Leicester is a dynamic, diverse and creative city. We all knew that, we were
surprised to see Leicester placed as high as fifth in a survey of the best cities in the country
for creative industries. This is according to a survey conducted by Adobe, the company
behind Photoshop and Acrobat. We’re beaten by famously creative Brighton, London (of
course), Edinburgh, and Manchester. What impressed the judges was the huge range of
festivals in Leicester, the number of jobs in creative industries, museums and galleries, film
and digital arts production, and the amount of music and other performance. The report says
that Leicester “offers artists a creatively nurturing environment in which they can thrive”.
You can see the full report at:
https://www.adobe.com/uk/express/learn/blog/best-cities-for-creatives
This sort of league table is not very scientific, but it’s better to be fifth than twenty-fifth!
Leicester’s great rival for top city in the East Midlands, Nottingham, is placed at 16. But other
nearby cities Coventry and Derby do well at sixth and seventh.
And it is not just one view! Research commissioned by Leicester City Council paints a
similarly positive picture and adds the strength of design, especially fashion and textiles, and
Leicester’s exceptionally rich cultural diversity. It is available at:
https://www.leicester.gov.uk/media/nloaatch/leicester-cci-final-report_thefifthsector.pdf
Leicester often under-sells itself and has long been one of Britain’s most overlooked cities,
so it’s always good to see it getting a bit of well-deserved recognition.
To add to Leicester’s creative portfolio there is soon to be Canopy on King Street in the city centre. See below for details.
