Today on 24 January 2024 the Senedd will hold a debate on a report by the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language and Communications Committee on the creative industries workforce in Wales.
To coincide with the debate in the Siambr the Senedd Research department have published an article looking at some of the figures and factors crucial to understanding the creative industries in Wales. The creative industries are worth more than 5% of GDP and are growing faster than the rest of the economy since the pandemic. Yet according to Robin Wilkinson, the author of the article, this relative success which has been boosted by the success of the film and television industries in Wales exists in the context of a wider cultural sector that is facing serious financial pressures.
In their recent report published in October 2023 the Senedd’s Culture, Communications, Welsh Language and Communications Committee has called on the Welsh Government to ensure that growth in the industry is sustainable and more fair, by offering support to those sectors of the industry facing challenges.
According to the Senedd Research article, these challenges include:
- Lack of growth in the music industry in Wales
- Lack of profits in smaller cultural venues
- Inflation having an effect on costs and supply chains
- Lower attendance at cultural events following the pandemic
- Challenges following the fast growth of the screen production sector
- Lack of workforce for filling vacancies following the fast growth in the film and television industry
To read the article in its entirety, and to learn more about the work of the committee and the context of the wider creative industry, follow this link to the Senedd’s website.
