Led by Fellows of the Royal Society of Arts, the Southern Creative Catalyst seeks to strengthen the profile, connectivity, and collective influence of the creative industries across the Central South of England.
Across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, extending into parts of Dorset, Surrey and Sussex, creative businesses, cultural organisations and universities are producing remarkable work. From globally recognised studios, agencies, technologists, infrastructure, research institutions to vibrant cultural assets and organisations, creativity runs through the region.
This creative activity is spread across cities, towns and coastal communities – it is a vibrant ecosystem without the need for an anchor city.
The result is a region rich in creative talent that could unlock its full potential with stronger connections across these different hubs, to flourish as an interconnected creative economy.
The Southern Creative Catalyst explores how stronger links between these places could turn dispersed activity into a powerful regional network, led by creative businesses with civic and academic partners working together to unleash the potential.
The project began with RSA Fellows.
Fellows in Southampton brought together creative leaders from across the region to ask how the Central South could better support its creative businesses. That conversation led to the creation of the Southern Creative Catalyst – a growing network connecting the region’s creative industries.
In parallel, the RSA and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) have been developing and testing theories of place-based growth through the concept of Creative Corridors. These ideas were most fully realised in the North of England through the establishment of One Creative North, a pan-regional body operating across a landscape anchored by large cities and established creative clusters.
Working with Creative PEC and Arts Council England, the RSA brought together leaders across regions in the UK to grow the impact of the creative industries and connect existing clusters of activity to unleash potential.
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The project will build a clearer picture of the Central South’s creative economy and how its network of businesses, organisations and places could work even more effectively together to grow the sector.
The work includes:
Together, this will help identify how stronger collaboration could unlock growth across the region’s wider creative economy.
The project is led by the Southern Creative Catalyst (comprising RSA Fellows) and delivered in partnership with the RSA, the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, and the University of Southampton.
A wider group of universities, creative organisations and sector partners across the region are also contributing to the work.
