A new dedicated, cross party forum to champion the creator economy unveiled today at the YouTube Festival, an annual industry event in London. The new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) will act as a vital bridge between the UK’s creators and Westminster. The group’s formation follows feedback from over 10,000 digital creators who took part in YouTube’s inaugural Creator Consultation earlier this summer.
The new APPG’s mission is to champion the significant social and economic contributions of UK creators while working with policymakers to deepen their understanding of the digital creator economy and advocate effectively for the sector. Two former Digital Ministers — Feryal Clark MP and Lord Ed Vaizey — will co-chair the cross-party group of parliamentarians taking part.
Creators are a dynamic and growing force within the creative industries with the potential to power a new era of innovation, contributing over £2.2 billion* to the UK economy and supporting over 45,000 jobs*. However, the Consultation revealed that UK creator growth is significantly hampered by a lack of recognition. This is compounded by significant gaps in support - including skills, training, funding, studio space, and filming permits - which undermines creators' ability to innovate, reach new audiences, build their businesses, and support economic growth.
The forum will tackle the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the sector, including skills, training and funding opportunities, improvements to filming infrastructure, alongside the need for greater government and industry representation. The new group will be run by the Digital Creator Association and Influencer Marketing Trade Body, both of which represent the interests of digital creator, with support from YouTube as the next step following the Creator Consultation.
*2024 Oxford Economics Impact Report