UK launches Creative Trade Forum to boost global growth

• The forum will connect creative businesses with industry and government expertise.
• The UK’s creative industries contributed more than £145bn to the economy in 2024.
• The new funding will support four frontier creative industries including video games.

The UK government has launched a new Creative Trade Forum aimed at helping the country’s creative industries increase exports and build international commercial partnerships.

The forum was launched by Minister for Reindustrialisation Blair McDougall alongside co-chairs Francesca Hegyi of Edinburgh International Festival and Michael Frohlich of WPP. 

It will bring together leaders from organisations including YouTube, the British Film Institute, WPP, the British Council, BBC Studios and Goalhanger.

Boosting exports

Reporting to the Creative Industries Council, the forum will provide industry insight to the government, identify barriers to growth, champion UK creative exports and help attract investment. 

It will also give businesses access to industry and government expertise as they seek to enter new markets. The announcement comes as the UK’s creative industries contributed more than £145 billion ($196bn) to the economy in 2024.

Following a £10 million ($13.5m) pilot that attracted around 700 applicants, further funding opportunities will launch in 2027 covering film and TV, video games, music, performing and visual arts, and advertising and marketing.