We recently met with the team behind Pinewood Studios (fun fact: the latest Star Wars and Ant Man films were shot here) who told us some exciting news about its expansion plans… The Iver Heath-based film and TV studio is set to become one of the largest in the world, bringing 50,000 new creative jobs to the area by 2025!
If that doesn’t scream “growth sector”, these facts and figures should raise the volume.
What?
Creative Industries describes businesses with – you guessed it – creativity at their heart, such as design, literature, architecture, fashion, TV and radio, advertising, literature and performing arts. Whilst some of these are amongst the oldest activities in history, others only came into existence with the arrival of technology. This new classification is known as ‘createch’ and includes roles like Video Game Developer and Visual Effects Artist.
Why?
There’s never been a better time to start a career in the Creative Industries. With a mounting pressure to increase diversity (we all saw that Nepo Baby article), creative organisations are widening access to roles at all levels through offering mentoring programmes and discouraging unpaid internships. Result!
Where?
The number of Creative Industries employers in our county has tripled to 4,600 over the last decade, with one quarter of these located near Pinewood Studios, naturally. There’s also the iconic Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, National Film and Television School, The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, and British Film Designers Guild.
How?
From apprenticeships and internships to work experience and T Levels, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to bagging a creative role. However, you can't go wrong with Creative Media Skills Institute's free courses for students under 19, or if you're still trying to make up your mind, there's Pinewood’s Futures Festival and NFTS Open Days.
Feeling inspired? Check out the Sectors area of our website for an in-depth look at roles in the Creative Industries.