Any artistically inclined person, who has ever heard their parents or relatives, say: "Do what you like, as long as it pays" might rejoice at the recent UK Government statistics. The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) found that creative industry is contributing £8.8 million to the UK economy every single hour or just under £150,000 every minute.
The creative industry, which encompasses film, performing arts, music, publishing, IT, advertisement and crafts among others, is growing at the three times rate of the UK economy as a whole.
In the report issued by the government on the 13th January, it seems that the creative industry is currently pushing out £76.9 billion per year in contribution to the UK economy. Currently, the creative industries provide 2.6 million jobs across the country – an increase of 8.5% since 2011.
The contribution to the creative economy spiked with the rise of the internet and multimedia communication, but this is not to say that the traditional channels have been forgotten. On the contrary - British writers have seen the success of their books reach well beyond Europe, and Harry Potter and Philosopher’s Stone will be seeing its first illustrated edition being published in 2015.
The expected highlights in Britain for 2015 promise to be great, with the world is eagerly anticipating Avengers: The Age of Ultron, Pan, Spectre, Mission Impossible 5 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In the world of IT and software, the awaited video games, including Batman Arkham Knight, Fable Legends and many others, will be released in 2015, hinting at another very successful year for the creative industry output in the UK.
British filmmakers, writers, authors and artists are world renown and this report only serves to reiterate the importance of British creative industry and its continued nurturing.
Apart from entertainment, the creative industry is a key component in the Government’s long-term economic plan, DCMS noted, which is likely to stimulate tourism as well.
For those who are looking to get into the creative industry, there are even more good news: The industry is set continue its upward trend, opening up even more jobs in the sector, from film and TV, to IT and software, through to writing and publishing, as well as art and music.
