Innovation UK > News > Innovation UK Vol5-1 > A city with creative credentials

In the current economic climate, businesses are being challenged to be more flexible, innovative and dynamic, and companies within the creative industries sector are rising to the challenge. In Belfast, there are around 1,000 creative companies, over half of the Northern Ireland total. The sector is dominated by small businesses ? 90% of the companies employ less than 50 people ? and, with support from the public sector agencies in the region, they are exploring ways to develop new products, build business alliances and explore different export markets.

Belfast?s creative businesses provide employment for around 16,000 people in the city. Belfast City Council has developed a range of activities to support the further development of the sector. These are based around three key themes: Creative Economy, Creative Talent and Creative Space.

• Creative Economy. Under this theme, we have provided product development, collaboration, business and financial planning, research and development and export support to small creative businesses.
• Creative Talent. We have developed a range of initiatives to support skills development for managers of small creative companies, business start-up, bespoke mentoring and collaboration with educational institutions.
• Creative Space. We have worked with incubation providers to look at opportunities for additional support services to encourage collaboration between creative companies, helping them to network, share ideas and develop new partnerships.

As suggested by the definition above, the sector covers a broad spectrum of businesses. In Belfast, we have focused on three key sub-sectors. These are film and television, digital media and music and design. Some examples of the innovative initiatives that we have supported include:

• Dare to be Digital. This unique digital product development project for the computer games and interactive entertainment industry offers creative entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop their own digital product concepts into working prototypes by providing mentoring support and skills development from a technology team. The focus is on creating professional-standard product prototypes to take to potential investors and future employers. Visit: www.daretobedigital.com
• South by Southwest (SXSW) is the premier global event focusing on the creative side of the music and entertainment business, which takes place in Austin, Texas each year, with 10,000+ conference registrants. By participating in this event, we provide the local music industry the opportunity to perform and meet with international music industry executives through showcase events and meetings. Visit: www.sxsw.com
• The Creative Entrepreneurs? Club offers those working in Belfast?s creative businesses a unique platform to keep up to date with the issues that affect the sector and to develop contacts and partnerships.

Visit: www.cecni.org

DID YOU KNOW . . . ?

• Julie Walters, Christopher Eccleston, Billy Connolly, Tim Robbins, Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Shirley MacLaine, Bill Murray and Gillian Anderson have all starred in films made in Belfast.
• A new version of Sesame Street, called Sesame Tree was made in Belfast in 2007.
• Tom Hanks? City of Ember was filmed at the Paint Hall studios ? the building previously used for painting a number of famous ships including the Titanic.
• Google and DTS (Digital Theatre Sound) have offices based in Belfast.
• Belfast DJ David Holmes produced the soundtracks for the Ocean?s 11 trilogy.

For more information, contact:
Brendan McGoran, Creative Industries Officer
Belfast City Council, Cecil Ward Building
4-10 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8BP
Tel: 02890 270453
E-mail:
Website: www.belfastcity.gov.uk