A self-professed ‘intrapreneur,’ Sara Pepper has worked tirelessly over the past 10 years to develop and nurture the brand, delivery, and reputation of Cardiff’s creative economy. In 2014, when Sara was recruited, the fledgling project had initial start-up funding from Cardiff University, a 3 year horizon and zero members or stakeholders. Fast forward to today, and the project has evolved into Cardiff University’s Centre for Creative Economy – which has delivered groundbreaking projects, won multiple grant bids to further its work, and has engaged with thousands of creative individuals and organisations across Wales.
This exceptional performance did not happen overnight and depends entirely on the network recognising the value in the support the Centre and its projects provide. So, what is the secret to their success? I sat down with Sara to discuss how the Centre for Creative Economy is able to balance the wants and needs of their various stakeholders, alongside continually innovating in their space. I am not the only one who has asked these questions, as Sara and her colleagues are regularly sought after to share their insights globally, which has been crucial in building their reputation both at home and abroad.
So, what does the Centre for Creative Economy do?
Over the last 10 years, the Centre has come to be recognised globally as a pioneer for research, engagement and innovation. It has delivered high-profile interdisciplinary projects (over £65m value) that underscore the unique contribution that the creative industries make to support, promote, and invest in all aspects of Cardiff and the region’s creative economy. This includes fostering partnerships, facilitating recruitment and development, providing opportunities for growth within the sector, and supporting the sector’s recovery following the pandemic. In addition, it’s about fostering a culture of collaboration as a high percentage of the workforce in the region are sole traders. We can all appreciate that having a wider network to guide and support you through the ups and downs of running your own business can be pivotal.
Creative Cardiff began with a broad vision informed by what we knew about creative cities. We knew that most successful creative cities have strong networks. We knew that collaboration can inspire new forms of creativity. We knew that a city needs to be able to understand its own strengths and weaknesses to inform its future. And we knew we had to resist old divisions between the (generally subsidised) cultural sector and the (more commercially oriented) creative industries.
What quickly became clear in our conversation is Sara’s strong belief that the organisation’s success should always be recognised and attributed to a team effort. There are no lone rangers or egos here; it’s very much a collective and collaborative commitment to fulfilling their professional obligations to the sector, with Sara as their fearless leader. Sara was the ideal candidate to lead the Centre and its operations over the past decade, having over 25 years’ experience delivering roles in the creative and cultural industries, including in her current role the establishment of the Centre, including the creative city network Creative Cardiff, Clwstwr, a £9 million R&D project promoting innovation in the Welsh economy, and Media Cymru, a £50 million UK Research & Innovation Strength in Places funded programme.
“Our work has evolved alongside the partnerships and collaborations that we have grown locally, regionally, across Wales and UK and internationally. We work with colleagues in government, industry and academia on a daily basis and these relationships are absolutely key to everything we do. We value all of these touchpoints as well as the experience and skills of our very capable team. I am endlessly grateful for our teams commitment to the work and to the community we work with.”
Creative Cardiff has rapidly become part of the ecosystem that is South Wales’ Creative Economy. One that, for example, explains why Cardiff is identified as a Creative Challenger cluster in Nesta’s Creative Nation mapping: clusters which have experienced rapid growth in recent years and are on track to become central nodes within the UK’s creative geography.
It may come as no surprise that the core brand values of the Centre are enabling innovation, strengthening knowledge and engaging industry. Underneath these values are a firm commitment to working with their team and stakeholders to enable sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the Welsh media and creative sectors. They recruit individuals aligned with their vision and motivated to make a difference to the sector. By combining these values with the support of national institutions and financial backing, it becomes clear how the team has been able to grow the organisation so substantially in a relatively short amount of time.
The team has been able to leverage the stability of Cardiff University, with the influence they hold as the voice of the sector, representing a sizeable network, to make a tangible difference. To put this in financial context, an impact report on one of their funded programmes, Clwstwr, an R&D-led programme to build and sustain the emerging screen industry in Wales, confirmed that the funded projects (Clwstwr) contributed over £20 million in additional turnover and created more than 400 jobs in the creative industries.
With so many stakeholders involved, how do you cater to such differing needs and wants, including those within Government, organisations such as the BBC and individual business owners? The Centre has successfully attuned to the shared passions and objectives of their stakeholders, enabling a range of partnerships and influencing long-lasting change. They have also engaged with notable international organisations and clusters to further expand their network enabling additional opportunities for businesses and individuals to grow their ambitions. This has included a programme of residencies by international “Innovators in Residence” who spend time in Cardiff engaging with the creative businesses here. “The knowledge sharing and inspiration of our innovators in residence activities is invaluable. By bringing cutting edge thinkers, makers and innovators we hope to raise the ambitions of our cluster in a global media marketplace.”
Having been a fundamental part of the growth of the sector in South Wales for the last 10 years, I have to ask what’s planned for the next 10?
“Alongside ongoing support for innovation, I imagine the next 5 years will see us delve deeper into the spillover of the creative economy into other sectors, such as health, education and transport. Ongoing digital disruption and evolution are creating seemingly unlimited possibilities both within and without the sector. We will also continue our international work including ambitions to support the Welsh Government’s Wales in Japan campaign in 2025 and other policy related activity. Building on the strong foundations and significant impacts of the last 10 years I am confident we are going to effect and support further change within the sector. On a closer horizon we will be celebrating Creative Cardiff’s 10th birthday in October 2025. We have exciting plans in development for the future of the network which we’ll look forward to sharing.”
Having utilised the services of Creative Cardiff ourselves over the last 10 years, not least their recruitment platform to meet some of our brilliant team members, I highly recommend you use the QR code below to find out more about Creative Cardiff.
To learn more about Creative Cardiff, visit their website; www.creativecardiff.org.uk
