Unveiling the New Wave: Transitioning from Poetry, Pottery, Illustration to Immersive Technology
Fusing Brainpower with Creativity: Introducing our new Industry Champions
The creative sector thrives on collaboration and innovation, and to drive these efforts further, we've assembled another wave of trailblazers in the creative industry. Welcome to our second round of Industry Champions! These leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, and thought-leaders have been carefully selected to provide our research team with a wealth of insights, expertise, and feedback on policies that tackle some of the most pressing challenges within the creative industries.
Our first wave of recruits in 2019 saw 55 individuals joining our network, each making a substantial impact on our research and policy recommendations, particularly in discussions on the value of creative education and fostering local growth within the creative industries.
While we're proud of this starting point, we aimed higher, aiming to bolster our diverse and well-rounded group with more perspectives and experiences across the creative spectrum. Hence, our Industry Champions will continue to grow, with today's announcement marking the beginning of this exciting phase.
We took the time to listen and consult with both our existing Champions and the wider sector, seeking recommendations on who would make the most valuable additions to the network. Notably, many of these suggestions led to the direct inclusion of new Industry Champions.
Meet our new Industry Champions:
From artists and cultural producers to entrepreneurs, designers, and musicians, here's a sample of the inspiring individuals who'll be joining our growing network:
- Alia Alzougbi – A multifaceted creative powerhouse, Alia's ever-evolving career spans fine art, fashion design, and education.
- Amanda Maxwell – A cornerstone of the Shesaid.so community, she brings her expertise in music, arts, and cultural industries to the table.
- Ben Carlin – Innovation mastermind, Ben co-founded Megaverse and Immerse Sheffield, pioneering immersive entertainment experiences.
- Sydney Levinson – A committed Creative Industries activist, Sydney champions diversity, inclusivity, and social change in the arts.
Of course, this list is just the tip of the iceberg – for the full roster, head on over to our People page.
Our Industry Champions bring a wealth of insights that will contribute to our research efforts on essential topics like placemaking, innovation, and policy-making. Together, we'll industry partners, policymakers, and academics in formulating evidence-based policies designed to sustain and enrich the creative industries in the UK.
Remember, our Industry Champions represent diverse corners of the creative world. If you spot an untapped sub-sector, region, perspective, or role that deserves better representation, drop a line to Chloe Jeffries at [email protected]. Your input could be the catalyst for our next wave of Industry Champions!
[1] The Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) aims to create evidence-based policy that drives innovation, growth, and sustainability within the creative industries (Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre).
[2] Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, in partnership with industry experts, drives research on critical themes impacting the creative sector, such as placemaking, innovation, and the effects of COVID-19 on creative clusters (Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre).*
- The creative sector values collaboration and innovation, and our second round of Industry Champions, a diverse group of trailblazers in the creative industry, aim to contribute to these efforts.
- In 2019, 55 individuals were recruited as Industry Champions, making significant impacts on our research and policy recommendations, particularly on the value of creative education and fostering local growth within the creative industries.
- We aimed to expand our network by include more perspectives and experiences across the creative spectrum, leading to today's exciting phase of growth for our Industry Champions.
- Our new Industry Champions include Alia Alzougbi, a multifaceted creative powerhouse working in fine art, fashion design, and education; Amanda Maxwell, a music, arts, and cultural industries expert; Ben Carlin, an innovation mastermind responsible for immersive entertainment experiences; and Sydney Levinson, a champion for diversity, inclusivity, and social change in the arts.
- Our complete list of Industry Champions can be found on our People page.
- Our Industry Champions will contribute valuable insights to our research on placemaking, innovation, and policy-making, helping us formulate evidence-based policies for the creative industries in the UK.
- Our Industry Champions represent various corners of the creative world, but we are eager to represent untapped sub-sectors, regions, perspectives, or roles that deserve better representation.
- If you have suggestions for our next wave of Industry Champions, please contact Chloe Jeffries at [email protected].
- The Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre aims to create evidence-based policy that drives innovation, growth, and sustainability within the creative industries.
- In partnership with industry experts, the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre conducts research on critical themes impacting the creative sector, such as placemaking, innovation, and the effects of COVID-19 on creative clusters.
- In addition to our focus on creative industries, our research also addresses education, talents, and skills development, online education, education and self-development, fashion-and-beauty, gadgets, smartphones, technology, and lifestyle.
- Our research endeavors include evidence-based policies designed to enrich the creative industries, promote cultural heritage, and support the growth of talent, innovation, internationalisation, and economic development within the sector.
