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Written SubmissionsSummaryArds Borough Council values its creative industries as they have contributed to shapingand cultivating a ‘creative identity’ for the Borough, evoking a sense of pride, belonging andconfidence amongst its community.One of the key objectives in Ards Borough Council’s draft Corporate Plan is to ‘build astronger economy’ and associated measures will include a proactive approach to thecontinued development of the cultural and creative economy with key building blocksunderpinning these e.g. lobbying, collaborative marketing initiatives, business support andsignposting, skills development, exhibitions and festivals. This robust cultural infrastructurebuilt around partnerships has been the key to unlocking the potential of the sector locally,creating opportunity for success and sustainability, regionally, nationally and internationally.Thus, as an organisation, it will continue to lobby on behalf of this sector, promotingits economic value to buyers, policy makers and support organisations and will work inpartnership to attract new investment and new technologies capable of creating andsustaining jobs in this growing industry despite the challenges that this will present in thecurrent harsh economic climate.Ards Borough Council presents its response to the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry,Terms of Reference with Evidence and Considerations1.The potential of the Creative Industries in terms of their benefit to the local Ards economyhas been recognised and is being nurtured. The prevailing sub sectors are Craft and VisualArts with over 80 current practitioners. Many of these are either sole traders or microenterprises. This figure is increasing year on year as more creatives migrate to the regiondue to its strong cultural support infrastructure. County Down has the 6th largest number ofcraft businesses in Ireland* of which 21% are located in the Ards Borough (*Crafts Council ofIreland database of registered craft businesses 2011).This critical mass has the capability of contributing significantly and adding value to theCultural Tourism economy locally and a number of cultural events such as the annual CreativePeninsula event (www.creativepeninsula.info) have demonstrated just that. It has paved theway for a NI wide Craft Month event and has consolidated the area as a creative region. Thevalue of these Creative Industries to the Tourism economy must not be underestimated.2.The major key challenge to the Creative Industries sector is how to sustain and developin the current recession. This may present an opportunity nevertheless as more creativebusinesses are prepared to and must ‘think outside the box’, to work in Partnership, toembrace new skills and new technologies. The Creative Industries Innovation Fund providedArds Borough Council with the opportunity to develop a creative community web portal www.ardscreates.com. This is a mechanism to consolidate and enhance the existing creativebase, to identify additional creative industries, to build opportunity for business networking,skills and product development and knowledge exchange and to profile a creative region andits talents to regional, national and international audiences. It is vital that this funding streamis maintained.3.Many policies, strategies and delivery mechanisms are in place which support the CreativeIndustries. It is important that these are visible and accessible but more importantly thatthere is a collaborative and partnership approach in their development to ensure the mostrelevant areas of need are addressed. There is also a need for less duplication in theirdelivery with a greater dynamic therefore, if the sector is to continue to grow. Trainingand Skills Development, Innovation and Internationalisation are some of the key areas ofdevelopment need which have been identified and Ards Borough Council is addressing thesethrough programmes supported under the EU Sustainable Competitiveness Programme‘Expanding Our Craft Horizons’ (in Partnership with 6 councils within the South Eastern421

Inquiry on Maximising the Potential of the Creative IndustriesEconomic Development consortium of Councils - SEED) and the EU Lifelong LearningProgramme ‘Leonardo Sustainable Craft Networks’.4.Comparing policies and strategies, it is evident that there are very dynamic supportstructures in other UK regions and countries that have been in place for some time andwhich are driving the creative industries forward. Ards Borough Council recognises thatthere is a significant amount to learn from other groups and organisations in terms of howthey support their businesses and have benchmarked recently with Creative Skills Cornwall.Benchmarking provides the opportunity to test the effectiveness and credibility of currentsupport mechanisms in any region.5.Collaboration and Coordination between industry, government departments and academiashould be maximised where possible to ensure that individuals leaving the education systemand embarking on a career in the Creative Industries have the appropriate skills in relationto demand. There should also be routes to upskilling. Ards Borough Council, through its CraftDevelopment programme ‘Expanding our Craft Horizons’ is facilitating revenue strengtheningopportunities via new technologies (processes and materials), in commercial productdevelopment and design thus enabling cross fertilisation with other industry types and newroutes to market.6.Consideration of Creative Industries at sub-sector in respect of funding and support;prioritising particular industries for support is reflected in the priority of digital contentprojects for funding in the Creative Industries Innovation Fund 2 (CIIF2).Ards Borough Council and its SEED council partners have already established the need for acoordinated digital development programme in the SEED region and as a first step, a scopingstudy has been commissioned to measure initially the overall size and nature of the digitalindustry and its economic contribution within the region. This will include as assessment ofcurrent skills, the key sectors of the digital industry and the associated programmes to growthese, the current market in NI and on an international basis and any barriers to growth.422

Written SubmissionsArts and Business Northern IrelandA response from Arts & Business Northern Ireland to the Committee for Culture, Arts andLeisure Inquiry into the Creative IndustriesDecember 2011Purpose of InquiryTo investigate the policies, strategies and frameworks which oversee the development andgrowth of the creative industries in Northern Ireland, by examining whether these are fit forpurpose and have effective support delivery mechanisms, which maximise and harness theeconomic benefits of the creative industries within Northern Ireland.Introduction1.Arts & Business Northern Ireland (A&B NI) welcomes the opportunity to respond to theCulture, Arts and Leisure Committee Inquiry in the Creative Industries in Northern Ireland. TheCreative Industries is defined as those sectors which have their origin in individual creativity,skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generationand exploitation of intellectual property. The sector is defined as advertising; architecture;art and antiques; crafts; design and designer fashion; video, film and photography; musicand the visual and performing arts; publishing, software, computer games and electronicpublishing; and radio and TV. Most of Arts & Business NI’s work with the creative industriesis focused on the arts and cultural sector therefore much of our evidence is based on thisexperience.Background & History of A&B NI2.Arts & Business (A&B), formerly known as The Association of Business Sponsorship of theArts (ABSA), was set up 30 years ago as a UK wide creative network that advocates andfacilitates creative partnerships between the private and cultural sectors. Its Northern Irelandoffice was set up in 1987. Prior to April 2008, A&B NI was funded by the Department ofCulture Arts & Leisure. In 2008 it moved under Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) and isone of its strategic partners.3.In 2012 A&B NI will celebrate 25 years of successful partnerships sparked betweencommerce and culture. At this important 25 year milestone, and recognising A&B NI’ssuccess and strength in Northern Ireland, the Arts & Business UK Board devolved theoperation and set up A&B NI as an independent Northern Ireland charity on 1st November2011. Arts & Business Scotland and Arts & Business Cymru also became independentcharities, strengthening the already strong rootedness within each Nation. Joanne Stuart,Director of Attrus Limited and who, until May 2011, was Chair of the Institute of Directors inNI, is Chair of the new A&B NI Board. Joanne, who has an impressive business network, iscommitted to working with the A&B NI team and the rest of the A&B NI Board to resolutelyadvocate the arts to business, to ignite and inspire new partnerships.4.A&B NI’s arts remit covers the performing arts, literature, visual arts and crafts, museums,libraries, heritage and film. We facilitate creative partnerships between business and thearts through research, training and the promotion of culture. With 25 years of experiencedriving dynamic collaborations in Northern Ireland, we have extensive expertise in theinterface between the arts and business. We invest in research to understand the valueof collaboration between commerce and culture and we use that knowledge to identifyand promote opportunities for outstanding collaboration. At the heart of our work is thebelief that the arts have the power to transform and change lives on both an individual and423

Inquiry on Maximising the Potential of the Creative Industriescorporate level. To make this happen, our extensive network connects the arts and businesscommunities. Fundamental to our impact is to provide training and consultancy which willdrive best practice and learning for both sectors. All of our work celebrates the courage ofbusiness and individuals in supporting the arts and culture of the UK. In Northern Ireland wehave 97 arts members and 65 business members.5.What We Do We advocate the power of the arts and engage in business development in order to growthe corporate marketplace for partnerships with the cultural sector. We work with businesses to develop a deeper relationship with the arts. We offer incentives to new and returning business sponsors in order to grow the range ofbusinesses engaging with the arts on a regular basis. We deliver training, advice and support in arts sponsorship and engagement with businessto the arts. We advocate and broker business based creative development to position the arts as acatalyst to help achieve business solutions, while securing new income streams for thearts and cultural sector. We enlist individuals in business through our Board Bank and Young Professionalsprogramme placing them on cultural and arts boards to deliver skills and in-kind resourcesto the cultural sector. We deliver sponsorship training and support to the arts to help build their capacity todevelop relationships with, and bring in funding from, the private sector. We advocate, train and run programmes designed to increase individual giving for the arts. We deliver board & governance training and development to arts and cultural organisationsto strengthen and sustain the sector.Response to Terms of Reference:Identify the potential of the creative industries in Northern Ireland, with particularemphasis on the economic benefits (ToR 1)6.We are in an increasingly tough economic environment fuelled by continuing fears overthe Eurozone debt crisis, a weak US economic recovery and a new global financial crisis.The economic environment is difficult and for businesses to survive and grow, theyneed to innovate and think creatively to retain and attract customers and increase theircompetitiveness on the global stage.7.NI faces its own particular challenges with slow growth in the economy and its over relianceon the public sector (which accounts for 65% of GDP). PwC’s NI Economic Outlook ReportAugust 20111 highlighted the impact of these challenges forecasting NI growth in 2011 to bea lacklustre 0.8%. This forecast has been confirmed by more recent outlooks from NorthernBank and Ernst & Young. Due to our over reliance on public expenditure, our accent out ofrecession is slower than the rest of the UK. This sluggish growth and the continued Irishfinancial difficulties are further reducing the prospects for Northern Ireland’s exports andrecovery, and with such an over reliance on the public sector, impending cuts over the term ofthe government will have a further detrimental effect on the NI private sector.8.The debate about how to rebalance the NI economy is on-going and the campaign arounddevolving powers on corporation tax is seen to be one mechanism but it is agreed that onits own it will not be the silver bullet to drive change. The Executive’s Sub Committee on theEconomy and its specially appointed Economic Advisory Group (EAG) agree that there is anurgent need to strengthen NI’s economic competitiveness.424

Written Submissions9.The Programme for Government, Economic Strategy and Investment Strategy has set out thedirection of travel and the Creative Industries is recognised as having a growing contributionto make both economically and socially. It is recognised that a vibrant creative and culturalsector helps our efforts to secure foreign direct investment, repositioning NI as a place tolive, work, invest, study and visit.10.The tourism strategy for NI has a target of increasing employment supported by tourismto 50,000 jobs, visitor numbers to 4.5m and to generate 1b for NI economy every yearby 2020. A vibrant arts and cultural sector is critical to achieving these targets as culturaltourism is an important part of the tourism offering.11.We stand on the cusp of an unprecedented year of opportunity. NI 2012 was launched inBelfast and Dublin last year. The major programme of events planned is about showcasing‘our time, our place’ and it includes, among many others, the opening of the new iconicTitanic building, the Titanic Belfast Festival and the 50th anniversary of the Belfast Festival atQueen’s. This is our year to change global perceptions and reposition Northern Ireland as aplace to live, work, invest, study and visit.12.It is encouraging that in a recent IoD article both the DCAL and DETI Ministers haveadvocated the value of the creative & cultural industries to the NI economy and recognisethat the creative industries in NI are emerging as one of the fastest growing and increasinglyimportant sectors of the economy. From 2001 to 2007, the number of employee jobs inthe creative industries in NI expanded by almost a quarter (the total number of employeejobs in NI grew at 11% that same period) 2. When self-employed and those working in thecreative occupations outside the creative industries are included the employee job estimatesis almost 33,000 people in NI. The total GVA in the creative industries in NI was 582m.This represented an increase of 14% on the previous year (2006). This may not have beensustained in the following downturn.Gross value added (GVA) of the creative industries12006 mAdvertising, Arts & Antiques, Designer Fashion, Publishing, Radio & TV2007 m148162Architecture6080Music and the Visual and Performing Arts37202452942126512582% of GVA in sectors covered buy NIABI3.23.4% of the whole economy GVA1.92.0Software, Computer Games & Electronic PublishingVideo, Film & PhotographyTotalShare of the NI Economy1Does not include GVA of those working in creative occupations outside the creative industriesSource: DETI, NI Annual Business Inquiry13.The creative industries also contribute to the economy in NI terms of developing innovation,increasing productivity and enhancing the quality of life within NI communities. Sharingknowledge, experience and skills, has proven to deliver significant advantages to industry.Partnership between business and cultural sectors is therefore key to growing a vibrant anddynamic economy for Northern Ireland.425

Inquiry on Maximising the Potential of the Creative Industries14.A&B NI has been working with both the DCAL and DETI Ministers and ACNI on promoting thisto business and further across NI Government. For example for two consecutive years bothMinisters have hosted an In Camera dinner in Parliament Buildings with senior businessand cultural leaders to explore barriers and benefits of partnership between commerce andculture. Both Ministers have also spoken publicly about the role that arts partnerships canplay in delivering creative business solutions and a competitive edge to businesses at a timewhen innovate approaches to business have never been more critical. Communication of thisimportant message underpins and drives A&B NI’s advocacy and business strategy. Many ofour business members have supported us in this advocacy work. An example of this businesssupport is detailed below.“Arts and Culture are hugely important assets to the modern economy and social wellbeing.Regional development should embrace the opportunities offered by cultural activityalongside economic and infrastructure development as these contribute towards education,skills development, competitiveness and tourism. Compared to other sectors of the economy,culture not only creates wealth but it also plays a part in social inclusion, education, selfconfidence and the overall community. Culture is also a powerful tool to communicate valuesand to promote objectives of public interest. The importance of a vibrant urban cultural andarts sector in building and sustaining a unique and competitive 21st Century Belfast and NIshould not be over-stated.” Paul Rooney, PwCA summary of other supporting business quotes are detailed in Appendix 1.Identify the key challenges currently facing the sector (ToR 2)Diversification of Income:15.Many subsidised organisations already know they face reductions in grant income from thepublic sector. With this in mind, there is a need to move from a grant mentality to becomemore entrepreneurial and look to other ways to diversify income. A key challenge for thesector in regard to income diversification is stretched resources. Very few arts and culturalorganisations in NI have full time development staff and this is a real challenge in regard toinvestment of time and resources in diversifying income. Planned strategic fundraising takestime and buy in from the top of an organisation down.16.Another issue is that when resources are stretched training budgets are also often cut firstand this in turn can impact on building the skills and confidence needed within the sector tomaximise opportunities from other income streams.17.Funding of the arts and cultural sector in NI comes from a mixture of public and privatesources. Each year Arts & Business’ Private Investment in Culture Survey (PICS) measuresprivate investment for the arts & cultural sector in the UK (this includes performing arts,literature, visual arts and crafts, museums, libraries, heritage and film). Arts & Businessdefines private sector investment into three cores areas: Business Investment: cash, in-kind sponsorship, corporate membership, corporatedonations, and awards and prizes; Individual Giving: donations, legacies and bequests, and friend’s’ schemes; and Trusts & Foundations.18.Recent results from the 09/103 PICS survey revealed that the total figure for private sectorinvestment in culture fell by 7% across the UK.426

Written SubmissionsPrivate investment sources09/10( )UK-wide% change(above inflation)% of PIBusiness Investment143.1m-1122Individual Giving359.3m-455Trusts & Foundations154.5m 1124657m-3100Total Private Investment09/10( )Northern Ireland% change(above inflation)% of total NI PIBusiness Investment3.2m-1546Individual Giving1.3m-1919Trusts & Foundations2.4m 6335Total Private Investment6.9m 1100Business Investment:19.Investment from business declined across the UK in 2009-2010 falling 11% from theprevious year. Business investment to culture now stands at 143m across the UK andaccounts for 22% of the overall contribution from private investment. In NI businessinvestment comprised 3.2m which is 46% of the total NI private investment to the sector.Similar to the rest of the UK, NI business investment also declined, falling by 15% from 20082009.20.There are still many good news stories of new and sustained sponsorships of the arts but thebusiness rationale behind these sponsorships is more strategic and focused on deliveringbusiness results. The sector needs to work harder to cultivate and retain these sponsors andthis takes time and resources.21.This need for business results can also impact on the type of things that are sponsoredfor example, it can lead to a more risk averse approach making it harder for example toget support for unknown or tested programmes or companies. Many sponsorships now arefocused on addressing corporate social responsibility, community engagement and retain

CARL Computer Animation Research Laboratory . University of Ulster, Director of Innovation, Tim Brundle 71. University of Ulster, Faculty of Art Design and the Built Environment, Prof. Ian Montgomery . 31 Regent Street Newtownards BT23 4AD 028 9182 6846. 421 Written Submissions Summary Ards Borough Council values its creative industries as .