The Western Development Commission (WDC ) is initiating Creative West 2035, a comprehensive new study and needs evaluation of the creative economy spanning Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway, and Clare, inviting all those involved in the sector to contribute by completing the Creative West 2035 survey.
The survey is currently available and offers practitioners, freelancers, companies, and organizations a valuable chance to express their experiences, requirements, and priorities.
This initiative builds upon the landmark Creative West report commissioned by the WDC in 2008, which revealed the substantial economic impact of the creative sector in the Western Region, including an estimated €534 million in revenue and 11,000 direct jobs at that time.
Nearly twenty years later, the creative economy has evolved considerably, with new creative fields, technologies, business models, markets, and opportunities arising throughout the region.
Creative West 2035 also follows the WDC’s creative sector mapping project, ongoing research scheduled for release later this month.
After an open tender process, the WDC selected Blu Zebra to conduct the research, collaborating with MG Reddan Consulting as part of the project team. Together, they bring extensive knowledge, experience, and dedication to the initiative.
The new analysis and needs assessment will go beyond identifying where creative activities occur to investigate how the sector is performing, what it requires for growth, and where the best prospects for future expansion, investment, and collaboration exist.
The research will explore the size and economic value of the creative economy, employment, skills, enterprise growth, access to funding and support, market routes, internationalisation, infrastructure, and emerging opportunities.
A crucial part of the project will involve broad engagement with creative practitioners, freelancers, businesses, cultural organizations, public agencies, education and training providers, sector bodies, and other stakeholders across all seven counties.
The WDC will also assess the effectiveness of current supports and identify gaps and opportunities that could guide future policy, investment, and program development.
Allan Mulrooney, CEO of the WDC, stated; “The creative economy in the West and Northwest has transformed greatly since the release of Creative West in 2008. We now have the chance to build on that vital work and create a new evidence base that reflects the sector as it is today, while also looking forward to what it might become over the next decade.
“This research will evaluate the needs, challenges, strengths, and opportunities within that ecosystem. We want this to be a truly evidence-driven process, shaped by the experience, expertise, and ambition of those working across the creative economy in the West. I encourage everyone involved in the sector to participate and complete the survey.”
The research will employ a mixed-method approach, combining existing data and studies with quantitative surveys, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, workshops, and targeted engagement throughout the region.
Special attention will be paid to ensuring that voices from rural, island, and Gaeltacht communities, as well as emerging practitioners, freelancers, micro-enterprises, and those not currently engaged with existing support systems, are included in the research.
The project will conclude with a detailed report outlining the key findings, opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for the future development of the Western Region’s creative economy, supported by accessible data visualizations and an accompanying presentation.
The findings aim to support long-term planning, policy formulation, investment, and future initiatives for the creative sector in the Western Region.
Creative West 2035 marks the next stage of the WDC’s ongoing involvement with the region’s creative economy.
The original 2008 report highlighted the scale and economic importance of the creative sector. The mapping project, to be released later this month, will offer an updated view of the creative ecosystem across the region. Creative West 2035 will advance this work by combining data and sector experience to understand its needs, opportunities, and future potential.
The research will pose the question: What can the Western Region’s creative economy become over the next decade, and what must happen to realize that potential?
The research begins with a survey of the creative sector across the Western Region. Practitioners, businesses, and organizations are invited to share their views by completing the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CreativeWest2035-Survey
This will be followed by a broad program of stakeholder engagement and consultation across the region, including interviews, workshops, focus groups, and other activities. Creative practitioners, businesses, organizations, and stakeholders from all seven counties will be encouraged to participate and help shape the evidence and recommendations arising from the research.
