding CoSTAR’s National R&D Lab. I want to make Crea-tech as important as FinTech.
We understand that supporting the sector’s long term growth means rapidly improving access to finance for creative businesses and IP owners. This is why we are increasing support for the British Business Bank, establishing a working group to support IP-backed lending, and working with industry to create a ‘single front door’ for investment guidance. A number of producers have spoken to me in recent days to say that they have only been able to front capital through having homes to put up as collateral.
Standing out means championing diversity of voice. We are resolute in our mission to ensure the opportunities and benefits of the screen sector are felt nationwide. Our £150 million Creative Places Growth Fund, and a further £100 million investment in Creative Industries Clusters, are empowering local leaders to invest in their regions’ creative strengths.
We know that talent exists everywhere, but opportunity often doesn’t. These barriers to entry aren’t just persisting, they’re evolving. It’s a great passion of the SOS and I to try and solve some of these issues. That’s why we’re focused on building a resilient workforce equipped not just for today’s challenges, but tomorrow’s opportunities through targeted investment in the National Film and Television School, BFI Academy, and our creative careers service.
We want those joining the sector to have careers that are sustainable and well funded. It has never been more important to give that workforce a voice. That is why we are appointing a Creative Freelance Champion - an advocate across Government and part of the Creative Industries Council. We hope to make an announcement on that soon.
But better experiences of work are not something the government can achieve alone. Our partnership with industry to deliver the Good Work Review action plan is key to strengthening job quality across the sector, as is supporting industry’s development of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority.
So as I draw to a close;
I am not the first - nor will I be the last today - to note this conference takes place against a challenging global backdrop for the screen industries.
But what I see in this room is collective determination - not just to survive, but to thrive. Whilst there are always challenges, we are at a crossroads of opportunity we are well equipped to grasp.
By placing Creative Industries at the heart of our Industrial Strategy, we are making clear: the UK screen sector already stands out as exceptional.
Our commitment is to ensure it continues to do so - not through force of will alone, but through partnership, through investment, through shared determination to protect what is excellent and build what is next. To make sure that this jewel in the national crown is there for decades to come.