Celebrating five years of Creative Wales

Creative Wales, the Welsh Government’s internal agency for promoting and growing the nation’s creative industries, is celebrating its 5th anniversary following an exciting but challenging half-decade for the sector.

Since its inception in 2020, Creative Wales has been proud to support a range international successes across the creative sectors – from supporting home grown games companies that have topped the global streaming chart, to Hollywood blockbusters filmed in Wales using local talent.

The £28.6m of production funding Creative Wales has invested so far is projected to bring an additional £342m of additional spend into the Welsh economy, meaning for every £1 it has invested in the screen sector, Creative Wales has seen nearly £12 invested back in the Welsh economy.

The priority sectors – TV and film, music, games, animation and publishing – form the backbone of this thriving, made in Wales industry, collectively employing over 35,000 talented individuals.

The sector in Wales is continuing to grow its international reputation for excellence.

Here are 5 things Creative Wales has been proud to be involved in during its first 5 years.

Top UK TV shows and films made in Wales

From HBO’s roaring House of the Dragon, to Netflix’s coming-of-age comedy / drama Sex Education and Amazon’s recently announced Young Sherlock some major TV hits have been filmed in Wales thanks to Creative Wales’ backing.

And that’s not to mention our very own global production company, Bad Wolf, who this year mark ten years of providing sustainable jobs and training opportunities from their base in Cardiff and will soon be releasing their latest drama Dope Girls.

Bad Wolf’s founder and CEO, Jane Tranter, said: “I would like to congratulate Creative Wales on its 5-year anniversary! Bad Wolf is proud of the work we’ve done in partnership with Creative Wales over the last 5 years.

“When we decided to base Bad Wolf in Wales 10 years ago, it was with an aim of helping to create a sustainable TV industry in Wales, that would create jobs and training opportunities 365 days a year. Since its inception, Creative Wales has been a fierce and loyal partner in helping to achieve this aim.”

But it’s not just our TV screens showcasing our iconic locations – the hotly anticipated films Madfabulous, Mr Burton and 2023 critics’ favourite Chuck Chuck Baby have all made their homes in Wales.

Building a workforce

One of Creative Wales’ major priorities is to help the sector to train, upskill and diversify its workforce, providing quality job opportunities for people living in Wales and helping to securing a bright future for the industry here.

Through the Creative Skills Fund, Creative Wales has invested £3m in skills projects that help to upskill the priority sectors.

In addition, since 2020 its production fund investment has delivered 420 trainee placements and apprenticeships, ensuring a thriving pipeline of skilled professionals.

And whatever the production, Creative Wales’ support is always dependent on at least 51% of Welsh crew being used.

Zombies, detectives and pirates… our digital wizards have made it

Wales is fast becoming a powerhouse of storytelling, creativity and talent in the game and animation industries. In fact, one of 2024’s top-charting games, Sker Ritual, was made right here.

This gothic horror game, deeply rooted in Welsh folklore, became a global bestseller on PC and console after its launch.

And that’s just the beginning: our industry is brimming with incredible games and animations, with reimagined Mabinogion legends, footballing wizards and cozy gaming adventures galore – all by companies supported by Creative Wales.

Putting Wales’ work on the map

Creative Wales has been helping to put Wales on the global stage by championing our creative industries at major international events.

This support has included backing publishers at leading book fairs, including Frankfurt and helping Wales’ ingenious game-makers to take centre stage at San Francisco’s Game Developers Conference to promote their exciting work to thousands of industry leaders and gaming enthusiasts from across the globe.

Music to our ears

From providing over £10 million in crucial support to grassroots venues across Wales, to celebrating musical excellence through the prestigious Welsh Music Prize, and even taking talent across the Atlantic for a standout showcase at SXSW in Texas, Creative Wales has helped nurture and elevate our nation’s vocal and melodic talents to the world stage.

Published at the end of 2024, the latest statistics for the sectors supported by Creative Wales show an annual turnover of £1.5 billion was generated in 2023 alone, an increase of over 10% on the previous year.

Other highlights in the statistical report also showed that over 3,500 creative businesses now operate in Wales, a 12% increase since 2018.

Minister for the Creative Industries, Jack Sargeant, said: “Creative Wales’ mission is simple – to make our nation an internationally recognised hub for creativity and doing so by delivering new employment opportunities, developing skills and providing significant economic benefits to Wales.

“Despite a challenging time for a sector which has been affected by challenges including Covid, the Hollywood writer’s strike and rising prices, the creative industries in Wales are continuing to thrive and achieve world-wide and in Wales successes.”

He added: “Over the last 5 years Creative Wales has been on hand to give the sector the support it needs, whether that is helping to bringing major global productions to Wales, supporting the telling of authentic Welsh stories via our indie production companies, investing in or grassroots music venues or helping our games and productions to develop their early ideas.

“I look forward to many more years of success for the sector – building on our accomplishments, driving growth and nurturing, harnessing and encouraging an ever-emerging pipeline of new opportunities and talent.”