Making sure creative industries can thrive
I’ve just returned from the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, where I took part in a range of discussions and events with key figures in the creative industries – from music to fashion to theatre - to talk about the future of the cultural sector.
In Edinburgh, we know a thing or two about the importance of culture and the creative industries. The UK creative industries are the envy of the world. They make an enormous economic contribution, adding £125 billion to the economy last year. What’s more, they’re a net exporter and an engine of growth: from June 2024 to June 2025, the sector grew by double the rate of the wider economy. It is a sector that every other country in the world would give their right arm for.
They’re also a key source of the UK’s soft power abroad. British music, video games and films, and British cultural institutions like the BBC, are loved and admired the world over. And Edinburgh's role in that is absolutely central, with the festivals, Rockstar North and, let's not forget, a whole host of grassroots initiatives throughout our communities. They’re a truly precious commodity, hard won and easily lost – we shouldn’t take them for granted.
Most important, of course, is the contribution they make to the cultural life of the country. The unifying power of the arts and their capacity to bring people of disparate classes, ages, geographies and backgrounds together should not be underestimated, especially in these divided times.
In Liverpool, one of the main themes of our discussions was widening access to the sector. Many working-class young people have the talent but not the resources or the contacts to get their foot in the door, and often may not think a career in the cultural sector is possible. Growing up on a council estate in Wester Hailes, a creative career just didn’t register as an option for me and many kids like me. When I look at my own daughters, I want no door to be closed and no opportunities off the table, especially if they have the creative talent.
The Labour Government is taking action, with the Curriculum Review and action on careers advice in schools underway in England (education is devolved). But the industries themselves also need to do more, both for those from working-class backgrounds and also, in more traditionally male-dominated areas like video games, for women. My two new bosses – the Secretaries of State for the department for Science, Innovation and Technology department for Culture, Media and Sport – both talked about widening access for all, but especially women and girls in their conference speeches.
The rise of new technology, particularly artificial intelligence, does pose some challenges to the arts, and in Liverpool I heard concerns about the detrimental impact its application could have on artists and creators. But I was also struck by the sense of optimism among those I spoke with, and their conviction that, from music to art to video games, AI offers huge opportunities that many within the industry want to embrace. The key will be ensuring that these new technologies serve us, and not the other way around.
The Labour Government has made the creative industries one of the eight high-growth sectors which are the focus of the new Industrial Strategy. The Creative Industries Sector Plan will drive innovation, support a skilled workforce and make the UK the number one destination for investment in creativity and createch. The plan has the support of the sector; now we need to deliver on its promises and make sure that the creative industries can thrive for years to come.
Ian Murray is Labour MP for Edinburgh South