17.04.03
Unique chance for Kernow to get creative

A unique new Objective One project looks set to help Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly take a national lead in the development of firms working in the creative industries.

Creative Kernow is a new company being created through a £410,000 project to provide hands-on support for small businesses and individuals working in the sector – which covers an enormous range of enterprises.

The two-and-a-half year project has been developed through a partnership involving Cornwall County Council, South West Arts, South West Screen and the Objective One Cultural Industries Task Force. In addition to £173,000 in European investment channelled via Objective One, support for the project is also being provided through its partners, as well as the Regional Arts Lottery Programme and Cornwall’s six district councils.

The company’s Executive Director, Julie Seyler, was appointed this month (April) and is currently working with the company’s new board to recruit the team for Creative Kernow, which will begin work later in the year.

She explained that Creative Kernow aims to be a centre of excellence providing co-ordination and capacity-building support that will boost the sector’s economic and social impact and its ability to contribute to the regional distinctiveness of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Julie said: “Cornwall is on the crest of a wave and the creative and cultural industries are playing a central role. Now, with assistance from Europe, this new initiative will maximise their ability to compete and flourish on local, national and international stages.

“Creative Kernow will provide dynamic leadership, advocacy, networking and market development for the sector, the capacity to lever in further investment and the ability to provide support for small businesses and individuals from key sub-sectors.”

She added: “Creative Kernow will also seek to bring together some of the existing initiatives underway in the creative and cultural industries in order to provide a single access point to information and a joined-up approach to sector development.”

Objective One Programme Director, Carleen Kelemen, said: “This project offers a ground-breaking solution that will create an effective and dynamic development infrastructure for the sector. Not only will it be responsive to the needs of small businesses and individual practitioners, it will also work within, and respond to, the policy demands of local, regional and national agencies.”

The creative and cultural industries are defined by the Department of Media Culture and Sport as activities that have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent, and that have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property. Enterprises within the sector include: advertising, architecture, crafts, design, fashion, film and video, media software, literature, music, performing arts, publishing, photography, software and computer services, television and radio, and the visual arts.
Creative Kernow aims to assist around 130 small and medium-sized enterprises through its work.

Editor's notes:

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF):

ERDF is one of our four funds that make up the Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which is making £314 million of investment available for developing the local economy between 2000 and 2006. ERDF exists to:

• Help reduce the gap between development levels and living standards among the regions and the extent to which least-favoured regions are lagging behind.

• Help redress the main regional imbalances in the European Community by participating in the development and structural adjustment of regions whose development is lagging behind, and the social conversion of regions.

For further information contact:

Julie Seyler
Creative Kernow
01872 271923
julie@creativekernow.com

Jason Clark
Communications Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Tel: 01872 241379
Fax: 01872 241388
jason@dclark.co.uk

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