At the 'Creative Britain in Golden Square' celebration held this week, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, advertising guru Lord Saatchi, Chairman of the London Design Festival Sir John Sorrell, and IPA President Moray MacLennan, all united to speak of the growing importance of the creative industries and to highlight the Government‘s ‘Creative Economy programme'; an initiative launched in February by the DCMS to put the creative industries at the heart of the economy.
18/09/2008
At the 'Creative Britain in Golden Square' celebration held this week, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, advertising guru Lord Saatchi, Chairman of the London Design Festival Sir John Sorrell, and IPA President Moray MacLennan, all united to speak of the growing importance of the creative industries and to highlight the Government‘s ‘Creative Economy programme'; an initiative launched in February by the DCMS to put the creative industries at the heart of the economy. To view photos of the day please
click here. The IPA (Institute of Practitioners In Advertising) teamed up with several creative businesses from around Golden Square, (Soho, W1) to organise the event, which was part of the London Design Festival, and drew an audience of over 100 business leaders as well as 200 London schoolchildren.
Golden Square is a flagship for the key creative industries, with businesses from at least eight different sectors (advertising, art, architecture, TV & radio, publishing, film & video, music, and design) residing there. To accompany this celebration the IPA conducted a survey on these companies around the Square, as well as to give the inside story on today’s creative industries. To view the report, please
click here.
Said Moray MacLennan, IPA President, Chairman Europe, M&C Saatchi, “Our creative industries have been growing at twice the rate of the economy and are projected to outstrip financial services to become the second largest sector contributor to the UK economy. Quite simply, Britain's future economic success depends on the continuing success of Creative Britain.”
Said Andy Burnham, Culture Secretary, “Creative Britain is opening up Britain's creative industries to young people from all walks of life. I'm delighted to see the world-leading creative businesses around Golden Square investing in young talent to ensure Britain continues to lead the world in advertising, music, film, computer animation and the other creative industries.”
Said Lord Saatchi, “The real importance of creativity does not lie in economics. It is important because creativity is a force for good in people's lives. It is the hope for the future.”
Said Sir John Sorrell CBE, Chairman, London Design Festival, “Britain is one of the most creative nations in the world. If there was an Olympics for creativity we would be seriously in the running for the top of the medals table - winning medals across all the disciplines, with gold medals in many of them.”