Birmingham’s creative industries
This strategic framework has a central focus on culture and the arts, including grassroots culture in our local neighbourhoods and communities. It also recognises the strongly aligned and connected importance of the wider creative industries, which in Birmingham and the wider region takes in everything from film and TV production to design, technology, games production, crafts and architecture. The sector is made up of 2,605 businesses (6% of the Birmingham business base) and across the wider region there are 5,610 creative industry businesses employing around 27,000 people.
Birmingham benefits from the dynamic interplay between higher education, the arts and the creative industries, all of which exist in an ecosystem that supports innovation and talent. A strong example of this is the CreaTech Frontiers project announced in late 2024 with £6.75 million in funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The investment is focused on developing small, micro- and medium-sized businesses specialising in creative technologies like games production and immersive reality.
CreaTech Frontiers is led by Birmingham City University with Coventry University, the University of Birmingham, University of Warwick and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). It will spur growth in the West Midlands’ creative industries by developing a strategic pathway to connect creative technology companies with high growth industries, such as creative content production and gaming.
STEAMHouse has been instrumental in fostering innovation and collaboration between the arts, technology, and business. Launched to provide an environment where ideas can be incubated and tested, SteamHouse offers creative professionals and businesses access to state-of-the-art facilities, expertise, and opportunities for interdisciplinary partnerships. This collaborative ethos has helped unlock the potential of the creative industries, encouraging experimentation and addressing real-world challenges faced by businesses in Birmingham and beyond.
And what review of the creative industries for Birmingham would be complete without mentioning film and television? Here the huge success of Peaky Blinders has revealed the city as a genuine centre for a growing pool of talent and content creation. Central to this is Digbeth Loc Studios, the newly-developed brainchild of British screenwriter, director and producer, Steven Knight (of Peaky Blinders fame). The studio vision is to create a long-term cultural legacy for the city by welcoming major blue-chip brands to these multimedia headquarters.
The multi-million pound investment has been supported by Birmingham City Council, together with landowner Homes England and with support from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). It is anticipated the studios will contribute more than £30 million to the local economy, creating 760 local jobs.
Experimental performance projects curated by the RSC will be showcased at South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Texas in 2026, while the Birmingham Opera Group and The Rep theatre will stage new works, including co-creations with young people in deprived areas of the West Midlands.
The creative industries play a pivotal role in Birmingham’s economy and cultural identity, solidifying the city’s position as a hub for innovation, talent, and enterprise. With a rich heritage of design, manufacturing, and creativity, Birmingham is rapidly becoming a leader in the intersection of arts, technology, and industry. Key initiatives such as STEAMHouse at Birmingham City University (BCU) and the CreaTech Frontiers project underscore the city’s commitment to advancing the creative sector and driving regional development.
