Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Article from This is Plymouth
PLYMOUTH'S creative industries sector has expanded rapidly into a £250million-a-year success story for the city's economy – with potential for more growth and jobs over the next decade.
An estimated 4,400 people are now employed in what has been targeted by Plymouth City Council as a priority sector for the future, with about half of these creative businesses established in just the past five years.
Plymouth is now seeing young talented creatives and university graduates, who may previously have taken their ideas to Bristol or London, choosing to stay in Plymouth to turn ideas into businesses.
The result is a growing cluster of expertise with a network of support, facilities, office accommodation and research capacity in place.
Much of this now falls within the Growth Acceleration and Investment Network (GAIN), set up by Plymouth University, Plymouth City Council and Tamar Science Park, to accelerate growth and investment in high-quality businesses and ideas to create wealth and jobs in the South West.
With Plymouth University's Faculty of Arts and Plymouth College of Art drawing creative talent to the city, the challenge for has been in capturing this talent and nurturing it to create commercial ventures.
The council's economic development team has been identifying where facilities and support are needed and working with partners to delivering this, including supporting the establishment of the Plymouth Creative Network.
So, alongside well-established creative companies such as Twofour media, Silverstream TV, Bluestone360 and Goss Interactive, new businesses are being established covering areas such as graphic design, marketing, outdoor advertising and mobile phone app design.
The Formation Zone, at Plymouth University, provides space for the development of creative businesses with fully serviced office space and business support for up to two years.
It has produced several creative success stories, including online game and mobile app designers Mutant Labs, digital marketing agency Fuel Communications and marketing and design companies 51 Studio, Altitude and Actuate.
Eleanor Butland, Formation Zone programme manager, said: "We can aid businesses with everything from leadership and management coaching to peer-to-peer support while they focus on growing the business.
"When they are ready to move on, we can help by liaising with other office and studio space providers to find them what they need, whether that's a short-term lease or a location that has the 'wow' factor to impress clients.
"The creative industry is definitely a lot stronger than it was two or three years ago, and Plymouth is now being viewed as a much more viable place to operate.
"In the past, students graduating from Plymouth University often either went to Bristol or London, but now many more are choosing to stay here and create high value jobs through setting up creative businesses."
A focal point for GAIN is ensuring facilities, space and support are available to keep young businesses in Plymouth.
The city has facilities at Tamar Science Park where recent creative additions to its portfolio include start-up software and net development firm Carbon Pixel Ltd and web-casting and software specialists Vualto Ltd.
There is also an emerging "creative corridor" with the development of workspaces at Studio 5-11 on Millbay Road by the Architects Design Group (ADG), and the redevelopment of studio space Residence Two at Royal William Yard, by Urban Splash.
Both are becoming hubs for creative businesses. Residence 2 sprung from work done by the council's economic development team and Plymouth Creative Network members in identifying a pent-up demand for such facilities.
Thanks to links with the Formation Zone, Royal William Yard's first Residence 2 tenants – 51 Studio, Altitude and Actuate – relocated to the Yard in February.
Miles Noble, managing director of Altitude said: "Royal William Yard is an amazing, trendy, creative space. When the opportunity to move there arose it was at just the right time for us."
Nathan Cornish, director at Urban Splash, added: "It's no coincidence the first three businesses to move in all came from the Formation Zone, as the graduates and embryonic businesses currently based there are exactly the type of companies we refurbished Residence 2 for."
Former 1970s social security office Studio 5-11 was given a complete makeover in 2010 by ADG, which now occupies the fifth floor.
Ian Potts, ADG managing director, said: "Tenants instantly become part of a creative, collaborative business community."
GAIN seeks to bring the ability to connect investment opportunities, business support and facilities for creative businesses in Plymouth.
Professor Julian Beer, Pro-Vice Chancellor at Plymouth University, said: "Creative industries is a key sector for Plymouth, and the high growth it is experiencing is a fantastic example of what the infrastructure provided by GAIN and other partners in the city can help achieve.
"With the support framework in place, I have no doubt Plymouth can become one of the leading cities in the UK for creative industries, attracting further outside investment and boosting the economy."
Councillor Ted Fry, the council's Cabinet member for Planning, Strategic Housing and Economic Growth, said: "Our local economic strategy identified the creative sector as one of the city's key strengths. I'm thrilled to see these dynamic companies are doing so well.
"This important sector helps the city retain talent nurtured at the university, and provides exciting job and skills opportunities for young people, in particular.
"Support for sectors such as the creative industries is further enhanced by the work to increase the take-up of super-fast broadband in the city. This is an area we are focusing on."
Article from This is Plymouth