Swann wins boost for creative industries

UUP Assemblyman Swann is also North Antrim UUP Chairman and Party Culture Spokesman and his announcement comes hot on the heels of the hit TV series Games of Thrones producers unveiling they will be continue to use North Antrim to make a new series.

Mr Swann said: “I gained the pledge from the Culture Minister to support the creative industries in a reply to a written question I had sent her.

“I asked the Minister for her assessment of the duplication of activities across her Department, its arm’s-length bodies and other agencies and initiatives in relation to the creative industry sector.

“In her response to me, the Minister said the challenges facing the creative industries in Northern Ireland include a fragmented sector with insufficient scale and engagement in international markets, and diverse Government interventions which at times lack effective coordination.

“She said the diversity within the creative industries means that no one department, agency, or representative body can fully realise the sector’s potential in isolation.

“She added that her Department, in partnership with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Industry and Invest Northern Ireland, is developing a collaborative framework to define the structures, roles, and principles guiding strategic collaborations and investment across the creative industries.

“She said this aims to harness the region’s creative skills and knowledge and support businesses in developing innovative content, products, services, and experiences capable of competing in global markets.

“The framework will constitute a strategic partnership between industry, Government, and academia to realise the potential of the creative industries and their contribution to rebuilding and rebalancing the economy, the Minister told me.

“Now that I have secured this pledge from the Minister, I will be ensuring that the necessary funding is put in place to make this pledge a reality,” said Assemblyman Swann.