The Story So Far

Twelve months after its launch, the Creative Industries Clusters Programme has grown significantly through the commitment of significant resources from industry partners in addition to our funding.

Each of the nine clusters has been hard at work, bringing together some of the finest creatives in fashion, film and television, informatics, design, computer games, performance and immersive technology – from startups to global businesses – and linking them with the brightest academic minds.

The Story So Far contains highlights from each of the clusters showing how this unique investment is already transforming the prospects for our creative industries right across the Nations and regions of the UK. And we’re only one year in. Imagine what the next four will bring.

➤ Watch the latest Story So Far Video
➤ Download the Story So Far Booklet (PDF)

Creative Industries
Clusters Programme

#IndustrialStrategy
#CreativeClusters

Creative Industries
Clusters Programme

#IndustrialStrategy
#CreativeClusters

Creative Industries
Clusters Programme

#IndustrialStrategy
#CreativeClusters

Creative Industries
Clusters Programme

#IndustrialStrategy
#CreativeClusters

Creative Industries
Clusters Programme

#IndustrialStrategy
#CreativeClusters

Creative Industries
Clusters Programme

#IndustrialStrategy
#CreativeClusters

Creative Industries
Clusters Programme

#IndustrialStrategy
#CreativeClusters

Creative Industries
Clusters Programme

#IndustrialStrategy
#CreativeClusters

Creative Industries
Clusters Programme

#IndustrialStrategy
#CreativeClusters

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About

The Creative Industries Clusters Programme is bringing together world-class research talent with companies and organisations from across the UK’s four nations in a first-of-its kind research and development investment.

The unprecedented £80 million investment aims to drive innovation and skills, and create products and experiences that can be marketed around the world. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, as part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, the final nine creative clusters have been announced following a year-long selection process. A new Policy and Evidence Centre and a National Centre for Immersive Storytelling will also be developed alongside the clusters.

The Creative Industries are already an outstanding British success story, worth over £92 billion to the UK economy and exporting an estimated £46 billion in goods and services each year. This five year programme aims to drive growth further, both regionally and nationally.

The clusters draw from some of the UK’s best performing and world renowned creative companies, from the screen industries and digital storytelling to fashion and video games. It brings businesses, organisations and Britain’s world-class universities together to ensure the Creative Industries continue to flourish.

Clusters

Creating jobs, companies and products in the Bristol and Bath region’s screen and performance industries by helping them adapt to emerging technologies
#6e5891
The partnership delivers sustainable growth for the business of fashion, textiles and technology through innovation and adaptation
#eda5af
An R&D-led programme of innovation and collaboration to build and sustain the emerging screen industry in Wales
#05ada9
Creative Informatics is seeking to put businesses and creative entrepreneurs in the driving seat of data-driven innovation in Edinburgh’s lively design and advertising sector
#dfde08
Future Fashion Factory is transforming the fashion industry’s capacity for creative innovation and reducing lead times and waste by embracing digital technologies in the design process
#1fb7e8
Future Screens NI is growing the creative industries in Northern Ireland, particularly the extant animation and games clusters, by developing new hardware and software solutions
#f9cf43
InGAME is delivering new products, start-ups and training opportunities in the video game sector, and intensifying growth, diversification and cultural engagement
#05ada9
StoryFutures is driving innovation in creative, immersive storytelling; connecting businesses, creating jobs and developing next-generation talent as the sector seeks to harness data-driven personalisation, smart devices and AI to reach audiences in new and complex ways
#eda5af
XR Stories is establishing the screen industries of Yorkshire and the Humber as a centre of excellence in immersive and interactive storytelling
#df5d75

Partnerships

StoryFutures Academy is a national centre to develop immersive storytelling within Creative Industries, aiming to place the UK at the forefront of this sector
#6e5891
Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre is establishing a new centre to help develop evidence-based policies to drive the success of the UK’s creative industries
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News

Don’t miss the latest news and insights from the Creative Industries Clusters Programme projects.

Painting Practice: Plan V for visualisation

Painting Practice: Plan V for visualisation

Bafta-winning design studio Painting Practice, with funding from Clwstwr, has developed a virtual studio app called Plan V that helps creative teams collaborate and make better, faster decisions about everything from set design to visual effects and script changes to...

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Born in Bradford: Immersive VR

Born in Bradford: Immersive VR

Born in Bradford is on a mission to improve livelihoods, health and social outcomes in Bradford through large-scale data research. The project has led to an art-science collaboration to build an immersive experience where this...

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Creative Clusters: The Story So Far 2021

Creative Clusters: The Story So Far 2021

The Story So Far is a whirlwind tour of the progress during the last 12 months from the projects, organisations and clusters of the Creative Industries Clusters Programme. Funded by UK Research and Innovation, the Arts and Humanities Research Council launched the...

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