Skip to main content

Creativity

Logo

Creativity

For more information about the GREAT campaign and the information found in these scripts, please contact Annette Craze: annette.craze@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

←
  • From art, literature, music and fashion to museums, theatres, tv and film, the UK has world-renowned cultural assets underpinned by a dynamic and diverse creative industries sector.

  • The UK is ranked as the fourth strongest location in the world for culture (Source: Anholt Ipsos Nation Brand Index, 2021).

  • UK Creative Industries contributed £124.6 billion of Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2022, representing 5.7% of total UK GVA.

  • Key sectors include:

    • Fashion industry: contributes an estimated £28.9 billion to the wider UK economy and provides 800,000 jobs (Source: Oxford Economics – Economic Impact of Fashion, 2021). A global study by the Business of Fashion in 2019 showed that six of the top 37 undergraduate fashion design courses and three of the top 16 graduate fashion design courses, are in the UK.

    • Film and television industry: in 2023, the UK’s film and high-end TV (HETV) production industry generated a total spend of £4.23 billion, highlighting its significant contribution to the economy. International investment and co-productions accounted for £3.31 billion, or 78% of this total, underscoring the UK’s strong global reputation in the sector. Notably, inward investment films alone contributed £1.04 billion from 74 features, representing 77% of the total UK spend. These figures reinforce the UK’s position as a world-leading hub for high-quality film and TV production, attracting substantial international investment and maintaining its status as a premier destination for the global entertainment industry (Official Statistics from the BFI, Official statistics release calendar | BFI, 2024).

    • The UK film and TV industry consistently demonstrates world-class talent, with British productions and professionals winning 599 major awards since 2001, including Oscars, BAFTAs, and five major film festivals (Awards for UK Films and Talent: 2001 – 2023/24, Release, 2024 ). This success extends beyond entertainment, as 66% of tourists report that British locations featured in films or TV shows influenced their decision to visit the UK (Source: BFI, International audience perception | BFI, 2021).

    • Music industry: as the world’s second-largest recorded music market, the UK music industry made a substantial economic impact in 2022, contributing £6.7 billion to the national economy and generating £4 billion in exports. This performance cements the UK’s position as one of only three net exporters of music globally (Source: UK Music, This is Music 2023 Economic Report, 2023). In 2022, UK global recorded music saw a growth of 5.4%, with streaming accounting for 86.1% of recorded music consumption (Source: IFPI, Global Music Report 2023 — State of the Industry, 2022). UK artists maintained their global appeal, ranking as the second most-streamed worldwide after the US, and representing 12% of all audio tracks streamed globally (BPI, 2022).

    • Publishing industry: the UK is the world’s largest exporter of physical books and printed materials. The value of UK publisher sales of books, journals and rights/co-editions rose to £11.6 billion in 2022 with a workforce of over 200,000 jobs (Source: DCMS Economic Estimates, 2023).

    • Video games sector: in 2023, the UK consumer market value was valued at £7.8 billion. We have attracted investment from video games multinationals thanks to our world-class skills base and creativity, with many global players investing directly in UK studios. In 2024, the UK is host to several of the biggest global esports tournaments.

  • The UK’s cultural assets (including museums, theatres and heritage sites) attract international tourists from all over the world who contribute £25 billion each year to the UK economy. On average, 9% of visits to the UK include a trip to the theatre, opera, ballet or a musical, 28% include a trip to a castle or historic house and 29% of trips include a visit to a museum or gallery (Source: VisitBritain, 2020).

    • Museums and galleries contribute £800 million to the UK economy annually (Source: DCMS Economic Estimates, 2021).

    • In 2019, four of the world’s ten most-visited museums were in London (the British Museum, the National Gallery, Tate Modern and the Natural History Museum).

    • London’s world famous West End theatres bring in £5bn each year for London’s economy (Source: Heart of London Business Alliance)

    • The UK has 33 World Heritage Sites spread across the country and in the UK’s Overseas Territories.

GREAT Cultural Tourism

The GREAT international tourism campaign (“Welcome to Another Side of Britain”) extends messages of welcome, highlights unexpected experiences and demonstrates a diverse, dynamic Britain, ready for visitors, showcasing the many cultural assets across the country.

For further information, please see: www.visitbritain.com/gb/

Government Support

The UK government supports UK music SMEs through the International Showcase Fund for first-time exporters, and the Music Export Growth Scheme for artists who want to break into new markets (past grant recipients include BRIT winners such as Dave, Sam Fender and Wolf Alice).