@creativepec.bsky.social
Independent research & policy recommendations for the UK's creative industries. Led by Newcastle University Business School with the RSA and funded by AHRC. https://pec.ac.uk/
One year on from the publication of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, this week’s Political Monitor looks at the latest developments in UK AI policy – the launch of the AI Skills Hub, a new AI Growth Zone, and more.
👉 Read more: open.substack.com/pub/creative...
The deadline to submit papers for the Creative PEC Research Symposium 2026 is fast approaching.
Send your extended abstract of ~500 words to research@pec.ac.uk by Monday 2nd February.
For more information and to register for the Symposium, email research@pec.ac.uk.
As part of the independent review of ACE, Creative PEC developed a submission outlining how it should continue to be supported as a vital force for supporting arts, culture and creativity across the country.
We've now released the submission so you can take a look: pec.ac.uk/government_s...
work with me and @drdaveobrien.bsky.social as part of @creativepec.bsky.social! we're recruiting a postdoc to work on the arts, culture and heritage sectors using quantitative methods. please share, please feel free to email me directly with any Qs! jobsite.sheffield.ac.uk/job/Sheffiel...
23.01.2026 10:25 — 👍 9 🔁 24 💬 0 📌 4
What's ahead for the UK's creative industries in 2026? This week’s Political Monitor offers a round-up of key policy updates to watch in the coming months.
📬 Subscribe to receive a weekly overview of the latest policy developments straight to your inbox: creativepec.substack.com/p/political-...
📢 Call for submissions:
The Creative PEC Research Symposium 2026 will take place on 28–29 April at Newcastle University Business School and will provide a forum for researchers to present their latest work on the economics of the cultural and creative industries.
Find out more: shorturl.at/9xuYX
The report suggests creative industries micro firms have a vital role to play in driving innovation, which is key for helping the government achieve its productivity and growth ambitions.
👉 Download the full report: pec.ac.uk/state_of_the...
ℹ️ There are clear gaps in information: half of R&D-active creative micro firms do not access guidance or advice about R&D and innovation, significantly more than micro firms in other Industrial Strategy priority sectors.
17.12.2025 16:28 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0📅 44% of creative industries micro firms plan to engage in R&D over the next three years, compared with just 24% of micro firms more generally.
17.12.2025 16:28 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0💻 Creative industries micro firms are significantly more likely than the wider population of micro firms – and firms in other Industrial Strategy priority sectors – to consider the integration of new technology into their products and services as vital.
17.12.2025 16:28 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0🔍 64% of the creative industries micro firms surveyed have participated in some form of R&D in the past three years, compared with 46% of all micro firms across the economy.
17.12.2025 16:28 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0💡 Creative industries micro firms are almost 20% more likely to engage in R&D than firms in other sectors, according to the latest State of the Nations report launched today, ‘Support for R&D and innovation in creative industries micro firms’ by @joshsiepel.bsky.social
Key findings below 👇
Remodelled Creative Industries Council to play ‘crucial role’ in government’s sector plan www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/fac... #ChangingFaces
17.12.2025 11:02 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
If you missed last week’s event in our Seminar Series, the recording is now available online.
Camille Pedersen (Aarhus University) presents new research examining how formal evaluation criteria shape decision-making in public arts funding.
▶️ Watch the full seminar on YouTube:
🎨 Youth, culture and creativity in the spotlight. The latest edition of the Creative PEC Political Monitor explores the UK Government’s new National Youth Strategy for England, as well as key dates before Parliament rises for winter recess.
Read the full newsletter and subscribe. 👇
Watch the replay of Wednesday's State of the Nations launch event. 👇
Daniel Simandjuntak and Giorgio Fazio present the findings of the new report, and our expert panel discuss the policy implications – including IP regulation, international trade agreements and tailored mentorship programmes.
Creative industry businesses are more likely to be exporters than those across the wider economy, and the gap is growing, according to a report from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC).
10.12.2025 11:02 — 👍 3 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
The number of small creative businesses taking work to international markets is climbing and outstripping the rest of the economy, a new report claims.
Read more 👉 www.thestage.co.uk/news/cre...
To find out more:
👉 Download the report: pec.ac.uk/state_of_the...
👉 Join the online launch event today at 12:00PM GMT: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/db8bb0...
The report makes a series of recommendations, including:
✅ Boost mentorship programmes that build management capacity and exporting knowledge among creative MSMEs
✅ Raise awareness of key export support programmes
✅ Improve the evidence base to understand barriers to finance
The report finds that across all regions and nations of the UK, creative industries firms are more likely to be exporters compared to those across the wider economy, and that this gap is widening, suggesting prioritising the creative industries also supports regional and national growth ambitions.
10.12.2025 10:09 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
📈 New Creative PEC research shows creative firms are more likely to be innovators and exporters.
Our latest State of the Nations report launches today, ‘Will the creative exporters please stand up? Recent export trends and features of exporting creative micro, small and medium-sized enterprises’. 👇
From the UK Skills Explorer to Creative SME Exporters ➡️
Our latest Political Monitor is now live, featuring a round-up of this week's key policy updates in the creative industries and key dates to watch out for.
📧 Read more and subscribe to receive next week's edition:
Read the full report: pec.ac.uk/discussion_p...
💬 We’d love to hear your thoughts! Get in touch or let us know in the comments 👇
💡 Aligning skills provision and education with labour market demands is essential to avoid skill mismatches and support place-based strategies for inclusive growth.
05.12.2025 14:48 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0📍 The link between creativity and AI skills is significantly more pronounced in DCMS creative clusters than in other places, suggesting that existing geographical inequalities may be exacerbated by the emergence of new AI technologies.
05.12.2025 14:48 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0The report by Zihan Wang, Aniket Baksy, Hasan Bakhshi and Josh Siepel finds:
📈 There is a strong positive association between employer demand for AI skills and creativity across UK labour markets post-ChatGPT.
💻💼 Our latest Discussion Paper drawing on analysis of over 168 million job postings reveals that demand for creativity in the workforce has increased, not decreased, since the release of ChatGPT.
pec.ac.uk/discussion_p...
The Government’s 2025 Budget contains a number of interventions that will have an impact on the UK’s creative industries, spanning R&D, skills and business rates.
In this week’s Political Monitor, the Creative PEC Policy Unit digests some of the key findings.
shorturl.at/U5hVX
🆙 Will the creative exporters please stand up?
Join us at 12 noon GMT on 10 December for the online launch of the latest report in our State of the Nations series, which will explore recent export trends and features of Creative SME Exporters.
Register now: pec.ac.uk/event_entrie...
