Investigating and analyzing the factors shaping the specific artistic hubs in England's countryside
The University of Sussex, in collaboration with the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE), has led a new research initiative titled "Mapping and examining the determinants of England's rural creative microclusters." This study sheds light on the potential for growth and development in rural creative sectors across England.
One key finding of the research is the presence of 'anchor institutions' such as museums or galleries, which can support rural clustering and should be considered in relation to levelling-up policies. Rural creative firms in England are found to cluster, suggesting a potential for external economies of scale. Around a third of all rural creative firms in England operate within a cluster, with Felton Gallery 45 in Northumberland serving as an example of creative businesses clustering together, providing mutual benefits and attracting customers.
The policy implications for supporting rural creative microclusters involve targeted financial support, infrastructure development, and fostering networks to unlock their growth potential and address regional inequalities. Policy interventions can encourage the formation of informal networks by facilitating interaction opportunities, providing mentoring and funding assistance, and recognizing the unique spatial and organizational dynamics of rural clusters.
Financial Support and Grants: Programs such as the DCMS Create Growth Programme and local grant schemes, like the Norfolk & Suffolk Innovation Grant Mentoring Project and the Suffolk UK Shared Prosperity Fund, offer funding to support innovation, business growth, and creative activities. This financial aid helps micro and small creative businesses overcome resource constraints typical in rural areas.
Mentoring and Bid-writing Support: Providing business owners and sole traders with mentoring, coaching, and assistance in securing funding enhances their ability to innovate and expand. This tailored support is critical in rural areas where access to business development resources may be limited.
Recognizing Geographic Propinquity and Organizational Forms: Research shows that geographic closeness and organizational structures influence knowledge flows and spillovers in innovation networks. Policies should encourage formal and informal networks by promoting proximate interactions, shared spaces, and alliances that facilitate open information exchange.
Creating Platforms for Informal Networks: Policymakers can support community events, workshops, and local creative gatherings that foster informal networking, which is particularly valuable in rural settings where formal clusters may be sparse. Encouraging collaboration and trust-building is essential for knowledge spillovers and innovation diffusion.
Addressing Regional Inequality: By focusing on rural microclusters, policy can help reduce persistent disparities between urban and rural creative sectors, unleashing economic growth and social vitality in underserved areas.
Leveraging Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs): Collaborations between councils, LEPs, and creative hubs enhance regional coordination, enabling better targeting of resources and connecting microclusters with broader economic strategies.
The report "The migrant and skills needs of creative businesses in the UK," commissioned by the Creative Industries Council, provides insights into the migrant and skills needs of creative businesses in the UK. The concept of 'Left Behind Britain' indicates the existence of pockets of rural life insufficiently served with transport, economic and social infrastructure, education, personal mobility, and health.
The UK's departure from the EU has affected the way British firms trade and work with European counterparts in the Creative Industries. Rural communities in England contribute around 16% GVA, equivalent to around £261 billion. In 2015, worldwide exports of creative goods exceeded 500 billion USD, showing a 150% increase since 2000.
The drivers of rural creative clusters are found to be the same as those in urban areas, except for the presence of informal networks, where the data wasn't strong enough to be a determining factor in rural microclustering. The report does not specify the exact year it was published. The survey of employers mentioned in the report was conducted by the Creative Industries Council.
Dr Inge Hill, a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at The Open University Business School, is one of the authors of the report, along with Dr Jorge Velez Ospina, Dr Josh Siepel. Dr Inge Hill's research focuses on entrepreneurship, innovation, and small business management, while Dr Velez Ospina is a Research Fellow in Innovation and Creative Industries, and Dr Siepel is an Associate Professor in the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex Business School.
In summary, supporting rural creative microclusters in England requires a combination of financial resources, mentoring, network facilitation, and spatially aware interventions tailored to local contexts. Encouraging informal networks can be achieved by creating environments that stimulate frequent, proximate interactions and partnerships among creative actors, which in turn fosters innovation and cluster growth.
- Anchor institutions, such as museums or galleries, can support rural clustering and should be considered in relation to levelling-up policies for the growth and development of rural creative sectors.
- Rural creative firms in England frequently cluster together, providing mutual benefits and attracting customers, like Felton Gallery 45 in Northumberland.
- Policy interventions should encourage the formation of informal networks by facilitating interaction opportunities, providing mentoring and funding assistance, and recognizing rural clusters' unique spatial and organizational dynamics.
- Financial programs, such as the DCMS Create Growth Programme and local grant schemes, offer funding to support innovation, business growth, and creative activities in rural areas.
- Mentoring, coaching, and bid-writing support help rural business owners and sole traders innovate and expand, addressing resource constraints typical in these areas.
- Data suggests that geographic closeness and organizational structures influence knowledge flows and spillovers in innovation networks, so policies should promote proximate interactions, shared spaces, and alliances that facilitate open information exchange.
- Policymakers can support community events, workshops, and local creative gatherings to foster informal networking, particularly valuable in rural settings where formal clusters may be sparse, thereby encouraging collaboration and trust-building for knowledge spillovers and innovation diffusion.
