Northamptonshire At the heart of the UK for Creative Industries

Creative Northants: Creative & Cultural Industries Prospectus

But don’tjust takeour wordfor it.

Northamptonshire was recently awarded ‘Most Enterprising Place in Britain’ because of its innovative approach to supporting business.

The Enterprising Britain Awards, run by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, looked for a place that demonstrated a postive impact of enterprise on the community over the past two years.

Northamptonshire County Council was chosen for its commitment to reinvigorating its local economy as well as supporting a renewed focus on generating exports.

Northamptonshire: at the heart of the UK for Creative Industries

www.creativenorthants.co.uk

NEP, a Local Enterprise Partnership with a fundamental remit to develop the Northamptonshire economy, has identified the Creative and Cultural Industries sector as one of the county’s priority areas. One of the ways in which NEP is delivering on its objectives for the sector is through Creative Northants. We want to welcome you to Northamptonshire - an increasingly popular location for ambitious creative industries to locate, invest and grow.

• AcentralUKlocationwithexcellent transportlinks• Qualitybusinessaccommodation inourInnovationCentresandin thenewWatersideEnterpriseZone• Askilledworkforce• Focusedbusinesssupport• Asupportiveuniversity• Digitaldevelopmentsbringing SuperfastBroadband

The significant investment opportunities for you to grow your creative business in Northamptonshire are all the more attractive when combined with easily affordable business accommodation, lower house prices, good schools, stunning countryside and heritage and a vibrant cultural life. A number of ambitious plans for the growth and prosperity of Northamptonshire’s enterprise, heritage and culture make this a great time to be living, working and investing in the county.

In Northamptonshire you’ll find everything you need to help your business succeed. This prospectus isproduced by Creative Northants and Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP) to promote theparticular attributes of Northamptonshire as the best place to start-up, develop or relocate creative businesses.

The combination of all these factors makes Northamptonshire an ideal, cost-effective and competitive location for both new and expanding businesses.

Business isBoomingNorthamptonshire is already working as a successful base location for many nationally and internationally known companies including Barclaycard, Avon Cosmetics Ltd, Carlsberg UK, Weetabix and Travis Perkins.

Creative industries currently contribute £97million GVA to the local economy. Northamptonshire’s ambitious and entrepreneurial Creative Industries sector is experiencing growth even in this challenging economic climate. Join us in a county where business is booming.

Job creation is intrinsically linked to the support given to local companies and to attracting new businesses to the county including the creative industries. In Northamptonshire, we bring the talent, skills and business acumen of our creative businesses closer to other key sectors including High Performance Technologies, Logistics and Food & Drink.

Government highlights the creative industries as an important growth area in rebalancing the economy. The sector is currently contributing £28 billion to the UK economy each year, employing 1.8 million people. Up to 2020, the creative sector is forecast to produce GVA growth of 31% and employment growth of 33%.

Creative Northants and NEP are committed to creating the right conditions for the creative industries to flourish by supporting entrepreneurial businesses to develop and contribute to Northamptonshire’s economic prosperity.

In Northamptonshire, you’ll find everything you need to help your business succeed. www.creativenorthants.co.uk

“Northamptonshire is a great county

for innovation and enterprise.

Creative industries not only make a

significant contribution to the local

economy but also have the potential to

create highly skilled jobs.”

Paul SouthworthChairman, NEP

HPT map from banner stands?

A14

Northampton

A5199A508

A508

A51230

A6116

A6003

A45

A45

A43

A5

A5

A6

A6

A43

A43

A43

A45

A425

A361

A361A428

A427

M1

J17 M1 M45

M1

M6

Warwick35 mins fromNorthampton

Birmingham50 mins fromNorthampton

Loughborough50 mins fromNorthampton

London Heathrow1hr 10mins from Northampton

London Gatwick1hr 45mins fromNorthampton

London Stansted1hr 30mins fromNorthampton

Luton Airport40 mins from Northampton

Cambridge50 mins from Northampton

Cranfield35 mins from Northampton

Oxford 60 mins fromNorthampton

Kettering

Daventry

Brackley

Corby

Wellingborough

A14

Towcester

Rushden

A45

Located at the heart of the UK and identified as one of its fastest growing counties, Northamptonshire is both enterprising and ambitious.

Northamptonshire:

The Place to Invest

Northamptonshire for Business Growth

At Creative Northants, we understand that successful businesses are of paramount importance to growing the jobs market. They are equally crucial when it comes to marketing the county as an ideal place for business development and therefore securing Northamptonshire’s economic future.

www.creativenorthants.co.uk

Northamptonshire is at the forefront of supporting enterprise and entrepreneurship, skills development, European and international inward investment as well as major investment in commercial development, infrastructure and the environment.

The county is at the centre of a leading communications network and is located at the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, Europe’s premier high-tech region. This allows easy access to UK markets and population and ensures quick links to continental Europe.

Northamptonshire’s central location means excellent access to rail links to London and Birmingham, two of Europe’s largest centres of cultural and creative industries activity, with both cities less than an hour away.

There is easy access to the major road networks, M1, M40, M45, M6, A14 (A1-M1 Link), A43 and A45 and there are five international airports within one hour’s drive time.

“Northamptonshire was the natural choice for me to start a creative business after years working in London’s west end.

The county has a large number of businesses that we have worked with and it provides a

geographically convenient location.

I have been delighted by the informed and tangible business support and networks

that Creative Northants has provided. Northamptonshire offers beautiful countryside which helps to strike a work life balance. It also

has proactive business networks and a rich cultural heritage for artistic regeneration”.

Maughan JohnsonFeed Group www.feedgroup.co.uk

Case Study 01Balance Ltd

Balance is a marketing agency that works with businesses to help maximise their brand potential.Clients include local, national and international companies including Delta Motorsport, KS Composites and the Rugby Football Union.

In summer 2012, as part of a multimillion pound hospitality programme, Balance was an integral part of the creative team supplying Coca-Cola’s Global Hospitality business. As part of a significant Olympic contract, Balance, in conjunction with The University of Northampton’s NVision Technology Centre, developed a unique digital and 3D delivery package for the corporate hospitality market. Using some of the latest 3D immersive cave technology to visualise experiential spaces prior to installation, the package allows hospitality providers and global brands to walk around their hospitality venues well in advance of on-site installation.

“Northamptonshire is the ideal location

for our business as its transport links enable

us to supply and support major direct and

agency clients across the UK’s primary

commercial centres without the associated

cost of their locations.”

Neil WebbBalance www.balanceltd.co.uk

www.creativenorthants.co.uk

Driving DigitalDevelopmentSuperfast Northamptonshire is developing 100% Superfast Broadband across Northamptonshire over the next five years, bringing growth in demand for digital content and for improved online networking and services.

This will enable creative industries to be at the leading edge of the global digital economy.

We understand that Superfast Broadband is a key factor influencing the decision for businesses to locate in the county. It has also become necessary to help deliver innovation and the improvements in business performance that will lead to job creation and economic growth.

Northamptonshire County Council has already committed over £4m, alongside funds from government and a supplier, to invest in a new infrastructure by 2015. This investment is focused on the rural areas and other areas outside current or planned superfast deployments.

Plans are also being developed to secure additional funds needed to extend countywide coverage by 2017 with access to achievable line speeds in excess of 30mbps.

The leading edge of the global digital economy

Find out more: northamptonshire-loves-broadband.co.uk

www.creativenorthants.co.uk

“Our pledge to be number one university for

social enterprise underpins everything we

do. We work closely across industry and the

county and way beyond. Our goal is for a

major global impact and the future benefits

of this for the whole county cannot be under-

estimated.”

Professor Nick PetfordVice Chancellor, The University of Northampton

Developing a Skilled WorkforceCreative industries benefit from the support of The University of Northampton which focuses on social enterprise and is number one for graduate employability. The university offers businesses useful links to international business and research as well as a pool of skilled graduates.

Creative industries also benefit from programmes and events offered by its Business School and Enterprise Club, in addition to sector specific support from Creative Northants.

We know that the creative industries sector is characterised by high levels of graduate employment and Creative Northants works with the School of the Arts to identify routes to employability in the sector, co-ordinating work experience and internships to support your growing creative businesses.

The university has excellent links with industry and specialisms include fashion and leather and an emerging speciality in digital development and gaming.

www.creativenorthants.co.uk

Investing in SkillsIn common with the rest of the UK, youth unemployment is a key issue for Northamptonshire and, increasingly, there are high numbers of bright young people looking for alternatives to higher education.

There are a number of industry-wide initiatives in place to address this and to encourage businesses to think about employing young people as part of their development plans. Initiatives include NEP’s Challenge 2016 (2,016 apprentices by 2016) programme and Work Inspiration Northampton designed to promote work experience.

Creative Northants is promoting and co-ordinating a sector specific programme of Creative Apprenticeships to benefit creative businesses. We are working with Creative Alliance, the leading independent training provider within the sector, to deliver this.

Apprenticeships bring enormous benefits and fresh-thinking to small businesses, helping them grow. What’s more, they have the potential to change young lives. We are delighted that so many of our creative and cultural businesses have signed new apprentices.

For more information on Challenge 2016 please visit www.northamptonshireep.co.uk/challenge 2016 www.creativenorthants.co.uk

Case Study 02Boot and Shoe Industry: Northamptonshire’s Unique Creative ClusterNorthamptonshire has a unique creative cluster in its boot and shoe industry. We have a niche market with a high concentration of heritage footwear brands which are going from strength to strength nationally and internationally including Church’s, owned by Prada, Loake, Barkers, Doc Martens, Grenson, Cheaneys and Crockett & Jones, providers of shoes to the new James Bond film. These brands, and newer brands including Jeffrey West, Daisy Roots and Stamp Shoes by Nicholas Cooper, continue to innovate and contribute to high value jobs and growth.

The International Footwear Foundation (IFF) is an exciting initiative led by The University of Northampton in partnership with NEP and Northampton Borough Council which celebrates and promotes internationally this unique strength in footwear design and manufacturing. A working tannery and the work of the Creative Institute of Leather Technology at the University, together with the world’s largest shoe collection at Northampton Museums & Art Gallery, ensures that the county has a compelling story to tell about jobs in this industry contributing to business growth and developing thevisitor economy.

The vision is for the county to be recognised as a centre of excellence for footwear design in heritage, education, research and manufacturing.

www.creativenorthants.co.uk

“As a bespoke shoemaker being

close to London is very important to

me and since Northamptonshire also

happens to be a centre of expertise in leather

and footwear doing business here is

a no-brainer.”

Nicholas CooperStamp Shoes

Northampton Alive is a scheme created to bring together and promote the town’s regeneration and heritage projects.

The scheme demonstrates that Northampton is ‘alive’ with drive and determination, major activity and enterprise with an array of exciting projects being delivered in unison. Together, these projects will increase the size of the town centre by more than a third over the next decade.

Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone is led by the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) and also has the backing of NEP, making it the only Enterprise Zone in the country to be supported by two separate Local Enterprise Partnerships.

It will provide 90,000m² of high quality mixed-use development on a stretch of land running alongside the River Nene from Castle Railway Station to the south of Northampton Town Centre. Much investment has already been made nearby with the new headquarters of Avon Cosmetics and a new Marina recently completed.

Focus on Northampton:

Northampton Alive

The ‘Big Six’ Major Town Developments:

• The Waterside Enterprise Zone, offering quality, affordable office accommodation and business rate relief

• Castle Railway Station and a new bus interchange offering better facilities, capacity and station services

• New University of Northampton student halls of residence; a new innovation centre themed around social enterprise and CPD, plans to relocate the university to the town centre

• Project Angel: a proposed major office development that could bring 2,500 workers into the centre

• Grosvenor Centre: a major transformation of the shopping centre providing a modern shopping experience

• Avon Nunn Mills: including prestigious new waterside offices attracting new jobs and investment. The university has also expressed interest in the site as the location for a new town centre campus

For more information: www.northampton.gov.uk/northamptonalive

The regeneration of the town centre means that Northampton is transforming into a hub for growth of creative industriesin general .

TheCulturalQuarter

www.creativenorthants.co.uk

Emerging at the heart of Northampton’s regeneration is a shared vision for a Cultural Quarter centred around Derngate and Guildhall Road, featuring the award-winning Royal & Derngate, NN Contemporary Art at No 9 Guildhall, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery and 78 Derngate, the only Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed house outside Scotland.

These organisations are working with Northampton Borough Council, Northamptonshire County Council, Creative Northants and local businesses to ensure that the Cultural Quarter celebrates and promotes the wealth and diversity of the town’s culture and heritage. This includes the annual Carnival and music festivals, animating the area and outdoor space with performances, events and festivals.

The Cultural Quarter will play a valuable role in the town centre, contributing to improvements to the town centre economy.

Case Study 03The Royal & Derngate

“Regional Theatre of the Decade” The Guardian

Contributing nearly £20m to the local economy, Royal & Derngate is at the heart of Northampton’s cultural scene with ambitious plans for a new cinema contributing to the overall vision for the regeneration of the town centre.

www.royalandderngate.co.uk www.creativenorthants.co.uk

Located in the new Waterside Enterprise Zone, Royal & Derngate is the main venue for arts and entertainment in Northampton. It is at the heart of Northampton’s cultural life and forms the backbone of the emerging Cultural Quarter. Royal & Derngate attracts more than 450,000 people as audiences or participants in Northampton, on tour, in the West End and on Broadway.

Photographers:A Christmas Carol - Robert DayBully Boy - Mike EddowesBlood Wedding - Jayne West

A Christmas Carol

Blood Wedding

Cinderella

Save The Last Dance For Me

Bully Boy

Moscow City Ballet

Royal & Derngate

Case Study 04

Creative Northants is a strategic and developmental agency dedicated to the jobs growth and economic prosperity of the creative and cultural industries in Northamptonshire through a variety of business support initiatives. Our job is to help your creative business succeed in Northamptonshire.

Creative Northants is based at the Portfolio Innovation Centre at The University of Northampton where there is a strong culture of innovation and business support.

At Creative Northants we take a broad view of the industry by supporting business development and growth for innovative and creative businesses.

The DCMS definition of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) captures 13 sectors: advertising, architecture, arts and antiques, craft, design, designer fashion, film and video, interactive leisure software, music, the performing arts, publishing, software and computer services, TV and radio.

Creative Northants offers strategic leadership and business provision for the sector, delivering targeted programmes that develop businesses from the early stages of start-up through to trading and beyond.

We provide your creative business with specific business development programmes including training and networking events, Mentoring and Skills Development and Next Step growth programmes.

Creative Northants’ partners are NEP, Northamptonshire County Council, The University of Northampton and the Arts Council. Our services complement other business support activity including NEP’s Enterprise Hub in conjunction with Northampton Central & Wellingborough Libraries and add value by delivering programmes that meet the particular needs of the sector.

Our successful business support programme is focused on economic development and helping creative industries towards resilience and sustainability.

www.creativenorthants.co.uk

Portfolio Innovation Centre

The Portfolio Innovation Centre is the enterprising home and support network for new and emerging design, digital and creative industries in the region. Based at The University of Northampton, the centre offers young companies a stimulating and supportive environment, nurturing talent and innovation and providing its resident creative entrepreneurs with the tools, advice and resources they need to achieve and exceed their business potential.

Companies based here work with national and international clients and export work worldwide.www.portfoliocentre.co.uk

Case Study 05“My company has been in the Portfolio Centre

for four years now and during that time we

have received invaluable support and advice

from the Portfolio Innovation Centre staff.

We have also collaborated successfully with

many other tenants. The centre is a creative

hotbed in an increasingly creative region of the

country and I count myself lucky to be here.”

Sean ToruToru Interactive www.toruinteractive.com

Morag BallantyneHead of Creative Industries Development

Creative NorthantsPortfolio Innovation CentreUniversity of Northampton

St George’s AvenueNorthampton NN2 6FB

01604 779021info@CreativeNhants

info@creativenorthants.co.ukwww.creativenorthants.co.uk

Kate Dent Head of Marketing & Communications

Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership30 Billing Road, Northampton NN1 5DQ

01604 609393kate.dent@northamptonshireep.co.uk

www.northamptonshireep.co.uk

www.creativenorthants.co.uk

Talk to us about how we can help

your business benefit from all that

Northamptonshire has to offer.

Supporting jobs led business growth is the prevailing issue at the forefront of Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership’s (NEP’s)development strategy.

Together with partners including Creative Northants, Northamptonshire County Council and The University of Northampton, NEP has recognised a clear need for adevelopmental and support vehicle for the county’s Creative& Cultural Industries.

Building on the achievements of those in the sector byoffering leadership and a strategic framework for development and working with established stakeholders, NEP is committed to making the best of Northamptonshire’s creative opportunity.

To find out about NEPs wide range of funding and business support services go to:www.northamptonshireep.co.uk/funding-business-support

We love Enterprise

www.northamptonshireep.co.uk