Only create

Whether by accident or design, as a nation we speak the international language of business and have many links to the newly developing powerhouse nations of the 21st century such as India and China. In their wake we have achieved consistent economic growth for the past 15 years.

But many people ask what do we actually do now? My ancestors are from the industrial heartlands of Britain - variously working as farm labourers, cobblers and mill bosses. These down to earth people would struggle with the job descriptions of their descendents - strategy consultant, derivatives trader, website designer? But what do you actually do? We don't seem to make anything any more.

And, although we do still make quite a lot and there is certainly a niche of high quality British products, it is true that we are no longer a major industrial power, sidelined by the cheaper costs of the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economies.

So what is the true nature of our competitive advantage? What is keeping us in I-pods and solar panels? And more importantly what will cause it to grow or be destroyed?

It's no secret that we are primarily a services economy particularly based on trade, with the City of London now confirmed as the leading centre for financial trading globally. What is perhaps less well known is that 8% of our GDP is from the creative industries, more than any for that of a developed country. And in the post-industrial economy places that attract creativity and creative people are engines of growth.

Music, sport, food and fashion are all examples of massively growing areas. Our frequently derided media are also a sign of our strength in the creative sector; we are world leading in print media and up there in broadcast and new media.

I believe that this empirical and anecdotal evidence shows something important, that we are a creative hub. And it is a fortunate position to be in. For in a world where commodity prices are relentlessly driven down, and someone cheaper is always around the corner, it is ultimately those who can innovate and create that will succeed.

We cannot assume though that we will retain our leadership in this area. There are crucial ways in which our approach needs to change to retain our prominence.

Our education system must not only encourage academic achievement, it must also foster innovative thinking. It must inspire people. Crucially this cannot be delivered by centralised bureaucratic dictat. My concern is that, so much more of the curriculum is prescribed. Questions are asked in multiple-choice format. The need to think sometimes seems to have been replaced with the need to know.

We must also guard against the institutionalisation of creativity - creativity cannot be created. It flourishes where people have room to think and explore, not where a Government programme sponsors them to do so. If you look at the way East London has developed as a creative centre or indeed Deptford, near us- groups of artists get together and feed off each other. It's a very organic process.

Finally the talent of the individual is critical. Britain's character as a nation has always been eccentric, questioning and individual. People have thrived by challenging convention and going their own way. Our approach to Government needs to be one that empowers people to take decisions - otherwise we can be sure that free thinking people will get up and go.

I hope they won't. Britain needs them. Only create.

Back to all posts