Hundreds of creative businesses and projects across the UK are to receive a share in £60m of government funding to help them grow, naming West Yorkshire as a priority area for investment.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy intends to include investments for start-up video game studios, grassroots music venues and creative businesses to boost British music and film exports, which will facilitate investment and innovation in communities, in turn supporting businesses and employment.
She says the priority regions for Creative Industries are the North East, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, Greater London, West of England, South Wales, Glasgow, Edinburgh-Dundee corridor, and Belfast, and the Government will provide additional funding, to be agreed as part of the Spending Review, to the Mayoral Combined Authorities covering those areas.
She said: “From film and fashion to music and advertising, our creative industries are truly world-class and play a critical role in helping us deliver on this Government’s mission to drive economic growth in all parts of the UK.
“Our £60 million funding boost will support creative and cultural organisations across the UK to turbocharge growth by transforming local venues, creating jobs, supporting businesses and spreading opportunity across the country.
“But this is by no means the limit of our ambitions, which is why the creative industries are at the heart of the forthcoming Industrial Strategy and will continue to play a key part in this Government’s Plan for Change.”
