UK Creative Industries

We launched our new site for the UK Creative Industries last week:

www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk.

Read about our 'year of creativity' in Marketing

"The IPA is bigger than any individual, and the ecosystem is bigger than the IPA"

A shameless rip off of Arm Holdings' mantra in the FT (24 Jan page 14). But so true.

And good to be reminded, on the day when the Creative Industries Council met for the third time to discuss a cross-sectoral skills agenda. The meeting was electric.

Bodes well for future creative industries collaboration.

Ed Vaizey backs IPA Creative Pioneers(TM) Challenge

Today, in Metro magazine, and at the IPA President's reception, is the official launch of the Creative Pioneers (TM) Challenge - a nationwide competition to discover the next generation of UK Creative Pioneers. 100 leaders of today and being invited to help identify and mentor the leaders of tomorrow.

Hello Ravensbourne

If you haven't been to Ravensbourne you should! It's the most advanced digital creative uni in the UK, purpose built to prepare the next generation of talent for the digital film, production, fashion age.

Its swanky building, opposite the 02, was the venue for the IPA President's party last Thursday, to launch her Autumn Creative Pioneers programme with IPA members and partners; welcome new grads to the industry, and announce a new IPA Shadow Forum of thirty something under 30s.

IPA Census defies expectations

At a joint IPA / Work Foundation event on 'The future of the creative industries', held 14th December last year, Martin Smith of Ingenious Media, financiers to the creative industries, commented that he would expect to see that there had been significant job losses in IPA member agencies in 2010. So it's good to see that we can challenge his assumption with our latest industry statistics, out last week.

The reality is that the total number of employees in IPA member agencies has rise by 1.1% in 2010 to 18,843, reversing the downward trend of 2009. In addition, the number of temps and freelancers has doubled, from 886 to 1,702. Equally positive is the growth in the diversity of the industry's employee base; with 10% now from a non-white background.

Where will the UK's future demand come from?

This was the question asked at the CBI's annual conference on Monday.

Fortunately the creative industries got a headline mention twice; from both PM David Cameron and Minister for Business Vince Cable.

The mood of the conference was upbeat, all things considered. 'No' to a double dip when the delegates were polled by Jon Snow; 'yes' to new jobs and business growth.