Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has been awarded £25m by the Government to fund the region’s creative sector innovate, up-skill and attract private investment.
It is one of six UK regions with strengths in creative industries to have been awarded £25m as part of the Government’s Creative Places Growth Fund.
The funding will grow the already booming creative industries of Liverpool City Region – including film and TV, music and video games.
It is home to more than 50 active gaming companies, including Sony and PlayStation, and is the UK’s most filmed location outside London, with the trailblazing LCR Production Fund and planned Littlewoods Film and TV studios development.
The fund was announced in the Creative Industries Sector Plan in June, as part of Industrial Strategy, where the Government shared its intention to invest £150m in the creative industries of six regions outside London – Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East, West of England, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, revealed that the fund will be split equally across these regions to drive growth, innovation and investment. The fund will empower local Mayors to support creative professionals, businesses and young people in their communities with access to finance, mentoring and networking opportunities to help them connect with investors and skills programmes.
Lisa Nandy said: “Creativity has no postcode – whether it’s a musician in Liverpool, a filmmaker in Birkenhead, or a video games developer in St Helens.
“We know that it is not one size fits all. That’s why we are committed to growing our creative industries in every corner of the nation as part of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, and hope that this devolved funding will be just what these regions need to make their creative industries the best that they can be.”
The £25m allocations will be awarded to the six MSAs (Mayoral Strategic Authorities) over three years, starting in the 2026 financial year, for them to distribute according to local barriers and opportunities.
This is part of a whole range of support announced in the Creative Industries Sector Plan supporting creative growth across the whole of the UK, including providing business support for local creative businesses, regional skills initiatives, innovation capacity building programmes, or by providing sector specific support such as TV and film production funds.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “From music and TV to gaming and film, the Liverpool City Region has creativity running through its veins.
“Our world famous culture is recognised right across the globe, and we’re already home to some of the most talented people and pioneering businesses in the UK. This funding will help us go even further – creating new jobs, attracting more investment and giving local people the chance to showcase their skills on a global stage.“
He added: “This is a region where creativity and culture don’t just entertain, they power our economy, and this investment will make sure that continues for generations to come.”