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The Great South West confirmed as the UK’s fastest‑growing creative powerhouse
Arts University Plymouth joined five partner universities at the House of Commons on 7 July 2025 to launch Creative Industries in the Great South West: Leading from the Edge, fresh evidence that the region is the UK’s fastest‑growing creative powerhouse, matching London as the joint‑fastest UK region for creative job growth (4.1% per year, 2019–22) and contributing £2.7 billion GVA through 15,870 businesses and 35,000 employees.
Before setting out next steps, the report highlights the strength and scale of the South West’s creative economy, showing how far the region has already come, and why it’s ready for future investment.
- £2.7 billion GVA and at least £2.3 billion turnover generated each year, with an impressive £76,700 GVA per employee.
- 15,870 registered creative businesses spread across 22 significant clusters, from Cornwall’s screen sector to Dorset’s immersive tech corridor.
- A workforce of 35,000 employees is boosted by over 40,000 freelancers and 50,000 creative roles in non‑creative industries, bringing the total creative talent pool close to 75,000 people.
- Job growth of 4.1% (2019–22) – the joint‑fastest of any UK region and approaching London’s rate – confirms the South West as the nation’s creative growth engine.
- Every creative job generates 1.9 additional jobs elsewhere in the economy, underlining the sector’s powerful spillover effects.
- Firms that buy from the Creative Industries are over twice as likely to innovate, highlighting the sector’s catalytic role in cross‑industry productivity and competitiveness.
Great South West arts university representatives at the Houses of Parliament
Led by Falmouth University on behalf of the Great South West Creative Industries University Alliance, the research draws on data and insight from:
- Arts University Bournemouth
- Arts University Plymouth
- Bournemouth University
- Falmouth University
- University of Exeter
- University of Plymouth
Together these six universities graduate almost 7,000 creative professionals every year, fuelling the talent pipeline that drives inclusive growth across urban and rural communities.
Arts University Plymouth delivers award‑winning creative education, cutting‑edge facilities and industry partnerships that foster innovation and start-ups across Devon and Cornwall. Vice‑Chancellor Professor Paul Fieldsend‑Danks attended the Westminster launch to champion the university’s role in nurturing the next generation of creators and entrepreneurs.
Event speakers, including Caroline Norbury OBE (Chief Executive, Creative UK) and newly elected Jayne Kirkham MP (Truro & Falmouth), called for formal recognition of the Great South West as a national creative cluster to unlock further public and private investment.
Arts University Plymouth will continue to work with regional partners to translate the report’s recommendations into action, supporting sustainable, place‑based growth that benefits communities across Plymouth, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.
Find out more
- Read the summary document for the Great South West Report
- Read the full report - Creative Industries in the Great South West: Leading from the Edge
