13 January 2022

  • New research shows strong parental support for university creative courses
  • More than two thirds (69 per cent) of parents say that creative courses are vital for powering UK’s creative industries and nearly two thirds (65 per cent) say that they benefit the UK economy
  • But 67 per cent fear the pandemic has caused long term damage to UK’s creative industries
  • Universities UK launches Creative Sparks campaign to encourage the Government to promote and support the importance of creativity and creative courses

The study, conducted by Savanta ComRes for Universities UK, reveals that nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of parents agree that creative courses at university benefit the UK economy, while more than two thirds (69 per cent) say that students gain vital creative skills at university which are essential to powering the UK’s creative industries.

But there are fears that the UK’s renowned creative output could now be under threat, with two thirds (67 per cent) of UK parents acknowledging that creative industries have suffered greatly as a result of the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, the creative industries was the UK’s fastest growing sector, generating over £116 billion for the economy and directly employing 2.1 million people.

A band playing on stage

In response, Universities UK has launched MadeAtUni: Creative Sparks, a campaign to showcase the creative talent produced by UK universities and encourage the Government to promote and support the importance of creativity and creative courses.

Seven in ten (71 per cent) parents are proud that the UK is one of the world's leading producers of creative culture and (70 per cent) say that creative activities – such as listening to music, reading, watching television, and gaming – are crucial to boosting wellbeing during the pandemic.

Amanda Wilkinson, Director of Universities Wales said: “Our universities, creative education and brilliant academics are central to the UK’s creative excellence and vital to the success of our creative industries. Here in Wales, our universities are a key contributor to the creative industries, providing a critical pipeline of talent, skills and opportunities to a sector that employs more than 56,000 people across Wales. From music to films, TV programmes to video games, universities are places where creative ideas flourish, where innovation happens, and where businesses employing thousands of people are started. They’re where the nation’s creative sparks are ignited.”

As part of the campaign – backed by Radio 1 Breakfast host Greg James – every university in the country was invited to put forward a ‘Creative Spark’ which has had an impact on people’s lives – an individual or project that has made a huge contribution to British arts and culture.

A host of the UK’s leading creative talent has been nominated, including comedians Greg Davies and Nish Kumar, and musician Laura Mvula. These sparks are just some of the examples of how UK universities contribute to the country’s creative excellence.

Click here to read the full list of Creative Sparks, or play the online game to see which “Creative Spark” you are here.

Creative Sparks from Welsh universities celebrated in the campaign include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The 40+ students and graduates from the University of South Wales who worked on the BBC adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials
  • Design researchers from Cardiff Metropolitan University who created HUG - an interactive device which improves the mental wellbeing of people with advanced dementia.
  • Two graduates from Wrexham Glyndŵr University who started Focus Wales, an international festival featuring emerging talent alongside big-name acts
  • Annabelle Apsion – actress and Swansea University English and Drama graduate best known for playing Monica Gallagher in the hit television series Shameless.
  • Tim Routledge - Technical Theatre graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama who was the lighting designer for the iconic Stormzy set at Glastonbury 2019 and the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.
  • Theatre students from the University of Wales Trinity St David who are working with the charity Oasis to run workshops for refugees and asylum seekers who have settled in Cardiff
  • Osian Williams - an award-winning film maker who credits his success to the support he received while studying at Bangor University
  • Creative Cardiff - an award-winning network for the creative industries established by Cardiff University
  • BBC’s The One Show host Alex Jones who graduated with a BA in Drama from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University. Having worked for a number of years for S4C as a Welsh language TV presenter, she has now hosted the primetime BBC1 programme for over a decade.

You can find out more about the UK’s Creative Sparks here. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter and Facebook.