The Welsh Government is providing a further £2.5m to support the growth of the creative industries in Wales.
The funding will provide an injection of additional investment into the film and TV sector. The publishing sector will also receive support to respond to continuing challenges and aid revenue generation.
More than 3,500 businesses currently operate in the creative sectors supported by Creative Wales, employing more than 35,000 people. Latest figures show the sector generated an annual turnover of £1.5bn in 2023, an increase of more than 10% on the previous year.
This latest funding follows £2m of further investment by the Welsh Government to Bad Wolf to produce two new high end TV productions which will result in £30m spend in the Welsh economy. The funding for the Cardiff-based production company was announced at last week’s Wales Investment Summit.
It takes the Welsh Government’s production investment to £33.8m across 70 projects since the launch of Creative Wales, generating £419.7m for Wales’ economy.
Minister for Culture Jack Sargeant said:“The creative industries are a real success story for Wales, and we’re hugely proud of the talent that exists across the sector. Whether it’s actors, storytellers, musicians, animators or games developers, our creative industries consistently put our nation on the global stage.
“Not only is the industry an important economic driver for Wales, but we are fostering and upskilling the next generation of creatives by incentivising training and apprenticeship opportunities for our young people, ensuring Wales continues to be a place to enjoy a successful, sustainable career.
“We are committed to investing in this part of the sector and to nurturing talent, supporting creative businesses and encouraging the creation of high-quality content that stands tall among other countries.”
The funding of £210,000 for the publishing sector, following bids to an open fund, will provide support for eight projects designed to sustain the journalism sector. Beneficiaries include the Caerphilly Observer's court list, which provides an open-source, searchable database eliminating the need for journalists to manually search court records. Nation Cymru is also getting funding for a programme providing mentoring, paid placements and commissions for emerging journalists from under-represented communities.
Mr Sargeant said: “vibrant, sustainable journalism sector is essential for Welsh democracy and our communities. These eight projects represent exactly the kind of innovative, collaborative thinking we need to address the challenges facing journalism in Wales.
“By investing in initiatives that benefit the entire sector, we’re supporting systemic change that will strengthen public interest journalism for years to come. Whether it’s creating new training pathways, developing vital infrastructure like the Court List database, or ensuring communities across Wales can access quality, locally-relevant journalism, these projects will make a real difference.”
