Wed 17th Jun 2020
by Creative Quarter
A report by the CIF highlights the urgent need for a Cultural Renewal Fund, by outlining the job losses and impact on turnover caused by the ongoing lockdown.
Work NewsA report by the Creative Industries Federation (CIF) published today highlights the impact of Covid-19 on the creative industries, calling it a potential “cultural catastrophe”, with wide-ranging implications for the Midlands in particular.
The UK’s creative sector was previously growing at five times the rate of the wider economy, employing over 2 million people and contributing £111.7 billion to the economy - more than the automotive, aerospace, life sciences and oil and gas industries combined. Despite the Job Retention Scheme, the report projects that 119,000 permanent creative workers will be made redundant by the end of the year. The impact on employment is set to be felt twice as hard by creative freelancers with 287,000 freelance roles expected to be terminated by the end of 2020.
In the Midlands alone, it is projected that 52,000 creative jobs will be lost, with 50,600 at risk in the West Midlands, and 1,300 in the East Midlands area. The East Midlands is projected to see a 31% drop in GVA, and currently only remains stable due to the relatively high uptake of the Job Retention Scheme in the area.
The Creative Quarter supports the CIF’s call for the government to protect the industry by setting up a Cultural Renewal Fund. The government appointed a Cultural Renewal Taskforce at the end of May to look at the issues facing the sector, but with no update as yet on the recommendations of this working group, the situation remains precarious for cultural organisations and creative businesses in the area.
Susan Hallam, Chair of the Creative Quarter Board, said
“The East Midlands’ creative industries have been growing much faster than the wider economy, but some parts of the sector face huge challenges right now. A Cultural Renewal Fund could be key to helping local cultural organisations in particular to keep on entertaining us as they do so fantastically in Nottingham, and to keep on contributing to the local economy by providing so many important jobs.”
Stephen Barker, CEO of the Creative Quarter Company said
“The Creative Quarter in the heart of Nottingham city centre has thrived in recent times, in large part thanks creative and cultural businesses based in the city. They have helped to make Hockley, the Lace Market and Sneinton Market great places to live, to work and to have fun. The arts and culture are also vital to the sense of community here and as we emerge from lockdown we need everyone, especially government, to be doing all we can to help them get going again as quickly as possible.”
Support the call for a Cultural Renewal Fund by sharing your opinion on the potential damage to the creative industries on social media, using the hashtag #OurWorldWithout. If you would like further practical advice on how to support creative industries at this time, you can find information on writing to your MP and how to set-up and support crowdfunding for creative individuals and organisations via the CIF website here.
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