The latest statistics show that 2014 was another incredible year for the UK’s creative industries. Data shows records being broken in music, UK video games continuing to lead the European market and British film fascinating audiences through titles such as 12 Years a Slave and Mandela: Long walk to freedom.
Ed Vaizey, minister for the Creative Industries, said: “2014 has been a fantastic year for UK music, film and video games. It’s great to see continued growth across all our creative industries with more investment going into training and production. Together the sector contributes £70bn to the UK and so a vital part of our economy. I look forward to 2015 with the expectation of even greater things to come.”
Between January and October 2014 the top five British films collectively brought in £72.93m to the UK box office.
The BFI London Film Festival enjoyed record numbers of audiences, 163,000 people attended the festival a 7.5 per cent increase on the previous year and the highest number of attendees to date. These figures reveal the UK consumers growing appetite for great film.
The global film industry also reveals a strong appetite for British talent and technique as 2014 saw the opening of a UK branch to Lucas Film’s Industrial Light and Magic.
Nicola Mendelsohn, industry co-chair of the Creative Industries Council (CIC) and Vice President for EMEA at Facebook, said: “2014 has been a growth year for the UK’s creative industries with many developments, initiatives and international awards.
“The Creative Industries Council launched CreateUK – the first ever industry-led strategy to ensure growth and secure further jobs in the UK and internationally. It will also play an important role in exporting UK creativity to the rest of the world and encouraging inward investment here.
“The sector has found a strategy and working arrangement with the government that means we are well placed to continue to secure the UK’s place as a leading global hub for the creative industries for the decades to come.”
