Oxfordshire Creative Industries Showcase 2019

Industry leads working across the county’s creative industries gathered on 27 June for Oxfordshire’s inaugural sector showcase event.

The Oxfordshire Creative Industries Showcase – held at Oxford Brookes University’s Clerici and the Sir Kenneth Wheare Hall – saw creative industry professionals, entrepreneurs and fast-growing businesses working within the sector come together to highlight some of the ‘significant opportunities’ that exist now and in the future.

Creative Industries contribute over £100bn a year to the UK economy, with Oxfordshire home to almost 4,000 digital and creative businesses alone, a significant and dynamic force within the industry.

The event was officially opened by Andrew Stephenson MP – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister For Business and Industry (below) – and was backed by a number of leading sector organisations, including; Creative Industries Federation, Creative England, Digital Catapult and Arts Council England.

With world-leading publishers, nationally-recognised arts and cultural bodies, cutting edge innovators in VR and immersive technologies, architects, designers, ground-breaking gaming and software companies all calling Oxfordshire ‘home’, the sector currently employs over 20,000 people across the county, contributing over £1.4bn to the local economy.

Identified as a high-growth cluster in the Creative Industries Sector Deal, the sector is also central to Oxfordshire’s ambitious Local Industrial Strategy, which aims to position the region as one of the top three global innovation ecosystems by 2040.

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Industry statistics:

• The creative industries sector grew by 45% between 2010 and 2016, at a rate faster than any other sector (Nesta 2018).
• Oxfordshire has a total of 3,915 creative industries businesses, employing 21,723 people
• Oxfordshire has one NESTA Creative Cluster (areas with higher rates of innovation and economic growth in the Creative Industries).
• Oxfordshire’s three highest creative industries sectors in numbers of businesses are: IT software/computing services (1st), music performing arts (2nd) and then film/TV/radio and photography (3rd).

All statistics courtesy of the May 2019 Smart Specialisation Hub Report.

What took place?

The event included a thought-provoking exhibition of leading Oxfordshire creative and technology businesses, as well as a series of curated panel discussions involving industry leaders, focussed on: 'Harnessing new technologies to power innovation across the creative industries.'

As well as having plenty of time to network with other creative businesses, delegates also took the opportunity to access business support and advice from national sector bodies, who held surgeries throughout the showcase.

Who were our guest speakers?

Watch the panel discussions (courtesy of Oxford Brookes University)       

We brought together an array of high-profile names for the event, all playing a key part in the creative industries sector. They included:

Key note Q&A:

• Jason Kingsley – Co-founder and CEO of Rebellion

‘The future of storytelling’ – chaired by Paul Ashton, Head of Film at Creative England

• Alison Norrington – Founder of Storycentral
• Chris Burns – BBC Head of Audio and Digital
• Stephen Johnstone – MD of MediaPro UK
• Guy Gadney – Founder of Charisma.ai

‘Cross-sector innovation and the skills required’ – chaired by Annie Lydford, Head of Communications and Marketing at Creative Industries Federation

• Anne-Marie Verdin-Mulot – Director of Digital Marketing and Communications at Value Retail
• Amelia Kallman – Director of Communications at Inition
• Catherine Mallyon –  Executive Director, Royal Shakespeare Company 
• Larry Lynch – Head of School of Arts, Oxford Brookes University 
  

‘New technology, new audiences: exploring the power of immersive, 5g and AI to connect with untapped audiences’ – chaired by Emily Savage, Immersive and Creative Partnerships Lead at Digital Catapult

• Ben Lane – Senior Manager, Enterprise and Innovation, Arts Council England
• Donna Close – Brighton Dome
• Steve Jelley – MD, Hammerhead VR and Dimension Studio
• Lucinda Whiteley – Creative Director at Novel Entertainment Ltd 

‘Driving innovation and advancing teaching and research’

• Paul Inman, Oxford Brookes University Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of Technology, Design and Environment

What did you think of our inaugural Showcase event? Tell us your thoughts.

(All photos taken by Andrew Ogilvy)