Before I joined the Arts and Humanities Research Council, I knew I was part of the creative industries in some way. Whether through the many podcasts I listen to or my self-confessed craft-a-holic tendencies, I was a consumer and creator in a sector that touches all our lives.
Six years on, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a tenacious, innovative and highly collaborative community that has helped position the creative industries as a success story for the UK – central to both our culture and economy.
From film and fashion to gaming and design, creative businesses and research are the bedrock of this success.
Research and development partnerships
At the heart of it lies partnerships – between academia and industry, between places and disciplines.
These collaborations are not just beneficial, they’re essential to ensuring that the creative industries continue to thrive, attract investment and deliver innovation across the whole of the UK.
This principle guided the formation of the CI Clusters seven years ago.
The idea was simple but powerful: research and development partnerships between business and academia working together to unlock innovation and drive growth across the country. And it worked.
The initial nine clusters delivered an impressive return, securing over £270 million in public and private leverage based on an initial UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) investment of £56 million (£5 for every £1), boosting local economies, creating and safeguarding jobs and tackling a range of other challenges.
Next wave
Now we are ready for the next wave.
Following the announcement of two new clusters last year, we had planned to launch a new funding opportunity in spring.
However, with the publication of government’s new Industrial Strategy and subsequent Creative Industries Sector Plan, we have taken time to reflect and respond to the additional commitments outlined in the plan.
The sector plan reaffirmed the value of the clusters model. It was a real mark of recognition for the sector when an extra £50 million was allocated to establish at least double the number of clusters over the next three years.
New funding opportunity
With at least £100 million now committed for CI Clusters, we are busy working behind the scenes to launch the next wave of funding in January 2026.
This time, we’re looking to add four new entities as part of our ongoing process to grow a portfolio of clusters.
We will be prioritising new geographies and sub-sectors of the creative industries – areas that haven’t previously received cluster funding – and as we grow, we’re keen to support regional growth plans across the UK.
Host universities which have previously led a cluster are welcome to join new applications as partners.
Vast possibilities
The possibilities are vast and we’re excited to see how the creative industries can continue to drive innovation in unexpected places.
We are also keen to work as UKRI to support clusters which intersect with other sectors, such as health and medical technologies, information and communication technologies or advanced manufacturing, and to find new ways to show the growth potential of our sector in the industrial strategy.
Before the launch of the new funding opportunity, we will be running a couple of engagement webinars where you can learn more about the call and ask us any questions.
The planned timeline is:
- 14 October 2025 2:00pm to 3:00pm UK time – CI Clusters engagement webinar
- 23 October 2025 10:00am to 11:00am UK time – CI Clusters engagement webinar
- 26 November 2025 (time to be confirmed) – CI Clusters panel taking place at the BEYOND conference, Salford
- 5 January 2026 – CI Clusters call goes live
This is a really exciting time for the sector. We can’t wait to read the next wave of applications – each one a testament to the talent, creativity and possibilities that defines the UK’s creative industries.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions: creative@ahrc.ukri.org
Register for the upcoming engagement webinars.
Audra Gill is the Head of Creative Industries at the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).