The Fifth Column
Project notes, sector analysis and opinion. Creative Alchemy is our long-form series on culture, creative industries and the future of the creative economy.
Catch up with the latest news from The Fifth Sector
Shaping strategy for North East Scotland
Creative industries mapping carried out by The Fifth Sector for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire has shaped North East Culture Connects, the region's new governance, funding and data framework for growing the sector.
Liverpool City Region Music Economy: toward a £1 billion sector
Analysis by Iain Bennett of The Fifth Sector revealed that Liverpool City Region’s music economy has a distinctive ‘four-tier’ structure in which freelance and self-employed musicians and sector specialists (32%) and “shared utility” workers whose employment is partially attributable to music (50%) make up the majority of the sector workforce.
Surrey+ Creative Constellation
The executive summary of our report into the potential for Surrey and its surrounding areas to become a national driver of growth in Createch is now available.
New research highlights contribution to Kirklees’ £250m+ creative economy.
New research highlights contribution of freelancers and microbusinesses to Kirklees’ £250m+ creative economy
Meeting the skills needs of Creative Industry Freelancers and Microbusinesses
Creative freelancers and microbusinesses operate on a very different business model from most other small businesses. To be successful in a fast-changing and competitive marketplace, they need to combine a focus on their creative specialism with the ability to quickly ‘pivot’ to take advantage of new opportunities and diversify their revenue streams to create sustainable businesses.
Leicester Leading: Creative Industries strategy for Leicester
Creative Industries Strategy for Leicester an invitation to Creative employers, businesses and freelancers.
Culture Derby: a Cultural Masterplan and Cultural Compact for Derby City Council.
A Cultural Masterplan and Cultural Compact for Derby City Council last year building upon the legacy of the City of Culture 2025 bid.
Light at the end of the tunnel: illuminating culture in a post-covid world
In 2019 The Fifth Sector began work in conjunction with and supported Cultural Liverpool, creating a cultural strategy for the city that would span over the next 10 years as of the end of consultation in March 2020.
A Cultural Compact for Derby.
It was a real pleasure to work on a Cultural Compact for my adopted city. It was a journey that opened my eyes to a place I thought I knew well.
Planning a future for music venues
That vision, and its optimism, was based on evidence – particularly of the rapid growth of sound recording and music publishing activities over the previous five years.