Britain's digital and gaming creativity

Professor Elaine Thomas, vice-chancellor of the University of the Creative Arts, writes in the Guardian that Britain needs a more creative approach to economic recovery. She’s clearly thinking along NDotM lines.

Britain has just experienced its sixth successive quarter of negative economic growth and the Government is about commence a firesale of national assets in order to balance the books.

NDotM has long called for greater investment (and job creation) in all the creative industries as a means of driving economic growth.

Professor Thomas rightly points out that Britain’s creative industries are an “underdeveloped, globally recognised goldmine”. In particular she points to Britain’s major contribution to the animation, gaming and digital content industries (nearly 40% of global computer games titles originate in the UK).

Over 16% of Britain’s GDP now comes from the creative industries and much of this is in the form of creative content. Despite the recession, computer games sales have continued to rise.

She is not alone. Ed Vaizey, the Conservative’s shadow culture minister has long been a vocal advocate of the electronic arts, and it will be interesting to see what steps the Conservatives take in this area should they form the next government.

Vaizey was of course present at NDotM’s Downing Street launch seminar in March and he spoke passionately of Britain’s creative and gaming potential.

The worldwide digital economy is expected to be worth $1 trillion by 2010. The UK could lose out if it is not able to maintain its strong, niche-market position. The myriad forms of British creativity, be it online gaming, theatre or fine art, must (and will) be the platform on which future economic prosperity will be built.

This entry was posted by Peter Barrett on Tuesday, 20th October, 2009 at 11:43 am and is filed under Blog.

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