Top stories about the Creative Industries in 2022📰
So, 2022 has been A YEAR. Lots of things have happened, especially in the creative industries. Before we kick off 2023, we thought we'd look back and reflect on some of the biggest news pieces of this year!
In no particular order...
1) The Arts Council funding announcement was bittersweet across the board
Yes, we're talking about THAT announcement. This years Arts Council 2023-2026 funding announcement focused largely on the creative industries outside of London, with ACE pushing for companies based in the capital to move their bases to be able to acquire funding.
There was significant upset in the world of English National Opera, with cuts blasting through the communities.
If you want to read up on what happened, check out the links below👇
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/11/30/who-were-the-biggest-winners-and-losers-of-arts-council-englands-recent-grants-we-tallied-them-up
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/30/the-guardian-view-on-cuts-to-arts-funding-a-calamity-that-must-be-averted
2) The BFI revealed it's 10 year plan to develop the creative industries
The BFI have lofty aspirations for the creative industries, as revealed in its 10 year vision, aptly named 'Screen Culture 2033'.
The CEO Ben Roberts and its Chair, Tim Richards, unveiled the vision alongside a £136 million funding plan.
As quoted by Ben Roberts: “Although the first moving images were created over 100 years ago, screen culture remains young, dynamic and expanding,” the BFI said. “Today it presents a wider screen landscape that encompasses film, television, digital media, extended reality (XR) and video games. It has become the dominant means of communication, information and storytelling for Gen Z and beyond.”
If you're interested in how the BFI could be part of your creative industries journey, check out the story👇
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshwilson/2022/09/27/the-british-film-institute-reveals-its-10-year-vision-to-develop-the-creative-industries/?sh=4dabfc2661b3x
3) The Creative Industries bounced back after pandemic downfall
2022 brought about good news for the creative industries as a whole, after the pandemic anything but wiped out many industries and left them struggling.
As stated by thecreativeindustries.co.uk; 'The GVA of reported DCMS sectors in December 2021 was 1.9% above February 2020 levels, the last month not significantly affected by the pandemic. By comparison, GVA for the whole UK economy was level with February 2020'.
Read this short update published in May 2022 about the upward trend of the UK creative industries post-pandemic.
https://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/facts-figures/positive-trend-in-gva-of-uk-creative-industries-from-pandemic
4) New vinyl production plant opens in Teeside
A hot new vinyl pressing plant opened in Teeside earlier this year, which aims to meet a 30-year high demand for vinyl. The new plant named 'Press On' was set up by Danny Lowe, David Todd and David Hynes, who are three friends who have recently been joined as directors by Colin Oliver of Futuresound music group in Leeds.
The company will aim to focus on independent artists and labels, small-run releases, and musicians local to the plant in the North East.
If you're keen to hear more about what Press On are doing, you can read the article below.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-60310464
5) West End Theatre sector to fully recover in just two years post covid
The West End was one of the areas hit the hardest by the pandemic, with theatres cross the UK closing for months on end, and then struggling to crawl their way back with the restrictions that were in place.
However, the good news is that they're recovering at a good rate, and are seeing great turnout and interest currently.
Get a bit of positive news below!
https://www.cityam.com/west-end-to-fully-recover-in-just-two-years-following-covid-19-decimation/
6) The UK came 2nd in the Eurovision Song Content with 446 points!
We're pretty sure you MUST have heard about this. We were so proud, and are STILL very proud about our standings in this years Eurovision Song Contest!
If you want a rundown of Sam Ryder and his out-of-this-world performance, check out the link below!
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/15/eurovision-2022-sam-ryder-uk
7) Ticketmaster let down thousands of US Taylor Swift fans after selling almost all the tickets during presale
Ticketmaster upset the Swifties after selling almost all of the tickets for the US tour during presale. After unprecendented levels of interest, Ticketmaster were forced to put out a statement about the blunder, and have since been in the Tennessee attorney general's path, who said he was launching a consumer protection investigation into Ticketmaster.
Find out what's on the cards for the Taylor Swift tour by checking out the article below.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/17/tennessee-ticketmaster-investigation-taylor-swift-tickets
8) Elon Musk bought twitter and the world went a bit crazy
Some of our worst fears came true, with Elon Musk purchasing twitter and going on a bit of a rampage at HQ. As time went on, the backlash that it's had on journalists and press alike, came to light, with many abandoning twitter for Mastodon.
Read more about this crazy situation here: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/12/new-twitter-boss-elon-musk-is-the-dog-that-caught-the-car-with-all-the-journos-in-the-back-seat
9) A recent WeTransfer report highlighted that almost two thirds of creatives are worried about job security
This year, research accompanying WeTransfer’s latest annual Ideas Report, surveying thousands of creative workers, has revealed the full extent of how the cost of living crisis is compounding financial uncertainty in creativity. It also offers insight into how creatives are feeling in their roles right now, and their prospects going forward.
https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/wetransfer-ideas-report-creative-industry-151122
10) Recent report provides UK’s first overview of the creative industry’s path to net zero
The report, carried out by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre in partnership with Julie's Bicycle, collates the progress that each sector in the creative industry has taken in reaching net zero.
The report looks at the issues affecting each sector individually.
To find out more or read the report, click below!
https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/creative-industries-and-the-climate-emergency-creative-industry-071122
11) Some Drama schools across the UK were forced to close
Some Drama schools in the UK were sadly forced to close after losing financial viability. The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts was one of the largest that got shock reaction from the theatre and performing arts communities across the UK.
If you want to read more about this unfortunate situation, click the link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/apr/04/british-drama-school-closes-suddenly-after-heavy-losses
Want to keep up with creative industries news? Check out our new series ‘ERIC’s Creative Industries News’ which provides a roundup of recent news every two weeks! Find it on our blog