Creative Industries Policy Group
Research and engagement
Engagement
Engaging with policy in the Creative Industries: A forum for University of York researchers
In May 2025, the group convened University of York colleagues with a shared interest in policy engagement within the Creative Industries.
The event highlighted the connections between research, creativity, and policy at the University encouraged ongoing dialogue about how research can effectively influence policy, contributing to sustained growth and development of the creative industries regionally and nationally.
Following the event, XR Stories awarded Creative Industries policy research funding to four University of York projects focused on engaging with policy in the sector.
Creative Industries Roundtable Event
In June, the Creative Industries Policy Research Group partnered with the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre to bring together representatives from academia and local government from across the UK to talk about how the creative industries can thrive in devolved areas.
Participants shared insights on their experiences developing the creative sectors in their regions and outlined approaches to support economic growth. The event made a strong case for local authorities, higher education and businesses working in partnership and emphasised a shared ambition to strengthen the creative industries across the North of England.
Research
XR Stories is partnering with the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to run a Creative economy census.
The census aims to gather insights from individuals and businesses who work in the York and North Yorkshire creative industries to support the development of a region-wide sector strategy.
Responses to the census will inform plans for future funding and support for people working in York and North Yorkshire to drive growth across the region’s creative industries.
UK Government Modern Industrial Strategy and Creative Industries Sector Plan
In June 2025, the UK Government published its Modern Industrial Strategy, a 10-year plan to achieve long-term economic growth and investment across the UK.
The strategy presents an ambition to prioritise business investment and identifies the Creative Industries as one of eight highly productive, innovative sectors whose frontier industries create strategically important technologies and services that are deployed across the economy.
Sitting alongside the Modern Industrial Strategy, the Creative Industries Sector plan sets out a framework for the growth of the sector with an ambition to increase business investment from £17 billion to £31 billion by 2035.
XR Stories response to the Government’s ‘Invest 2035’ formal consultation provided evidence to inform the new strategy.
The Creative Industries in North Yorkshire
The York and North Yorkshire region stands at the threshold of a transformative decade. With the establishment of the combined authority, a £540 million devolution deal over 30 years, and the UK Government’s 2025 Creative Industries Sector Plan1 pledging to double national investment by 2035, the region has a unique opportunity to establish itself as a globally connected centre of creative innovation.
A new report "The Creative Industries in York and North Yorkshire: The evidence supporting our city, region and rural creative powerhouse" is a synthesis of evidence, impact analysis, and policy alignment. It serves a single source for sector data, cluster opportunities, and national funding readiness for York and North Yorkshire. It is intended to guide local economic and cultural planning, investment and cross-regional collaboration.
On Friday 6 March 2026, XR Stories brought together key stakeholders from across the city of York and wider region to launch this report.
