The aim of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is to maximise the contribution of the arts sector, and through this to improve the quality of life of all. It also works with the creative industries, which are those industries with their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.
More information on the national picture
Arts
Arts Council England is the national development agency for the arts in England, distributing public money from the Government and the National Lottery. Working through nine regional offices, its vision is to promote the arts at the heart of national life, reflecting England’s rich and diverse cultural identity.
Arts Council England North East is using the arts to help to transform lives and communities, and to create opportunities for people throughout the region and to help the people of the North East to experience arts activities of the highest quality.
We work closely with the Arts Council, through Arts Council England North East, on a range of regional initiatives to ensure that the culture, creativity and enterprise agendas take on a more practical and effective role in helping with the delivery of the wider government cross-cutting agenda of regeneration, education and social cohesion.
In particular, Arts Council England North East is actively seeking to create new opportunities for young people to access the arts, education and creativity.
Creative Industries
Creative industries include advertising, architecture, art and antiques, crafts, design, fashion, film and video, interactive leisure software, music, performing arts, publishing, software and computer services and television and radio.
British creativity is a world-class asset and creativity is no longer an add-on but an essential ingredient for success. Creative industries in the UK:
- generate revenues of around £112.5 billion
- employ some 1.3 million people
- account for over 5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
- their exports contribute around £10.3 billion to the balance of trade
- their output is growing at more than double the rate of the economy as a whole.
The creative industries are one of the fastest growing sectors of the North East economy. The Northern Soul report confirmed that this region is seeing real benefits from its cultural regeneration with artists and creative workers relocating to the North East.
