Plymouth’s creative industries sector has expanded rapidly into a £250 million a year success story for the city’s economy - with significant 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 last five years.

Perhaps most importantly for the city’s growth aspirations for the sector, Plymouth is now seeing young talented creatives and University graduates - who may previously have taken their ideas to Bristol or London - now choosing to stay in Plymouth to turn these 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 Peninsula.

With Plymouth University’s Faculty of Arts and Plymouth College of Arts drawing creative talent to the city from across the country, with 30 different undergraduate courses available at the University and 40 degree level courses at the College of Arts, the challenge for Plymouth has been in capturing this talent and nurturing it to create commercial ventures.

Much of this work has been led by Plymouth City Council’s Economic Development team including identifying where facilities and support were needed and in working with partners to delivering this, including supporting the establishment of the Plymouth Creative Network.

Recent success means that alongside well-established creative companies in Plymouth such as Twofour media, Silverstream TV, Bluestone360 and Goss Interactive, a variety of new businesses are being established covering everything from graphic design to marketing, outdoor advertising and mobile phone app design.

An important ingredient in this success story has been the Formation Zone at Plymouth University, which provides a space for the development of creative businesses with fully serviced office space and business support for up to two years.

The Formation Zone has produced several creative success stories since opening, including online game and mobile app designers Mutant Labs, digital marketing agency Fuel Communications and most recently a trio of marketing and design companies, 51 Studio, Altitude and Actuate, which arrived at the Formation Zone as individual companies but have recently left as a full-service creative and marketing agency.

Eleanor Butland, Formation Zone Programme Manager, describes the Formation Zone as “the first step on a ladder of provision” to help young businesses succeed.

“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 in the city to find them exactly 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 partners is in ensuring the facilities, space and support are available to keep young businesses in Plymouth, such as those who have outgrown the Formation Zone.

Plymouth now has the excellent facilities at Tamar Science Park where recent creative additions to its portfolio of companies 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 new 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 spaces are becoming hubs for creative businesses - encouraging a collaborative business environment in impressive settings. Residence 2 in particular sprung from work done by Plymouth City Council’s Economic Development team and Plymouth Creative Network members in identifying a pent-up demand for such facilities.

Thanks to its 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, and when the opportunity to move there arose it was at just the right time for us and was too good to say no!”

Nathan Cornish, director at Urban Splash who is leading the regeneration project at Royal William Yard added: “It’s no coincidence that 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 Two for.  We can provide the next step on the ladder for businesses incubated in the Formation Zone when it comes time for them to move on, and make the transition as simple and easy as possible.”

Former 1970’s social security office Studio 5-11 was given a complete internal and external makeover in 2010 by ADG, who now occupy the fifth floor of the building. Studio 5-11 is helping to support growing creative businesses in Plymouth by offering a range of fully-serviced tenancy options, from a single desk to 1,000 sq ft self-contained offices.

Ian Potts, Managing director of ADG, said: “All bills and business rates are taken care of, which allows companies to focus on growing their business. Tenants instantly become part of a creative, collaborative business community, and enjoy all the benefits of Studio 5-11’s excellent location and modern, impressive design.”

GAIN builds on the experience of Plymouth City Council’s Economic Development team and Creative Network members in working with sector specialists. It brings 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: “The 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 to achieve. With the support framework in place, I have no doubt that Plymouth can become one of the leading cities in the UK for the creative industries, attracting further outside investment and boosting the economy.”

Councillor Ted Fry, Cabinet member for Planning, Strategic Housing and Economic Growth at Plymouth City Council, said: “Our local economic strategy identified the creative sector as one of the city’s key strengths and I’m thrilled to see these dynamic companies are doing so well here.

“This important sector not only helps the city retain the talent that is nurtured at the University, but it also provides exciting job and skills opportunities for our 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 of work we are focusing on."

POSTED IN News