Inspiring neighborhood advancement: Insights from the Preston Model

Inspiring neighborhood advancement: Insights from the Preston Model

Boosting Local Creative Industries: Lessons from the Preston Model

A new policy briefing, published as part of the PEC's Creative Places campaign, calls on the government to invest in local creative industries. The briefing, titled "Driving local growth: Lessons from the Preston Model," was authored by Professor Philip B Whyman, Dr Adrian Wright, Mary Lawler, and Dr Alina Petrescu, and is available for reference at this link.

The Preston Model, an innovative policy intervention for community wealth building, has shown promising results in strengthening local supply chains across various sectors, including the creative industries. In the case of Preston, creative businesses have benefited from the model, with approximately 9% of turnover in creative businesses surveyed being attributed to anchor institutions.

The model benefits creative businesses in several ways. Firstly, it increases local procurement spend, providing creative businesses with better opportunities to secure contracts and sustain growth locally. Secondly, it strengthens local supply chains, making businesses more resilient by creating local supply chain linkages. Lastly, areas implementing the model have seen improvements in growth per capita, labor productivity, and unemployment rates, indirectly supporting a more robust creative sector through local demand and talent availability.

To optimize the Preston Model for maximum benefits for creative businesses, the research suggests tailoring procurement strategies to better suit the operational capacities of creative businesses, which are often SMEs and micro-enterprises requiring smaller, flexible contracts. Building capacity and collaboration among creative firms, investing in innovation support, and linking investment in creative businesses with broader local initiatives like workforce development can also enhance the model's effectiveness.

The policy briefing is based on a PEC Discussion Paper focusing on creative industries innovation in seaside resorts and country towns. It also provides a comprehensive analysis of audiences and workforce in arts, culture, and heritage using census data, outlines recommendations for transitioning to more sustainable theatre production across the UK, and sets out areas for possible policy action in authors' earnings in the UK, proposed by researchers at CREATe.

The Preston Model has seen significant increases in local procurement spend, with procurement from anchor institutions rising from 5% to 18.2% within Preston and 39% to 79.2% in Lancashire in the first four years of its operation. Unemployment has shifted from above to below the UK average, and growth per head and labour productivity (GVA per hour worked) have all grown faster than the UK average. The full paper on this topic will be made available later in the year.

1. The government is urged to invest in local creative industries through a new policy briefing, emphasizing lessons from the Preston Model.
2. The briefing, titled "Driving local growth: Lessons from the Preston Model," offers insights into policy and legislation that could boost creative industries.
3. The Preston Model, an innovative policy intervention for community wealth building, has successfully enhanced local supply chains in the creative industries.
4. Creative businesses in Preston have seen benefits from the model, with approximately 9% of turnover attributed to anchor institutions.
5. The model increases local procurement spend, providing creative businesses with more opportunities to secure contracts and sustain growth.
6. Strengthening local supply chains makes these businesses more resilient by fostering local supply chain linkages.
7. Growth per capita, labor productivity, and unemployment rates have improved in areas implementing the Preston Model, indirectly supporting the creative sector.
8. To amplify benefits for creative businesses, tailoring procurement strategies to suit their operational capacities is recommended, as creative firms are often SMEs and micro-enterprises requiring smaller, flexible contracts.
9. Building capacity and collaboration among creative firms, investing in innovation support, and linking investment with broader local initiatives like workforce development can increase the model's effectiveness.
10. The policy briefing also focuses on creative industries innovation in seaside resorts and country towns, providing an analysis of audiences and workforce in arts, culture, and heritage based on census data.
11. The paper offers recommendations for transitioning to more sustainable theatre production across the UK and presents areas for possible policy action in authors' earnings in the UK.
12. The Preston Model has recorded significant increases in local procurement spend, with procurement from anchor institutions rising in Preston and Lancashire, while unemployment has shifted below the UK average and growth indicators have outpaced the national average.

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