Growth and development of creative industries in Birmingham
Client:
Tribal Education
Tribal Education
Project completed:
November 2006
November 2006
Research description:
The report focused on two inter-related aspects of the growth and development of creative industries in Birmingham:
- The use of available data and information to assess the past, present and likely future growth of creative businesses and employment in Birmingham.
- An examination of the nature of demand for creative industry workspace.
- The purpose in drawing information on these two aspects together was to provide a basis for assessing and concluding on the current and future need for creative workspace in Birmingham.
- The assessment was carried out under the following headings:
- Context - the national, regional and local context to the growth of the creative industries in Birmingham.
- Quantitative analysis – the use of secondary data sources to examine the recent and likely future changes in the number of creative industry employers.
- Support for creative industries in Birmingham – the support available to creative businesses in relation to workspace in the context of more general business development support.
- Review of existing developments – an overview of the main accommodation available in Birmingham for creative businesses at the present time.
- Survey of Custard Factory tenants with a particular focus on workspace requirements.
- Other views on the demand for creative workspace – during the course of the research telephone discussions were held with a number of workspace managers, business organisations that provide specific support to creative businesses and creative businesses in relation to workspace needs.
- Conclusions – the current and future demand for creative workspace in Birmingham.
- A subsequent phase 2 research programme was undertaken to extend and consolidate the original research undertaken and include a number of other local centres of creative industry activity, including the Big Peg, Branston Court, Aston Science Park, Cornwall House and Fort Dunlop. A series of more detailed face to face interviews were also carried out with Custard Factory tenants.