The Stage

Vaizey announces plans for Creative England

Published Monday 29 November 2010 at 12:43 by Matthew Hemley

England’s nine screen agencies are to be merged to create a single body called Creative England.

Culture minister Ed Vaizey announced the plans today, saying the new body will be chaired by John Newbigin, and will consist of three hubs, based in the north, the Midlands and the south.

Vaizey said the hubs would “continue to support new talent and new businesses wherever they are located”, with each “building on their intimate knowledge of the cities and regions in which they have been based”.

“They will engage with the industry to ensure that the views of the sector are properly taken into account,” he added.

The culture minister added that regional screen agencies have grown their client base from film and TV to a wider spread of creative businesses over the years, including “interactive games and music”

“Because each of them has begun to develop their own particular specialisms and expertise, this new structure offers the possibility of more focused support for a wider range of businesses - helping small companies grow, helping new talent establish itself and mobilising public and private investment to grow England’s creative industries,” Vaizey added.