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When David Cameron visited China, people waned to know how long they would have to wait for Sherlock to return. Photograph: Robert Viglasky/PA
When David Cameron visited China, people waned to know how long they would have to wait for Sherlock to return. Photograph: Robert Viglasky/PA

The world loves our creatives, so let’s back them in Britain

This article is more than 9 years old
John Kampfner

Leaders in all fields of the arts are launching a fightback to boost a success story that is made in Britain

When David Cameron visited China a year ago, he went on to the micro-blogging site Sina Weibo for a “chat”. Amid questions about politics and diplomacy, he was asked: “Please urge Sherlock crew to be quick! They have had us waiting for two years for every season!” Wherever he goes, the prime minister hears praise for Britain’s film and television, fashion industry, architects and designers and our extraordinary visual arts.

The figures speak for themselves. The creative industries grew almost 10% in 2012 (according to the last comparative figures published in January 2014), outperforming all other sectors of UK industry. Employment in the sector increased by 8.6% between 2011 and 2012, a much higher rate than for the economy as a whole (0.7%).

More tourists go to London’s top museums and galleries than to equivalents in other capital cities. Our games industry is Europe’s largest. But lies, damned lies and statistics only get you so far. Our arts and creativity are Brand Britain. They are our superpower. The only problem is that, back home, many of our politicians struggle to get it.

Over the next five years, the UK will face spending cuts that will make the past five seem like a breeze. One area where they have already bitten hard, and will bite even harder, is in the arts. To some, the mention of the “a” word suggests an area of public life that is self-serving and soft. Nothing could be further from the truth.

If our creative industries had behaved the way our banks did, or defence sector does in bad procurement, would they have been bailed out? The most dynamic part of our economy has been the least well represented.  That’s why hundreds of arts organisations, commercial companies, universities, trade bodies and individuals have united to establish a single voice. 

The Creative Industries Federation launches on Monday night before a capacity audience at London’s Central St Martins. A senior member of the cabinet will give the keynote welcome. Other speakers will include sculptor Anish Kapoor, digital entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox, the UK president of Warner Bros, Josh Berger, and film director Paul Greengrass. They will be alongside a brilliant young games developer from Portsmouth, Mitu Khandaker, and the head of a growing Manchester TV business, Cat Lewis. Politicians from all parties will hear their messages.

When we started the work in March, we expected 100 founder supporters. We thought the startup would take two years. We’ve achieved more than double the number of supporters and are ready to go in half the time.

At the launch, we’ll celebrate their contribution, but there is nothing triumphalist in our approach. This is hard-headed and practical. This is less an organisation, more an army of thousands bringing together the potter, urban designer and cellist. The financial, curatorial and jobs benefits of links such as these are potentially enormous. For this to happen, the private sector must look beyond its bottom line and assume its role in developing talent; the public sector must rid itself of any vestiges of 1980s-style entitlement thinking and embrace a more entrepreneurial spirit. 

We will seek to puncture complacency. Public and private have a poor record promoting diversity and access. As for the London v the rest debate, it is not a zero sum game. International-level art and creativity belong as much as in Gateshead and Manchester (the first venues for our big events next year) as in the capital.

We will challenge both ourselves and politicians. If we continue to under-invest in our culture at its grassroots we will choke off the source of our creative industries. If politicians continue to denigrate cultural education, as education secretary, Nicky Morgan, did when she crassly said an arts degree would harm young people’s job prospects, we will destroy the talent pool. As we disinvest, others, such as the Chinese, are pouring resources into the next generation of creatives. Just at the height of our success we are in danger of throwing it all away.

John Kampfner is director of the Creative Industries Federation

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