Castlereagh Council aims to boost local creative industries!

Castlereagh Borough Council has joined forces with other Councils of the metropolitan region (Comet) to create a funding submission to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Creative Industries Innovation Fund.

The specific programme objectives for this project include:

- The identification of all relevant businesses located within the COMET area (this will include the thirteen areas of activity as identified through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (UK) definition of creative industries).
- A comprehensive survey (‘mapping’) of all businesses so identified.
- A consultative process with key local and regional stakeholders.
- Establishment of a baseline of the Creative and Cultural businesses within the COMET area.
- Identification of key barriers and common needs of these firms.
- A review of existing schemes and measures including best practice in global leaders in the development of the sector eg London, and closer to home in Belfast which has had a creative industries programme in place for a number of years highlighting opportunities and identification of "gaps" in provision.
- The elucidation of a strategy/development plan for the development of the sector in the identified area.
- Identification of opportunities for new business and job creation in the sector
Identification of opportunities for shared learning across the sector, knowledge transfer, collaborative projects etc.
- Targeted Enterprise Support to 20 new business start ups in conjunction with the Go For It programme.
- Delivery of an initial targeted programme of business development support to 25 businesses operating within the COMET creative industries sector, likely to have a focus on a range of key business sectors operating for example in the Media and Information Industries, craft, music and architecture.
- Promote business networking across the six council areas.
- Co-ordination and delivery of an International Showcase/Trade Development programme for 10 creative industries businesses from across the COMET region to an identified international market.

Implementation of the programme is subject to a positive funding outcome. To register your provisional interest to participate in a programme of this type please contact colinmccabrey@castlereagh.gov.uk .