Parents back university creative courses, citing benefit to UK economy

The study, conducted by Savanta ComRes for Universities UK, reveals that nearly two thirds (65%) of parents agree that creative courses at university benefit the UK economy, while more than two thirds (69%) say that students gain vital creative skills at university which are essential to powering the UK’s creative industries.

But there are fears that the UK’s renowned creative output could now be under threat, with two thirds (67%) of UK parents acknowledging that creative industries have suffered greatly as a result of the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, the creative industries was the UK’s fastest growing sector, generating over £116 billion for the economy and directly employing 2.1 million people.

In response, Universities UK has launched MadeAtUni: Creative Sparks, a campaign to showcase the creative talent produced by UK universities and encourage the Government to promote and support the importance of creativity and creative courses.

Seven in ten (71%) parents are proud that the UK is one of the world's leading producers of creative culture and 70% say that creative activities – such as listening to music, reading, watching television, and gaming – are crucial to boosting wellbeing during the pandemic.

As part of the campaign – backed by Radio 1 Breakfast host Greg James – every university in the country was invited to put forward a ‘Creative Spark’ which has had an impact on people’s lives – an individual or project that has made a huge contribution to British arts and culture

A host of the UK’s leading creative talent has been nominated, including comedians Greg Davies and Nish Kumar, and musician Laura Mvula. These sparks are just some of the examples of how UK universities contribute to the country’s creative excellence.

Sparks including Keith Chapman, Norwich University of the Arts alumni and creator of the Bob the Builder, and Cressida Cowell MBE, University of Brighton alumni and author of How to Train Your Dragon, are calling on the public to recognise and celebrate the impact of university creative courses on the UK’s creative industries:

You can read the full list of Creative Sparks, or watch the campaign video, voiced by Greg James. 

Creative Sparks celebrated in the campaign include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Greg Davies – Brunel University alumni, comedian and actor
• Keith Chapman – Norwich University of the Arts alumni, creator of popular television programmes such as Bob the Builder and PAW Patrol
• Laura Mvula – Birmingham City University alumni, musician
• Roger Waters and Nick Mason, Pink Floyd – University of Westminster alumni, musicians
• Ruth Wilson – University of Nottingham alumni, actress best known for The Affair, Luther, His Dark Materials, and Mrs Wilson
• Nish Kumar – Durham University alumni, comedian and presenter
• Krysty Wilson-Cairns – Royal Conservatoire of Scotland alumni, co-writer of BAFTA winning movie 1917
• Lisa McGee – Queens University Belfast alumni, screenwriter of Derry Girls
• Steven Knight – UCL alumni, writer and creator of BBC Two’s Peaky Blinders

You can find out more about the UK’s Creative Sparks at the MadeAtUni website. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter and Facebook.

Notes to editors

Savanta ComRes interviewed 1,061 GB parents of children aged 18 or under online between 11 March and 15 March 2020, and a further 1,298 between 10 December and 21 December 2021. Data is weighted to be representative of all GB parents of children aged 18 and under by age, gender and region.