A FIVE-YEAR strategy that aims to create thousands of new jobs in Leicester’s creative economy and engage hundreds more adults in the city’s arts and cultural offer has been published by the city council.
Called Leicester Leading:2025-2030, the new cultural and creative industries’ strategy aims to build on the city’s status as one of the most creative cities in the UK and reflects Leicester’s ambitions to be more vocal about its success in the sector.
Work carried out for the strategy revealed that Leicester had nearly three times as many jobs in the creative economy as official figures* suggested – 15,600 compared to 5,310 – with people working in the arts, computer consultancies, music, photography, publishing, film and television, design and designer fashion, advertising and marketing, and software and gaming.
But over the next five years, the city council wants to see the number of jobs in this fast-growing sector rise by 28% to 20,000.
It also wants to boost the number of adults in the city who actively participate in cultural and creative activity, aiming to increase the engagement rate from 80% to the national average of 90%.
Assistant city mayor for culture Cllr Vi Dempster said: “Over the last decade or so, the city council and its partners have supported Leicester’s creative economy with around £75m, investing in major projects - including the expansion of the Phoenix Arts Centre, DOCK workspaces and the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery - that has helped to create a strong and diverse creative sector.
“Working with our partners, we want to build on that success and showcase the city as a leader in the cultural and creative industries – and promote it nationally as a place to invest in.
“Furthermore, we also want to reach out to the people who live here and engage more of them in the city’s rich and varied cultural life. Whether it’s visiting a museum, attending a festival, learning a new skill, helping to plan cultural and heritage celebrations, or taking part in a creative activity, these experiences can greatly enhance the quality of people’s lives and their enjoyment of their city.
“So this new strategy will have real benefits for the people of Leicester, while also providing an ambitious roadmap of change and growth for the city and its creative sector over the next five years.”
Consultants Fifth Sector carried out the initial engagement for the strategy, involving hundreds of key stakeholders in round table discussions, one to one meetings and online questionnaires.
Extensive research and consultation helped shape the strategy and identify its eight key themes: Leicester Leading; Empowering Talent; Sharing and Shouting; a Signature Festival; Inclusive Heritage; Inspirational Spaces; Creative Circuits; and Vision for Growth.
Central to the development of each theme is a commitment to promoting equality and inclusion, challenging entrenched inequalities, celebrating diversity, and providing access to opportunity for all in Leicester.
Leicester Leading: 2025-2030 was developed and funded by the city council in partnership with Arts Council England, De Montfort University and the University of Leicester.
Peter Knott, Midlands area director at Arts Council England, said: “Leicester is a diverse and international city, with its artists, cultural organisations and creative industries making it a great place to live, grow up, study, work and visit.
“This strategy provides an ambitious pathway so that, by 2030, people at all stages of their lives, and from all parts of the city, can actively participate in, and benefit from, high quality cultural and creative activity.”
Professor Katie Normington, vice-chancellor at De Montfort University, said: “A cultural and creative strategy is key for the development of Leicester as a specialist centre for arts.
“Central to that is how we work together. I am excited by the opportunity to take part in the cultural strengthening of our diverse offering and to showcase our world class provision.”
Professor Henrietta O’Connor, provost and deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Leicester, said: “We are delighted Leicester City Council is spearheading a new cultural and creative industries’ strategy, which will support the growth of these important sectors in the city.
“University research and innovation has a key role to play in the regional economy. This is exemplified by the partnership between the University of Leicester, Leicester City Council and the National Space Centre, which is transforming the local technology economy at Space City. Home to global space sector leaders, including Rolls Royce, Airbus, Maxar and CGI, the £100m Space Park Leicester will contribute £750m to the economy and create high value employment.”
Leicester Leading: 2025-2030 was launched at the Leicester Business Festival last week (Friday) and is available to download here
Detailed background research undertaken by Fifth Sector can be found here
Picture caption: Representatives of the city’s creative communities launch ‘Leicester Leading: 2025-2030’ at the Leicester Business Festival
*Figures from Business Register & Employment Survey 2022