Creative Wales was launched at the Wales Creative and Cultural Skills Awards at the Cardiff and Vale College last week indicating the importance of skills in the new priority sectors.

Creative Wales will offer a streamlined, dynamic and innovative service to the creative industries sector, aligned to the needs of the industry.  It will look to capitalise on the benefits that the sector brings from two directions – economic and cultural.

To support the industry, Creative Wales will have two funding streams for capital and revenue funding, which will respond quickly and flexibly to sector needs and which will be worth more than £7m in 2020-21.

The main priorities for Creative Wales are to:

• Drive growth of the creative industries sector in Wales with a more targeted regional and sub-sector focus.
• Develop the right skills across the sector to support continued growth, recognising that this cannot be done in isolation and will require closer working with industry and trade union partners.
• Raise standards and promote diversity and equality. This will include developing commitments from all partners with regards to inclusion, fair pay and exemplary working practices.
• Simplify funding support for the creative industries and ensure that we are able to respond to the fast pace of the sector. All funding will be delivered through an economic contract.
• Take a lead role in the marketing and promotion of the creative industries in Wales to the world, via a new Creative Wales brand.

The Deputy Minister will also announce funding provided to Creative and Cultural Skills and their partners, in order to establish and deliver a pilot of the Creative Careers Programme Cymru. The programme will work with more young people to raise awareness and interest of the breadth of creative career opportunities available in the sector.

The next steps will include establishing an advisory board and recruiting a Board Chair and members. Gerwyn Evans has been appointed to the role of Deputy Director, Creative Wales.

Lord Elis-Thomas AM, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism commented:

My priorities for Creative Wales have been set out in a priorities document. These include maintaining growth in the screen industry, enhancing and extending our support to other sub sectors such as music, digital and publishing, and more flexible routes to funding.  There will also be an increased focus on nurturing key skills and talent development, promoting diversity and inclusion and raising standards in the industry.

Wales is a place of inspiration and ambition. I want to ensure creative talent can continue to flourish here and creative ideas can be turned into economic success.

In launching Creative Wales this week the government is fulfilling an important manifesto commitment made in 2016 and we are positioning Wales as the place for creative businesses to thrive.

Dr David Banner MBE, Managing Director, Wales Interactive, said:

I am delighted with the launch of Creative Wales which will provide vital support for the Video Games Industry and the wider Creative industries in Wales. Initiatives like this are essential for helping creative Welsh companies grow, nurture new talent, develop cutting edge products and ultimately compete on the global stage.

Presenter for the Wales Creative and Cultural Skills Awards, Huw Stephens, said:

The creative sector is one that is so important to us in Wales. It creates jobs, forges partnerships, and Wales’ creative work reaches the furthest ends of the globe. More collaboration such as this is very positive – good things can happen as we all work together in the creative sector.

Sarah Mair Hughes, Head of Partnerships, Wales and Nations Lead, Creative and Cultural Skills, said:

Creative & Cultural Skills works across Wales to help create opportunities to work and learn in the creative and cultural industries. The skills focus of Creative Wales gives emphasis to our aims and will assist us reach more young people to engage them with the sector and the opportunities that it could provide.