Creative sector gets Brexit support

Tom Fletcher cited the ‘soft power’ of UK shows such as Downton Abbey

The UK’s Creative Industries Federation (CIF) has formed an International Advisory Council to provide support to the country’s creative businesses following Brexit.

The Council aims to encourage creatives to explore global opportunities and will look at best practice across creative disciplines, including TV production.

It will also look at global policies and innovations to produce a series of biannual reports that will offer advice to CIF members. CIF is the UK’s national membership organisation for the public arts, cultural education and creative industries and is independent of government.

The organisation, which claims the creative industries contribute £84.1bn (US$112.4bn) a year to the UK, said the panel had been in the works prior to the UK’s decision to leave the EU but had started “urgently” following the referendum result in June.

Former government foreign policy advisor and diplomat Tom Fletcher will chair the group, which will include an array of UK and international creative industry experts.

Fletcher told The Guardian newspaper the “soft power” of TV shows such as Downton Abbey and Sherlock could help the UK maintain its status in the world by exporting its creative and cultural influence.

Earlier this month the Creative Industries Council, a forum run jointly by the creative industries and government, appointed John McVay, CEO of UK producers’ association Pact, to chair a working group to identify issues and opportunities across the creative industries. It is due to report its findings in August.

For in-depth analysis of the impact the UK’s exit from the European Union is expected to have on the international TV business see the C21Pro Brexit Report.