Creative Industries Federation

Creative Industries Federation
Name	Creative Industries Federation
Formation	2014
Type	Non-profit advocacy group
Headquarters	London
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Chief Executive

Creative Industries Federation

The Creative Industries Federation was a UK-based advocacy organization formed in 2014 to represent the interests of the United Kingdom's creative sectors including film industry, television industry, music industry, fashion industry, publishing, architecture, visual arts, theatre, video game industry, and advertising. It acted as a bridge between practitioners in cities such as London, Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol, and Edinburgh and policy-makers in institutions including Westminster, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Executive. The Federation engaged with stakeholders from bodies like the British Film Institute, Arts Council England, British Council, PRS for Music, and Royal Institute of British Architects.

History

The organization was established in the aftermath of reports by entities such as Nesta and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport that highlighted the economic weight of the creative industries in the UK. Founding activity involved figures from companies and institutions including BBC, Warner Bros., Universal Music Group, Channel 4, National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Tate Modern, Sony Music Entertainment, and Aardman Animations. Early campaigns paralleled initiatives like the Industrial Strategy discussions and coincided with events such as the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, prompting work on issues related to freedom of movement and the European Union's cultural funding programmes. Over time the Federation produced reports, convened summits with partners like City of London Corporation and engaged with inquiries by committees including the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

Mission and Activities

The Federation’s mission combined representation of sectors comprising players from BPI (British Phonographic Industry), ScreenSkills, British Fashion Council, Creative Skillset, Society of Authors, and Design Council. Activities included policy briefings submitted to bodies such as House of Commons, evidence to the House of Lords, commissioning research with think tanks like IPPR and Demos, and producing manifestos used by political parties including Conservative Party (UK), Labour Party (UK), and Liberal Democrats (UK). It organized events bringing together leaders from Netflix, Amazon (company), Disney, RIBA, Royal Opera House, Hay Festival, and Edinburgh International Festival to discuss topics ranging from intellectual property law to skills pipelines linked to institutions such as Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Royal College of Art.

Structure and Governance

Governance structures drew on leadership from chairs and trustees drawn from companies and institutions like BAFTA, Channel 4, Sky Group, Havas, Condé Nast, Guardian Media Group, Shoreditch House, University of the Arts London, and Birmingham City University. Executive teams referenced executives with backgrounds at Accenture, PwC, KPMG, and McKinsey & Company who coordinated policy, research, and membership services. The Federation convened advisory councils comprising representatives from unions and professional bodies such as Equity (trade union), Musicians' Union, National Union of Journalists, Society of London Theatre, and ISFE to steer work on workforce development, inclusion, and diversity linked to awards such as the BAFTA Awards and festivals like Glastonbury Festival.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams included membership fees from corporations including Universal Music Group, Sony, Warner Music Group, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Live Nation, Reed Exhibitions, and creative SMEs, alongside philanthropic grants from foundations such as Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Arts Council England funding allocations. Partnerships extended to academic collaborations with King's College London, University College London, Goldsmiths, University of London, Royal Holloway, University of London, and research centres like Centre for Cities and Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. The Federation also worked with international partners including UNESCO, European Commission, British Council, and trade bodies such as Screen International and IFPI.

Policy and Advocacy

Advocacy efforts targeted legislation and regulatory frameworks involving agencies such as Intellectual Property Office, UK Trade & Investment, Competition and Markets Authority, and submissions to consultations by Department for Business and Trade. Key campaigns addressed post‑referendum arrangements related to Horizon 2020, touring visas for performers interacting with the Schengen Area, immigration rules influencing staffing at venues like Royal Albert Hall and touring companies like Complicité, and tax relief regimes akin to the Film Tax Relief and Video Games Tax Relief. The Federation produced position papers on topics debated in fora including the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee and engaged with policy actors like Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn, and civil servants in Whitehall.

Impact and Criticism

Supporters credited the organization with amplifying the voice of cultural sectors to policy-makers, contributing data used by Office for National Statistics and influencing measures such as creative sector representation in industrial strategies and local cultural strategies in authorities including Greater London Authority and Manchester City Council. Critics, including commentators in The Guardian and The Independent, argued the Federation overly represented large corporations and insufficiently addressed concerns raised by freelancers associated with groups like Improbable Players and campaign networks such as Freelancers Make Theatre Work, prompting debate with trade unions including Equity and Musicians' Union. Other critiques focused on transparency of funding from multinational firms and the balance between commercial and public-interest priorities debated at events such as the Hay Festival and the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

Category:Cultural organisations based in the United Kingdom