The aim of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is to maximise the contribution of the arts sector, and through this to improve the quality of life of all. It also works with the creative industries, which are those industries with their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.
More information on the national picture
Arts Council England
The lead arts development agency in the region is the South East office of Arts Council England, the national body which works with a wide spectrum of art forms, including:
- performing arts (theatre, music, dance, festival, arts centres and the participatory arts)
- visual arts
- crafts
- architecture
- media arts
- literature
As well as providing advice, guidance and development opportunities, it also distributes public funding from the Government and the National Lottery. Arts Council England has strong links with both the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and the Regional Assembly and is increasingly adding its specialist input to various elements of our work - such as in the three Growth Areas (Ashford, the Thames Gateway and Milton Keynes) and in aspects of our work with children and young people.
Screen South
Screen South is the film and media agency for the South East. It too distributes funding from both the Government and the National Lottery for projects in these sectors. It has close links with SEEDA and is developing its involvement with the Government Office for the South East.
The Creative Industries
The creative industries make a vital contribution to the economy of the region. The South East is second only to London in terms of both the financial turnover and the number of jobs the creative industries support. The region has a number of centres of international or national significance including Brighton & Hove (media, new media and web design), Guildford (computer games design), Oxford (publishing) and Southampton (broadcasting).
All the regional cultural agencies and SEEDA contribute to the continuing health and expansion of the creative industry sector in the South East. A copy of the study jointly commissioned by them on the economic impact of these industries is available on Culture South East’s website.
