A week-long spotlight on Liverpool City Region’s creative industries has revealed a sector full of potential, with growing investment, top talent and a renewed focus on collaboration across the North.
Delivered in partnership with Growth Platform, the focus week has examined activity across the region’s creative sub-sectors from agencies, film and TV production, games to digital innovation and music. It also highlighted the practical realities of running and scaling creative businesses in the region and where targeted investment could have the biggest impact.
READ MORE: Liverpool’s creative economy accelerates with record investment and bold new strategy
It comes amid growing momentum for the sector, reinforced by national recognition and new investment. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has designated the region a priority growth area, unlocking £25m through the Creative Places Growth Fund for 2026 to 2029.
In addition, the region has been officially recognised as a Creative Cluster by UK Research and Innovation, securing £6.75m for Music Futures, a programme aimed at positioning Liverpool City Region as the UK’s leading hub for music innovation, research and development.
And from niche meetups and major conferences to grassroots projects and sector-wide programmes, Liverpool City Region’s creative ecosystem is being powered by its people, said Helen Cross, Creative Industries Lead at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA): “They are the doers, the connectors, the visionaries.”
The next step, she added, is connecting it all together, which is a key focus reflected in the newly unveiled Creative Industries Board Strategy and Action Plan.
Opportunities and a creative sector ready to accelerate
The week’s main discussion took place at a roundtable on 11 November, where creative leaders came together to explore what the region needs to accelerate the development of its creative economy.
Leaders from Hurricane Films, TATE Liverpool, FACT, Poke Marketing, Uniform, Gingerhead Marketing, Virtuopo, Nineteen Agency, Re-culture Agency and Flatdot Marketing took part, with further contributions from Sound City.
READ MORE: Liverpool City Region’s creative industries unite behind a shared ambition for growth
There was broad agreement on what is working well, where support remains inconsistent, and how the region can make better use of the opportunities already within reach.
The region’s cultural assets and deep talent base were widely acknowledged, but many leaders said clearer pathways for scaling businesses, backed by targeted investment, would help unlock the next phase of development.
A recurring theme was the opportunity to strengthen cross-sector partnerships, build consortium-style bids, and bring together agencies, cultural institutions, production companies and freelancers to secure higher-value contracts and larger projects.
The discussion also highlighted how targeted investment has already shifted the dial for some businesses. For instance, The Liverpool City Region Production Fund has helped increase film and TV activity, while the Strategic Investment Fund has had a meaningful impact on the growth of the music sector.
Nick Howe, CEO at Uniform Group, said the region has a major opportunity to “promote what it has and get those businesses, agencies and suppliers in front of each other.”
While Becky Ayres, MD at Sound City, added that the region could attract greater international attention by telling a more connected story about its creative strengths rather than presenting itself as “all things equally.”
READ MORE: Talent, tech and deeper Northern ties set to shape the future of Liverpool’s creative economy
Several leaders also suggested that stronger “lobbying” across the North, backed by coordinated case studies and showcases, could help raise the region’s international profile.
The overall takeaway from the roundtable event was a shared conclusion: with a clearer narrative, better coordination across the North and continued investment in talent development especially in emerging technologies such as AI, Liverpool City Region is well placed to strengthen its creative profile nationally and internationally.
The future: shaping a growing creative economy
At the roundtable, Helen Cross unveiled the region’s new Creative Industries Board Strategy and Action Plan. The plan is designed to give creative businesses the support they need to thrive and to guide where government funding should be focused for maximum impact.
Built on detailed cluster mapping, the Action Plan sets out how the region can remove barriers, link up fragmented sub-sectors and unlock new opportunities.
It notes that successful clusters combine high levels of activity with high levels of innovation. Liverpool is already demonstrating both, but the region’s next chapter will depend on stronger links across its creative sub-sectors such as film, TV, digital, music, and the games industry.
To do that, the plan identifies three priorities that could shape the region’s future as a creative cluster:
- Cross-platform storytelling with a focus on cost-effective, high-quality local content.
- Upskilling and reskilling talent in emerging technologies.
- Accelerating digitalisation to support experimentation, risk-taking and local IP retention.
Creative leaders agreed that the region already has many of the ingredients needed to deliver on this vision. What happens next will depend on how well businesses, educators and industry bodies come together to turn ideas into action.
Growth Platform is now inviting partners across the city region to play a part in delivering the action plan.
“This is a strategy for growing creative businesses of all sizes and everyone needs to play their part to make it happen. It will guide investment, policy and collaboration, so join us in helping to grow this vital sector to provide the jobs and solutions for the future,” said Helen Cross. Find out more about the plan here and get in touch with Helen Cross directly via: [email protected]
Read more – Liverpool City Region Creative Focus Week
Read the other stories in this series:
📌 1. Liverpool’s creative economy accelerates with record investment and bold new strategy
An overview of the region’s creative growth, workforce scale, investment and new strategy guiding its next chapter.
👉 https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/feature/liverpools-creative-economy-accelerates-with-record-investment-and-bold-new-strategy/
📌 2. Liverpool City Region’s creative industries unite behind a shared ambition for growth
Insights from a roundtable on collaboration, shared priorities and where businesses see opportunity and challenge.
👉 https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/feature/liverpool-city-regions-creative-industries-unite-behind-a-shared-ambition-for-growth/
📌 3. Talent, tech and deeper Northern ties set to shape the future of Liverpool’s creative economy
How talent development, tech adoption and wider Northern collaboration could strengthen the region’s creative profile.
👉 https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/feature/talent-tech-and-deeper-northern-ties-set-to-shape-the-future-of-liverpools-creative-economy/
📌 4. Liverpool’s creative ecosystem — thriving, bold and built on collaboration
A deep dive into the ecosystem’s strengths and partnerships powering creative growth across sectors.
👉 https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/feature/liverpools-creative-ecosystem-thriving-bold-and-built-on-collaboration/
📌 5. From ambition to action — new strategy marks a turning point for Liverpool’s creative economy
A look at how strategy is translating into action, with insights on next steps and sector priorities.
👉 https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/feature/from-ambition-to-action-new-strategy-marks-a-turning-point-for-liverpools-creative-economy/
