Publications

Our publications and insights showcase the latest research, policy responses and expert perspectives shaping the UK’s cultural and creative industries. With a commitment to providing timely, relevant and high-impact resources, we offer our members exclusive access to reports, thought leadership, and updates on critical issues impacting the sector. 

Become a member to access members-only access to campaign materials, responses to government consultations, briefing notes on key policy areas and the latest research, working group minutes, and multi-media event summaries.

Our Research

Unleashing Creativity: Fixing the finance gap in the creative industries, 2025 

Our landmark report on access to finance in the creative industries, based on a survey of 896 creative organisations. Unleashing Creativity was conceived and initiated by Creative UK and delivered in collaborative partnership with the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC). This comprehensive report considers the experiences of companies from all creative sub-sectors, located in all the UK’s nations and regions. Weighted by sub-sector, nation and region to make the sample representative, this landmark report finds that while creative organisations want to grow, they face real obstacles in accessing the right kind of finance to do so. 

Provocation Paper: Creative Economy Capital, 2025 

Our provocation for a new investment framework: Creative Economy Capital was Creative UK’s response to the findings presented by Unleashing Creativity: Fixing the finance gap in the creative industries. The paper proposes a framework that is designed to better align commercial capital, social impact finance and philanthropic investment. This framework suggests an approach that is tailored to the distinct needs of creative organisations at various stages of growth, taking both public capital and private contributions into consideration. 

Forging Freelance Futures, 2025 

Forging Freelance Futures is Creative UK’s comprehensive report into the freelance economy of the cultural and creative industries. Based on a survey of 1272 freelancers and 221 organisations, as well as a series of regional focus groups, this report seeks to demonstrate the challenges and opportunities faced by those working within the freelance economy.

As well as shedding light on the specific structural challenges faced by freelancers, Forging Freelance Futures sets out a proposal to combat these challenges, with several key policy recommendations. These include the appointment of a Freelance Commissioner, revision of the school curriculum, sick pay provision, parental leave extension and payment protection.  

Our Creative Future: The Manifesto – Ahead of the upcoming UK General Election, we’re setting out how, with the right investment, the Cultural and Creative Industries can generate social and economic prosperity across the country.

Organisations including Royal College of Art, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Bectu, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Advertising Association, The National Theatre, Ubisoft and BPI, as well as Sir Ian Livingstone are featured in the manifesto, which sets out a vision for the future of creative education and skills; freelancing; funding and investment models; IP protection and protections for UK creatives in future trade deals.

UK Creative Industries 2021 – The UK Creative Industries is the first report of its kind, exploring the power and potential of the UK’s creative industries to regenerate places, rebuild the economy, drive innovation and create jobs in all parts of the UK. Set to be published annually, and featuring voices ranging from comedian and film entrepreneur Lenny Henry to newly elected Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, former minister of state Jo Johnson and KISS FM’s Swarzy, the report shows how creativity can not only enable us to bounce back from the pandemic, but carve out a new position for the UK on the global stage.

Oxford Economics Report: developing economic insight into the Creative Industries – In this report, we estimate the creative industries’ total contribution to the UK economy through the employment and GVA that they support directly and via their domestic supply chain.1 We also present a short- and medium-term forecast for the sector, under both a baseline and an upside policy scenario. Available upon request.

Access to Finance Report – This presents the findings of research specialist agency BDRC conducted with 575 creative businesses. Published in collaboration with the CIC, the report explores their experiences in accessing finance to support their growth ambitions and develop their business.

Impact Report –Here we summarise the impact of our investment programme between 2012 and 2017. Working with the Good Economy, we used both quantitative data analysis and in-depth client interviews to map how our work is helping small creative businesses access the finance they require to scale up.

The Geography of Creativity – This presents a systematic mapping of the UK’s creative industries. It shows places in the UK which have significant clusters of creative activity and details the important differences that exist between creative clusters in different location.

Cultural and Creative Spill-overs in Europe – This report is the outcome of a project with partners from 14 countries European countries. It shows the broader impact that the creative industries have on the wider economy through the overflow of ideas, skills, knowledge and capital.

Creatinno: a European Creative Industries Knowledge Exchange Project – This report presents the outcomes of a knowledge exchange project we participated in along side partners from the Czech Republic and Spain. The report was written by project lead Czech Invest, with input from ourselves and Bizkia Bilbao.

Previous Publications