A consortium of seven universities across the UK’s north and west is funding 30 new doctoral researchers to study how creative industries thrive in rural, coastal, and post-industrial areas—places often overlooked by research focused on London and other big cities. This matters because most creative economy research assumes that innovation happens in urban centres. But Wales, Scotland, and Cornwall have their own creative microclusters—in music, film, theatre, crafts, and multilingual publishing—that operate differently. Businesses in these regions struggle to find local research talent, and national policy undervalues their innovation. The project directly addresses that gap by training researchers who will work with local creative businesses, heritage organisations, and festivals. If successful, the programme will produce more than 30 PhD graduates with deep knowledge of how creative clusters function outside cities. It could help policymakers design better support for regional creative economies, improve access to higher education for students from non-traditional backgrounds, and strengthen the connection between indigenous languages like Welsh, Gaelic, Doric, and Cornish and the wider creative sector. The immediate impact is on talent and policy, not on a specific product or technology.
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Investing in research talent through Celtic Crescent (CC) collaborative DFAs provides a direct route to supporting regional innovation, underpinning the success of the UK’s creative microclusters beyond urban centres and, therefore, the wider UK Creative Economy. A growing literature is challenging the urban bias of creative cluster research, shining a light on the specific embodied, spatial relationships that characterise creative clusters in rural, coastal, and post-industrial landscapes (Velez et al/Policy Evidence Centre 2022; McElroy and Davies 2021; Velez-Ospina et al 2023; Wingström 2024). CC investment represents bold thinking beyond existing paradigms and will foster creative talent where it is needed. Baseline skills and underrepresentation in doctoral community The urban focus of creative economy research results partly from the underrepresentation of researchers from rural and other marginalised geographies. McElroy’s first-hand experience as Co-Director of Clwstwr (UKRI Creative Industries Cluster Programme 2019-2022) and Macleod’s AHRC analysis of the research needs of the UK’s indigenous languages and cultures directly informs our knowledge of skills needs. McElroy (Bangor, PI) researched talent development for innovation. She found that creative businesses struggled to develop innovation capabilities within their teams. Her research with Davies (2021) identified unique interdependencies in creative microclusters in non-urban regions of Wales. These were shaped by common values, biographies, and limited access to talent attraction/retention when compared to the capital’s cluster. Research by Macleod (Aberdeen, CI) in 2023 demonstrates that the biggest hurdle for industry/public body stakeholders is lack of access to local research talent. Research in Australia (Eversole 2021) demonstrates that HEI campuses in peripheral regions contribute to innovation ecosystems and break down barriers to HE studies for non-traditional students. However, national policy overlooks this potential, meaning their innovation goes ‘unvalued, when compared with campuses in wealthier, higher status capital cities’. Research areas addressed Creative economy as configured in multilingual rural, coastal, and post-industrial microclusters in three UK nations; Innovation and research capacity that cuts across different creative arts, industries, heritage, and associated sectors; Practice-based research that develops novel insights, methodologies, and outputs (e.g. crafts; literature and publishing; music/sound; theatre and performance; screen including film/TV/XR); Multilingual creative research (including English, Welsh, Gaelic, Doric and Cornish) offering novel linguistic approaches to producing original outputs and experiences that enrich our sense of place and connect indigenous languages to the rest of the multilingual world; Industrial and policy research that delves deep into the lived experience and spatial/temporal characteristics of creative microclusters to inform governments’ thinking. Success measures: 30+ creative researchers completing doctoral study across three nations, working closely with creative economy partners and stakeholders to improve innovation capabilities; Improved skills, training, and careers advice providing PhD students with deeper understanding and networks to work across HE and creative economy; Greater diversity of creative researchers supported in an inclusive research environment. Who we are CC comprises 7 HEIs based around the north and west of the UK: 3 research intensive HEIs: Bangor University (North Wales, PL); Aberystwyth University (West Wales); and Aberdeen University (NE Scotland); 3 small specialist institutions: Falmouth University (Cornwall); Glasgow School of Arts Highlands and Islands Campus (Northern Scotland); and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, part of USW Group (Wales); 1 post-1992: University of South Wales (South Wales valleys). 27 creative economy partners in heritage, fashion, music, theatre, dance, film, media, business and innovation, and festivals.
Anwen Jones (Co-Investigator)Chris Collins (Co-Investigator)Clare Devaney (Co-Investigator)Dr Laura Hodsdon (Co-Investigator)Gina Wall (Co-Investigator)James Lea (Co-Investigator)Jennifer Young (Co-Investigator)Lee Miller (Co-Investigator)Lisa Lewis (Co-Investigator)Marta Minier (Co-Investigator)Matthew Jarvis (Co-Investigator)Michael Brown (Co-Investigator)Michelle Macleod (Co-Investigator)Professor Andrew Lewis (Co-Investigator)Ross Birrell (Co-Investigator)Ruth McElroy (Principal Investigator)Steffan Thomas (Co-Investigator)
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