The government has confirmed plans to appoint a ‘freelance champion’ for the creative industries as part of a £380m package of support that also includes 2,000 new film and TV apprenticeships.
The Creative Industries Sector Plan, unveiled by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, pledges to double business investment in the creative sector to £31bn by 2035.
The freelance champion, to be appointed this year, will advocate for creative freelancers within government and as a member of the Creative Industries Council.
“Industry and government will together foster resilience, productivity and diversity within the creative workforce, recognising the importance of freelancers in sustaining the sector’s dynamism,” the report said.
Its approach, it said, will be to “increase the productivity, resilience and diversity of the creative workforce, including creative freelancers, to create the conditions for sustained economic growth.”
The government will provide £10m to expand the National Film and Television School in partnership with £11m private investors including the Walt Disney Company, the Dana and Albert R. Broccoli Foundation and Sky.
The plan will “scale up” the British Film Commission, which supports 16 to 25 year-olds from underrepresented backgrounds, with funding locked in until at least 2029.
London will be championed as a ‘Creative Industries supercluster’ with the Mayor investing more than £10m over four years, while the mayors of Manchester, Liverpool, the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, the North East and the West of England will share access to a new £150m Creative Industries Growth Fund to deliver economic growth and jobs in the sector.
“We will ensure the resilience of domestic production, which is the bedrock of future growth, especially for nascent clusters outside of London and the South East, and of the sector’s cultural impact,” the report said.
“Having experienced a tumultuous few years, our domestic sector continues to face rising production costs, barriers in accessing finance, and challenges around IP retention, all while navigating a highly competitive global content landscape.
“We have an internationally renowned workforce, but 65% of freelancers have reported difficulty finding work in the last year and persistent skills gaps and diversity challenges remain.”
Bectu head Philippa Childs heralded what it described as a “show of commitment” for a sector that has been recovering from “a series of external shocks”.
She said: “Freelancers are the backbone of the creative industries and have borne the brunt of both recent economic shocks and poor employment practices in the sector. It is clear the government needs to improve its understanding of and support for these vital workers and the many challenges they face. Bectu has been fighting hard to secure a better deal for creative freelancers and this is a crucial step forwards in that campaign.”
Creative UK chief executive Caroline Norbury said that in supporting access to finance, research and development, innovation, skills, trade, place and IP, the plan is focusing on “key enablers for scaling creative businesses” and “demonstrates a mature understanding of what the sector needs to thrive.”
