Tag: Lucy Frazer

The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, on 3 March 2024.

Good evening, it is an absolute pleasure to be with you today. I’m delighted to be invited by Caroline who is a real tour de force, who is powering the Creative Industries.

Creative UK plays a critical advocacy role in convening organisations across the cultural and creative industries. I know hundreds of you are members, and I value the programmes Creative UK runs right across the UK. Creative UK believes creativity can change the world. I believe that too.

This evening I want to talk about some of the fruits of the joint collaboration between the government and the industry. Fruits which are helping to set a strong framework for the industry to thrive and helped pave the way for the sorts of measures we introduced today.

I wanted to begin by recognising some of the great creativity I’ve seen over the course of the past year as your Culture Secretary.

Because there are so many amazing productions that are bringing joy and meaning to people across the country: the first class production of original work in The Motive and the Cue at The National; the modern interpretation of Othello at The Globe; the traditional and beautiful production of Cinderella at Royal Opera House; real British dramas like Happy Valley and Inside Man; outstanding films like Saltburn, and Oppenheimer; the See, Hear, Feel interactive Ukraine exhibition in Liverpool during Eurovision; the incredible Aviva Studios in Manchester, home of the new flagship destination Factory International; our iconic world leading fashion displayed in the NEWGEN Rebel exhibition at the Design Museum.

Each show, each production, festival or exhibition is incredible in and of itself but it’s also part of a much bigger picture of creative success. And each creative endeavour fundamentally relies on incredible innovation, technical expertise and the craft of so many. Like set specialists 4Wood TV & Film based in Wales and growing into the West Midlands, who build for Doctor Who and much more.

And while we’ve seen exceptional British talent recognised in recent weeks at the BRITS, at the BAFTAs, London Fashion Week the creativity coming through at the grassroots level is just as inspiring.

Our start-ups, our schools, our colleges, our grassroots venues are all incubators for ideas and home to the creative geniuses of tomorrow. And our cultural institutions are doing ground-breaking work like the Royal Shakespeare Company transforming literacy rates across England. The National Theatre bringing the best of theatre to schools, libraries and museums. Meanwhile, places like Roundhouse Works in London or The Junction in Cambridge are giving chances to the next generation of musicians and creatives.

And one of the most inspiring visits I’ve done was to the London Screen Academy. Seeing how Charlie Kennard and the team are building a pipeline of talent of creative confident kids who are learning skills so fundamental to all jobs communication, team work, and presentation skills.

What is very clear to me is that your ingenuity, your skills, your creative excellence not only brings happiness and meaning to the lives of millions of people it also provides jobs right across the country and cements our status as a cultural superpower on the world stage.

And I wanted this evening to share with you – just in case it’s you’ve got any doubt about it – just how much this government backs you and the creative industries.

And I wanted to do this by way of a story. At the end of last year the Prime Minister and Trade Secretary organised the Global Investment Summit. That Summit invited over 200 top international investors to pitch the UK as a destination of foreign investment. There were only 4 plenary sessions and 2 were dedicated to the creative industries – that is half of the presentations reserved for the creative industries.

It was an overwhelming recognition by this government that today – in 2024 our companies, our innovators, our creators, our artists are putting a British stamp on every creative industry on the world stage. You are our shop window for the globe and we in government recognise that.

This British success across the globe is, of course, primarily the result of our ingenuity, your talent, your hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. But you have also worked with us in government in partnership. Throughout the last decade you’ve made clear how we can support your industries to thrive and we have listened.

Extensive tax reliefs.

£1.57 billion worth of support through the Covid cultural recovery fund.

A range of funds to help creative entrepreneurs go from start-up to scale-up.

Consecutive Conservative Governments have identified the potential that exists across our creative economy; they’ve understood the enormous dedication and determination of the businesses and people in these sectors; and they’ve recognised the importance of Creative Industries to our way of life.

Over the last decade, every year the government has introduced tax reliefs in one form or another.

From film to animation to video games to orchestras to theatres, these tax reliefs have helped to attract huge global investment into the UK.

Global investment that translates into local jobs and livelihoods, into new businesses into our towns and cities – big and small – into a culture that encourages creativity at every turn and at every level.

We in government cannot guarantee success, but all we can do is create the right conditions and the right framework to foster it.

And I wanted to share with you this evening the impact of all this and what the statistics show. The statistics show: nearly a million new jobs in the Creative Industries since 2011; and the GVA of the sector has increased by 50 percent to £125 billion in 2022.

Exports of creative industries services are up 210% since 2010.

And recently published figures confirmed the sector has grown by more than 10% between 2019 and 2022.

These are not just statistics. Behind these numbers are hundreds, if not thousands of success stories up and down the country.Ideas brought to life by creative industries. Jobs that did not exist over a decade ago. And creativity we have all enjoyed, which could have gone elsewhere, but didn’t.

None of this would have been possible without the energy, leadership, creativity, passion and investment of the people in this room, and beyond. So I wanted to take this evening to simply say thank you for everything you have done.

But we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Last year when I spoke to you at this very same event, I committed to bring forward an ambitious vision for your industries.

These were not just words, and I wanted to update you on what I have done over the course of the last year together with you.

In June we launched our Creative Sector Vision, developed in partnership with the Creative Industries Council, and the fantastic Sir Peter Bazalgette, which sets out our plan for the future.

We have a joint plan to deliver £50 billion of growth, a million more jobs and a pipeline of talent so that the industry can continue to thrive. And we say we will do that by 2030.

And our plan included £310 million of funding, of which £77 million was recently announced in June, to drive growth in creative businesses across the country, through projects such as financially supporting creative clusters in the regions because we recognise creativity is everywhere.

It includes a focus on skills from the first day of school to the last day of work, including for example creativity during primary school, specialist schools, more apprenticeships, boot camps in the Creative Industries.

At the same time as we announced the Creative Industries Sector Vision in June, we announced programmes like: the UK Games Fund to bring through early stage games developers; funding to support grassroots music venues; and a trebling of the Music Exports Growth Scheme that has helped so many emerging artists.

And today at the Budget we’ve built on all our existing support and the Creative Industries Vision, going further than ever before with a package of £1 billion in measures

It was a Budget that recognised that within the creative industries there are a whole range of subsectors, each with their own specific needs, each with their own nuances and each with their own huge potential for growth.

Today what we did was set out bespoke support for so many of these different, constituent parts of the wider sector.

So for our film studios – which are an essential reason that last year half of the top ten blockbuster UK movies were made on British soil – we are providing support through a 40% business rates relief until 2034, enabling our studios to attract the investment needed from around the world to bring more creativity and more creative jobs to Britain.

For British independent film we are backing those companies with a new UK Independent Film Tax Credit providing an increased benefit of 53%, enabling this part of the sector to continue to launch the careers of actors, producers and directors and to tell the cultural stories of the whole of the UK.

For our visual effect sector, there will be a 5% increase in tax relief and we are going to remove the 80% cap on UK visual effects qualifying expenditure. These new visual effects reliefs will come into force in 2025 and our aim is to make the UK a number one global destination for visual effects.

For our orchestras, museums, galleries and theatres, the CX confirmed today that the Government will set permanent higher rates of tax reliefs to continue the Government’s support for new innovative productions.

From 1 April 2025 these rates will be permanently set at 45% for all orchestral and touring productions and at 40% for non-touring productions.

And that’s not all!  As part of our plan to create the pipeline of talent that our creative sectors need to flourish, today’s budget included funding for the National Film and Television School to enable them to extend their site – growing course provision, building a state-of-the-art training centre and continuing to train the next generation of world leading creative talent.

And, lastly but by no means least, the Chancellor has also announced bespoke support for the National Theatre, one of our great cultural institutions, which is so important to fostering, inspiring and providing opportunities for our creative talent in the UK, by providing £26.4 million for urgent infrastructure improvements. This investment will future-proof the theatre’s facilities and support its long term success.

These measures have come about because of our joint partnership. Many people in this room have helped to make those announcements happen. You have shown through your excellence and creativity what we can achieve. You and the industry as a whole have provided evidence and case studies and analysis which has helped me to make the case to the Treasury for this investment.

Taken together these measures mark another big step in the support this government is providing to enable our creative industries to grow; building on our strong track record which goes back for over a decade.

But let me also say that I appreciate that while the Creative Industries has achieved remarkable growth in recent years, I know it’s not been without its challenges.

I take seriously my responsibility to listen to, understand and respond to feedback from those on the frontline of our creative industries.

I know that there are myriad challenges right across your industries.

Strikes have had an impact on the TV and film sector.

I know the nature of freelance work creates uncertainty for so many people.

There is too much bureaucracy, too much red tape and too many restrictions around touring.

Grassroots venues are struggling to survive.

Getting investment can sometimes be difficult.

And that is all without mentioning some of the concerns that exist when it comes to the potential misuse of generative AI to steal the original work of people in this room.

And I want you to know that I am working across government and beyond on all these issues. I absolutely understand these challenges and do not underestimate them.

So whilst today is a really, really, really good day for our creative industries…that absolutely doesn’t mean that there isn’t more to do. More to do to ensure that this sector can continue to thrive.

And that’s why I am committed to working every day to deliver on our Creative Industries Sector Vision. And I look forward to working in partnership with all of you to support the sector to reach its absolute full potential.

Thank you very much.

The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 8 February 2024.

Good morning everyone. I want to start by recognising the significant role that you, and your sector, play in our economy and there couldn’t be a better forum for that message.

The Advertising Association, IPA and ISBA – are among the strongest voices for the ad industry in the UK and each body is recognised for being an effective champion for all of our brilliant media agencies, brands and creatives.

And it’s a pertinent week for this Conference. Because on the other side of the Atlantic, they are gearing up for one of – if not the – most important days in the advertising calendar. The Super Bowl.

Despite all that has changed with the revolution in what we watch…when we watch…and where we watch TV – this sporting moment has retained its place at the pinnacle of advertising.

With a TV audience over 100 million, the pressure to deliver compelling material is overwhelming.

Last year alone, the cost for a 30 second slot was $7 million.

But what stands out is not the cost, it’s the quality. And the adverts have become part of the event and part of the spectacle.

Ahead of today’s event I was reflecting on what makes advertising so important.

The first thing that comes to mind is the creativity that you see every day expressed through advertising – and how that creativity is the basis for one of the most successful industries in the country.

But more than that, the success of these industries actually provides: cheaper newspapers and magazines for readers to enjoy; your favourite hits on commercial radio; the ability to watch Coronation Street for free; and seeing the entire industry of podcasts setting up from nothing a few years ago and entertaining, informing and challenging us today.

None of these would be free or available at affordable prices without the work you do with adverts.

Advertising is an essential cog in the free market.

And on top of that, you arm people with the information they need to make decisions about what to buy.

I recognise – and this Government recognises – what your industry does for our economy.

Our Creative Industries are growing at twice the rate of the rest of our economy and last year accounted for £126 billion.

And advertising is a massive part of that success story. It already accounts for around 15% of Creative Industries output and all indicators suggest it will continue to grow in size.

Last year alone, Ad Association figures show the UK ad market is estimated to have grown by 6% to reach £37 billion.

This growth and value is a credit to the way our companies have become magnets for the best ingenuity, the best creativity and the best talent.

Today, in 2024, there are very few places in the world that can rival our status as a global hub for the industry.

I’m proud to be the Secretary of State responsible for the advertising industry. It’s undeniably a world-class sector.

But I believe we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible.

When I became Culture Secretary, I made it one of my first priorities to maximise the potential of our Creative Industries.

And I want advertising to help lead that charge.

Last year I set out a Creative Industries Vision to deliver £50bn of extra economic growth, 1 million extra jobs and a pipeline of talent for 2030.

This will only be possible with Government and industry working together and with a shared purpose.

It’s a blueprint that is packed with measures, from investment in R&D to support for businesses scaling up across the country.

And a major part of it is a focus on skills.

If we want our advertising industry to thrive in the future, we need the right skills for the right jobs.

Advertising has long been an incubator for creative skills and where some of our great artists got their break.

…before Salman Rushdie wrote Midnight’s Children, he worked at Ogilvy and came up with slogans like ‘Irresistibubble’ for Aero.

…Jonathan Glazer – the English director of the haunting new portrayal of Auschwitz, The Zone of Interest – started off as a filmmaker for brands like Stella Artois and Volkswagen.

All incredible talents. All artists who originally found expression in advertising.

So through our Creative Industries Vision we’re working closely with the Department for Education on a Cultural Education Plan.

The aim of which will be to give our children greater access to culture and art at school age.

This week is also National Apprenticeships Week.

Like you, I’m determined to increase take-up of apprenticeships in advertising and marketing sectors.

And that’s why in July I co-chaired, with the Education Secretary, a roundtable exploring solutions to apprenticeship challenges and how we can make sure they are flexible and work in the interests of companies in sectors like advertising.

We’re also working closely with the Advertising Association and The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising on the Creative Careers Programme.

That programme will help encourage 11 to 18 year olds to pursue creative careers through events, panel talks and filmed content with industry leaders, and I know that the Ad Unlocked section of the programme reached around 2,500 students from 100 schools during Discover Week 2023

The programme will help highlight the range of skills that are relevant to professions like advertising in the future.

Because as we see skills in data and Artificial Intelligence are becoming more and more relevant.

And of course we must all recognise the impact of AI.

I know that, in the same way that advertising was one of the first industries to use machine learning and algorithms for more effective analytics and customer targeting advertising is already leading the way in applying AI to different parts of its day-to-day work.

From more conventional uses like making ads easier to generate and track…

Or writing marketing emails with subject lines and delivery times tailored to specific subscribers.

To less conventional uses like Heinz giving fans of its Ketchup bottle a chance to see it redesigned in an infinite range of styles, from impressionism to a stained glass Ketchup window. Or a recent campaign from Virgin Voyages that allowed users to prompt a digital avatar of Jennifer Lopez to issue customised video invitations to a cruise.

We are seeing companies across this sector beginning to innovate, experiment and embrace AI. To use AI in a positive way, and one that customises the experience for audiences.

WPP’s chief executive, Mark Read, said recently that AI will be as transformative as the internet was 30 years ago. He’s right.

And as the world’s largest advertising group, WPP has been at the forefront of investments in AI and is a company that clearly recognises that this technology should be a creativity-enhancing tool.

As a government, we want to harness the benefits of AI – right across society – to spur productivity and growth.

And I see no reason why it cannot be a force for good for UK advertising.

Advertising agencies have an enviable record of growing in response to technological shifts, not shrinking.

But we are also clear that AI – which relies purely on data – cannot replicate the creativity that can only come from a human being.

We are looking closely at how to ensure creators have the control and transparency they need over their content when it is used by AI models.

And we are committed to ensuring that AI is used responsibly.

To that end, the Advertising Standards Authority recently published their 5 year strategy for AI-Assisted collective ad regulation.

This strategy sets out how they will use their new AI-based Active Ad Monitoring system to identify and swiftly act against irresponsible online ads.

But there is work to do, across all sectors, to understand the risks associated with AI – as well as the benefits.

I want to finish by touching on our online advertising programme.

As many of you will know, tackling online harm has been a key focus for this government and this includes harms associated with advertising.

When we published the response to our consultation on the Online Advertising Programme in July, we set out a plan to build a regulatory framework that would be agile and fit for purpose.

And this included a targeted focus on tackling illegal advertising, and increasing protections for under-18s against adverts for products and services that are illegal to be sold to them.

We’re committed to doing this and there will be legislation when Parliamentary time allows.

Ahead of that though, we’ll be publishing a further consultation on the details.

And we will look carefully at the interaction with the Online Safety Act, and its fraudulent advertising duty which captures the largest online platforms and search services.

At the same time, under the leadership of people like the co-Chair, Mark Lund, the Online Advertising Taskforce is driving forward actions to raise standards.

And we continue to encourage industry to work closely with the Advertising Standards Authority, including on its principles for intermediaries and platforms.

I know this is something many of you have been involved in and that there’s collaboration across the Advertising Association, IAB UK, IPA & ISBA to address illegal advertising and improve the overall advertising landscape.

I’d like to finish by thanking you all again for the generous invitation to this important event and for your engagement with my department.

You’ve got a packed agenda and one that reflects the fact that advertising has arguably never been more influential than it is today.

I want to continue working with you in a way that is strategic and forward thinking.

And in a way that maximises the true potential of your businesses, your agencies and your brands.

So thank you again, and I look forward to continuing our work with all of you in the future.

The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 14 November 2023.

Good afternoon everyone.

I wanted to start with a huge thank you to all of you for making the time to be here today.

Today isn’t just about celebrating all the things that make our Creative Industries special, but it is also about looking ahead to the future to see how we, together, can chart a course that keeps these crown jewels of our economy shining for years to come.

And there’s no better place to look to that future than right here in Manchester.

As somebody who grew up not too far away in Leeds, I remember Emmerdale, visits to the IMAX in Bradford, and the arrival of the Armouries.

I soon learned at school that across the M62 Manchester was one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution – a city dubbed ‘Cottonopolis’ in honour of its place at the epicentre of our thriving cotton industry in the 19th century.

But Manchester – as you all will know – is also a thriving place for our culture.

Oasis, Danny Boyle, Lowry.

Creativity is part of the fabric of this city today.

Just look at this venue we’re gathered here today in.

The largest cultural investment in this country since the Tate Modern two decades ago.
Built on a site already rich in creative history

This is the former site of Granada Studios – which had hosted the Beatles’ first TV appearance and was home to Coronation Street.

And now we have this incredible multi-purpose cultural hub that will welcome millions of guests a year, support thousands of jobs across the local creative economy and host hundreds of gigs, exhibitions and events every year.

I was absolutely delighted to be here when it opened officially a month ago.

It was clear then – and it’s still clear now – that this venue will be one of the focal points of a vibrant cultural scene in Manchester and the country for decades to come.

When I was made Culture Secretary at the start of this year, I made growing those creative industries one of my main priorities.

In the past decade or so, these industries have become one of our most powerful economic engines of growth.

And if we can help more people across the country to discover and nurture their creative potential, then we will see our economy and wider society grow and grow and grow.

Earlier this year we set out a long term plan for the future of the creative industries.

The Sector Vision was developed across government and I’m delighted to be joined here today with Minister John Whittingdale and Viscount Camrose from DSIT, as well as  colleagues from the Departments for Education, and Business and Trade.

The sector vision was developed jointly, as well as through government, with industry too through the work of the Creative Industries Council, who I met with this morning.

And I want to work with each and every one of you to deliver on our Creative Industries Sector Vision.

It’s a blueprint with three very simple aims:

• to grow our Creative Industries by an extra £50 billion by 2030
• to create a million extra jobs – all over the country – by 2030
• and to deliver a Creative Careers Promise that harnesses the potential of young people and constructs a pipeline of talent into our creative industries.

We’re already making progress towards those ambitious goals set out in our sector vision, unveiling millions in new funding to drive growth in our grassroots and scale ups and banging the drum for our creative careers.

We are doubling the number of areas in the Create Growth Programme, with almost £11 million additional funding which means we are able to provide targeted support to around 1,800 creative businesses so that they can access private investment and scale up.

Thanks to this new funding, businesses in the East and West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, the South West and the East of England will benefit from tailored workshops, mentoring and training to maximise creative potential.

Greater Manchester has been delivering this programme and an earlier pilot, and it’s because of the success we’ve seen here in transforming local creative businesses that we are expanding it to other areas today.

From today, we’re also launching applications to the £5 million Supporting Grassroots Music Fund to ensure support for the lifeblood of our world-leading music sector and cornerstones of our community.

I am also pleased that today marks the beginning of Creative Careers Week – an initiative supported by my department to inspire the next generation to go into the creative industries so we can build that pipeline of talent and I welcome the many events happening across the country to encourage more young people to consider a job in these inspiring sectors.

But most importantly today I am here to talk and to listen to you.

Because we can only achieve our ambitions – this growth can only happen, these jobs can only be created, this pipeline of talent will only be sustained – if you are supported to maximise your potential.

And that is what today is about.

Some of you have been working with us already, whether that’s through our UK Global Screen Fund, The Create Growth Programme, the UK Games Fund or the UKRI Creative Clusters programme or our work with the Arts Council.

It’s great to be joined by organisations such as Production Park, HOME, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, but it’s also exciting to meet new organisations as well

Today I want to be a call to arms to all of you to share your ideas with us in Government and to work with us to unlock the creative potential of our people and our businesses – particularly here in the North.

This region is already a driver of growth across the UK economy with major employers, export intensive businesses that attract significant investment from overseas.

We will never deliver on the goals we set out in the Creative Industries Vision without your businesses, your ideas, your imagination.

Government, industry and academic leaders across the North are already forming a grand coalition to develop a new regional strategy – The Northern Creative Corridor.

There’ll be new details about this exciting initiative announced tomorrow.

And I also recognise that it’s a difficult time at the moment.

The cost-of-living has been a bit of a perfect storm for the sectors you all represent and you’re all wrestling with different challenges: whether that’s the tight labour market, access to finance or the possible future impact of AI.

But none of this should dampen our ambition.

You know better than anyone else that the North of England emanates so much creativity and that, with the right conditions, creative businesses can flourish.

So, I’d just like to end by one final thank you to all of you for being here today and for investing your time and energy in the future of our creative industries.

I hope you find the sessions useful and that we can keep this partnership going long into the future.

I mentioned earlier this venue is the biggest cultural investment from the Government since the Tate Modern.

Today that venue is a global cultural icon, famous around the world.

I and my Ministerial team can’t wait to work with you to make this venue and our Creative Industries in the North as big a success in the years to come.

The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in London on 30 October 2023.

Journalism matters.

That’s what this week in the year is about.

But it isn’t something that we should just acknowledge this week.

It is something we should acknowledge every month. Every week. Every day.

Your work in holding people, organisations and countries to account.

Your reporting without fear or favour.

Calling out wrongful activity and evil.

Combatting mis and disinformation.

These are the signs of a true democracy.

Freedom of the press is not actually about media freedom.

It is about our freedom.

Through your reporting you are protecting the freedom of others.

And in a world of social media, mainstream media plays a critical role.

Your fact checked, legal proofed, thorough work, allows truth to prevail in an increasingly uncertain world.

And what you do takes courage.

Immense courage.

I know all of you in the room right now will be worried about your colleagues.

Those working in war zones across the globe.

Me too.

Your journalists are putting their lives on the line for truth, freedom and democracy.

The events in Israel and Gaza have recently made me think of other journalists.

The American Journalist James Foley who was abducted in Syria and beheaded by ISIS.

Evan Gershkovich the Wall Street Journalist detained in Russia.

The 14 civilian journalists and media workers who have been killed in the line of duty since Russia invaded Ukraine .

And of course, we are all thinking of the journalists covering the conflict in Israel and Gaza right now.

Nine journalists have sadly already lost their lives.

And my thoughts are with all of them and their families,

And all of you, who no doubt keenly feel the loss of your friends.

And it’s not just you and your colleagues’ courage in the face of war.

But the courage in dealing with issues which evoke hate and abuse on social media.

Or the full force of legal threats and pressure from the rich and powerful who try to keep their secrets secret.

Courage to stand up to unscrupulous regimes and people in positions of power.

I want you to know that we, in government, have your back.

We understand what you are doing and why it is so important.

It’s why we launched the National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists.

…Why we are legislating to make it harder for powerful people to stop the publication of investigative journalism through unscrupulous lawsuits.

And why we expanded the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists to deal with these legal threats.

It’s why we are supporting you through the Digital Markets Bill which should enable you to get fair terms and fair compensation when your work is hosted on digital platforms.

And it is why we will remove a threat to freedom of the press by repealing S40 so costs are not a bar to investigative journalism.

You do not need telling that your courage has shaped our history.

Bringing down the Nixon administration in Watergate.

Exposing Harvey Weinstein as a sexual predator beginning the Me Too movement.

And from as early as the Crimean War sending your stories home, exposing the horrors of war and the bravery of soldiers. And contributing to the creation of the Victoria Cross.

And right now, again, our media is shaping our future.

I have watched and read those brave, passionate voices who are standing against Hamas and calling out antisemitism.

Highlighting the 1,353% per cent rise in antisemitism in London alone.

Spotlighting the 4 Jewish schools that shut.

Decrying the fact that children going to Jewish schools have been advised not to wear their blazer to prevent them from becoming a terrorist target

Pointing out the disturbing scenes at the airport in Dagestan.

Those journalists.

Calling out the denial by some, of the atrocities, carried out by a terrorist group.

Calling out the tearing down of posters of abducted children.

And your fact checked, legal proofed, thorough work…

Your truth telling.

Will make a difference to our future.

We only have to look back less than 100 years.

To what happened when conspiracy theories were rife, antisemitism the norm and no one in society called it out…

Because of this failure of society as a whole the German people were ready to accept the ‘annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe’ as Hitler infamously put it.

In 1941 Joseph Goebbels wrote that the fate the Jewish people were meeting was deserved and that no one should pity or regret it.

And most people didn’t bat an eyelid.

And your calling out matters not just to the Jews. But to all of us in this room. And beyond.

Because it is well known that when there is prejudice against any minority it should be a concern for all minorities.

Unfortunately the Jewish community knows what can come next.

Hitler didn’t just aim to wipe out the Jews, he targeted anyone who was gay, black or a traveller.

Your calling out matters because terrorist organisations like Hamas share the principles of terrorist organisations like al Qaeda and ISIS.

And they are no friends of the west.

Their hatred is not confined to Jews, or Israel. They hate all of us who share western values.

And Hamas’ actions in no way support or help the plight of the Palestinian people.

Who are also entitled to safety and to live in peace.

We are also seeing a worrying rise in anti-Muslim hatred

Terrorists use the media as a weapon of war.

Truth must prevail.

And for that, journalism matters.

Not just this week.

Today, Tomorrow. Next year. And every year after that.

I want to end with a message someone in Israel sent me last Monday.

It is a copy of a statement published by The Shin Bet, the Israeli Security Services and Israeli police summarising the result of the investigation into the massacre of over 1400 people on 7 October.

And, I quote…

The investigation revealed, following the interrogation of six terrorists who were captured that Hamas offered significant financial incentives to anyone who successfully kidnapped an Israeli with abductors promised $10000 and a free apartment.

The detainees stated that the instructions were to kidnap elderly women and children.

According to one detainee his commanders ordered the terrorists to behead Jews and rape women and girls.

Courage. Freedom. Truth.

Thank you for your role in our democracy.

The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in London on 12 October 2023.

Thank you to the Youth Futures Foundation for inviting me to be part of this Connected Futures Conference.

Days like today are a real opportunity to explore how we best go about supporting disadvantaged young people into education, employment and training.

I’m pleased to be able to share with you some of what we’re doing in Government to help our young people achieve their potential.

Changing young people’s lives and giving them the best start in life is the reason I entered into politics.

Because, as all of you in this room will know, how we help and support young people can make a phenomenal difference.

Every bit of support we give, makes a difference to an individual and I wanted to start with a story of a girl, called Shamza.

Earlier this year I took part in a roundtable with young people who had taken part in a national citizens service programme.

Around the table was a group of young adults, inspiring young people who were confident and engaged with their communities.

This hadn’t always been the case.

Many of them were disadvantaged, a significant proportion were carers.

Amongst them was an inspiring young woman called Shamza.

Shamza told me that she came to the UK 3 years ago and when she came she didn’t speak any English.

But despite this obstacle, she carried with her a dream of one day working for the police.

She signed up to the NCS, she’s now fluent in English and last month she started her journey into the police as an apprentice.

She grasped the opportunities that came with the NCS programme and used that programme as a springboard to start her new life in the UK.

Her story is one that speaks to the power of youth services and what they should be about – opening doors for young people and creating chances where they didn’t previously exist.

And that’s why this kind of event is so important.

Because it brings together all of you.

Think tanks. Local Government. National Government. Businesses. Delivery partners.

From Blackpool FC Community Trust, the British Chambers of Commerce and the University of Central Lancashire to KPMG, PWC and Virgin.

The huge range of organisations we have here today reflects the fact that young people are not just the responsibility of governments – we all have a role to play.

And while you may all be here from different organisations, you all have one thing in common: you are invested in the future of our young people.

You share our ambition of giving young people the tools they need to realise their untapped potential.

As a Government, we recognise how important all of your organisations are, and we’re grateful for everything you’re doing collectively to improve outcomes for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

YFF, in particular, has used Dormant Assets Funding to really unpick and find solutions to some of the challenges facing young people today.

And – by bringing together the youth sector, local authorities, schools, parents, and the private sector – your focus on building the evidence base is already helping to make a difference to how we help more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into education, into employment and into training.

And I know that the Connected Futures Programme is exactly about this sort of work.

Fostering local partnerships to address challenges, to share best practice and to drive greater quality of youth provision at a local level.

Now, as many of you may know, this is one of the areas of my portfolio I am most passionate about – investing in maximising the potential of young people across the country.

I believe that we should ensure that every young person should have more opportunities than their parents.

And to achieve that I think every young person needs someone to talk to, something to do, and somewhere to go.

It’s an issue I’ve been passionate about throughout my time in Government.

When I was on the education select committee, when I was a justice minister responsible for youth justice and now as Secretary of State with some responsibility for youth policy.

I’d like to just touch on why these 3 things are so important and measures I have recently announced that build on them.

When it comes to giving young people someone to talk to, I know millions of young people across the country were just as lucky as I was.

Many have parents and grandparents to lead them on their journey.

Some people find teachers.

So last month, we announced our plan to work with the Youth Futures Foundation to support young people at risk of falling out of education, employment or training after 18.

So, through the £15 million Building Futures programme, funded by the Dormant Assets Scheme, as many as 5,000 young people aged 14 to 16, will be offered intensive mentoring and wraparound support.

We have high hopes this programme will provide a leg up to those young people who need it most, with personalised guidance, career coaching, and mental health support, and at the same time, it will help really build up the evidence base for what works.

And I know YFF will be setting out details later in the year on the structure of the programme and the locations for support.

Secondly, turning to somewhere to go;

We know that young people don’t want to hang around the streets and fall into the wrong crowd.

We know that giving them somewhere to go where they can socialise, make new friends, develop new skills, and become more rounded individuals makes a massive difference.

And that aim is at the heart of our Youth Investment Fund, where 87 organisations across the country have already received Youth Investment Fund grants with over 200 more to come so we can provide more safe spaces for young people.

At the same time, we’re continuing to deliver the Million Hours Fund, which we run in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund.

The fund is injecting £22 million directly to youth organisations in wards across England that are identified as having high rates of anti-social behaviour.

Each ward will then be able to provide additional hours of any youth activity that is ‘open to all’.

And finally, young people need something to do.

We’ve teamed up with a number of the expert organisations in this area to launch programmes tailored to reach different groups.

To begin with, we’ve extended the Adventures Away from Home Fund.

Through this Fund we are providing bursaries for around 7,500 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, across England, to access outdoor trips.

I’ve been fortunate to see first hand how much of a difference these projects and trips can make to people’s lives in igniting their passions.

I recently visited the Avon Tyrrell outdoor learning centre in the New Forest and had a brilliant conversation with one of their Senior Outdoor Instructors, Jake.

Jake entered the outdoor industry through an apprenticeship with Avon Tyrrell, after attending a Prince’s Trust residential work placement trip to the outdoor centre.

He told me about how that work placement, and that experience, made him fall in love with the outdoors and instilled in him a determination to help other young people discover that same love.

On top of this scheme my Department, with the Youth Endowment Fund and Youth Futures Foundation is going to be launching a new Summer Jobs Programme for up to 2,600 young people, across England.

To make sure this programme is really targeted where it’s needed most, we’ll be working with local agencies, for example, pupil referral units, local authorities to ensure it reaches those most at risk of becoming involved in youth violence and crime.

These young people will be offered employment placements for up to six weeks, helping them to not only have something engaging to do, but to improve their life chances on the other side of the placement and help them choose the right path in life.

As well as both of these schemes, we’re supporting the UK Year of Service, alongside the National Citizen Service Trust.

The UK Year of Service is about helping those young people who are ready to take their first step into work, but who need some additional support to take it.

This programme is going to provide meaningful 9 to 12 months work placements to at least 100 young people, across the United Kingdom with the aim of setting them on a positive path towards long-term employment, education or training.

Once the placements are available later this year, young people will be able to apply directly to roles that inspire them and that they can contribute to the most.

All these programmes offer something slightly different, but all of them will give young people more of the ‘something to do’ in future.

We want to give more, more Jake’s and more Shamza’s the chance to thrive.

And I believe, taken together, we’ve been able to make a huge amount of progress in a relatively short amount of time.

But I know, and all of you know, that there is a long way to go.

I’m confident that all of you here today and all of us in Government share the same purpose and are pulling in the same direction.

You recognise the value of youth services and the sense of belonging they create among young people.

It is this sense of belonging and the social networks that come with these experiences and these programmes that is vital to improving the life prospects of young people in all parts of the country.

I am looking forward to working with you all to give young people a fair shot at maximising their potential, now and in the years ahead.

The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in Cambridge on 20 September 2023.

Good afternoon, thank you for the introduction Alex.

I thought today, I might share a secret from my past.

When I was about 7 I used to dream about creating and presenting my own TV show.

After school I watched Tony Hart transform Morph on my screen and imagined my future on the TV.

The fact that I was absolutely hopeless at art never appeared to me to be a barrier to my prospective career.

And then, one day, I nearly got my breakthrough.

When I was about 8 I attended a dance class (and i was just as bad at dance as I was art) and the whole class auditioned to be in a TV advert.

Unbelievably I reached the final round.

And my glamorous future flashed in front of me.

But that inevitable tap on the shoulder asking me to leave the stage quickly ended my not yet burgeoning career.

And my dreams of the starry world of film and TV came to a crashing end when I started my law degree.

And I know that millions of people across the country, young and old, share that dream about being involved in what is one of our most exciting and glamorous industries.

And where better a place to have that ambition?

Here in the UK, our TV is genuinely world leading.

And it has been world-leading for years – from the days of four to five channels, to the current all-you-can-eat world of television we’re in now.

Today, in 2023, we produce the best of the best.

Many of the most celebrated shows of this golden era have been made here in the UK, written here in the UK, and shot here in the UK.

Shows like Sex Education, The Crown and Luther that have become huge hits not just in this country, but all over the world.

And with imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, many of our great TV shows and formats have spawned remakes all over the world – from Love Island and The Office to Bake Off and Ghosts.

You have created a great environment for our TV excellence.

One which discovers and nurtures outstanding talent.

One where creativity is given licence to flourish, every day.

Everyone should take a quick look at IMDb’s top 100 TV shows voted for by users, 26 were first shown on British screens.

British-produced shows like Peaky Blinders, Chernobyl and David Attenborough’s nature documentaries all featured in the top 10.

Our PSBs have been able to bring the same levels of creativity to their programming as streaming services backed by some of the biggest businesses in the world.

You see in countless programmes from Happy Valley and Unforgotten to Taskmaster and Derry Girls.

Meanwhile companies like Netflix continue to underline the dominance of our TV and film industry in Europe.

Spending $6 billion making TV shows and films in Britain over the past 4 years.

Investment that has given us zeitgeist-defining shows from The Crown and Top Boy to The Tinder Swindler

But despite all this excellence, it would be foolish to ignore the enormous challenges that you all face in remaining competitive.

I know that the ongoing strikes in the US are having a significant impact on many working in the industry in the UK.

The government is committed to our film and high-end TV sector, and we want to ensure that it’s in the best possible position to bounce back once the US strikes are resolved.

At the same time, we know that new technologies are, and will continue to drive changes in users’ habits and impact the market landscape.

You only need to look at a handful of Ofcom’s figures to appreciate the seismic scale of change.

They show the number of TV programmes pulling in 4 million or more viewers has halved since 2014.

They show live programmes, like news shows or soaps, are seeing steep declines in viewer numbers across the board.

They show that TikTok, for the second year in a row, was the fastest-growing source of news in the UK.

We know that Artificial Intelligence is already beginning to transform the way we create and consume media and content.

The Government has an interest in this – because your success is success for our economy, with the jobs and growth you support – and your success is also success for our society, because the content you create helps to entertain, challenge, console, educate.

So it is our job, in Government, to support you to ensure in this changing landscape, we protect, preserve and enhance the existing ecosystem that you have all created here in the UK.

And so I see my role as three fold.

First, Maximising the potential of the creative industries including TV, helping you to grow your revenues, invest and spur growth across the UK.

Secondly, giving you the support you need to navigate this changing world,

And thirdly, ensuring that at all times that we champion media freedoms.

Today’s theme in this conference is about choice.

I see choice as opportunity.

I want to talk about these three priorities within this context, to enable you seize the opportunities that are available.

And I want to expand on those three roles.

So first, potential.

Since I was appointed as your Culture Secretary 7 months ago I have sought to maximise the potential of the creative industries, which includes TV.

In February I worked with the Chancellor to ensure we not only continue the High-End TV tax relief and other creative tax reliefs, but actually increase them, in the form of the new Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC).

And, in June, I published our Sector Vision – which is a collaboration with the industry – in particular the Creative Industries Council.

This vision set out our ambition for the creative industries as a whole.

An ambition to grow the sector by £50 billion, create a million new jobs and a pipeline of talent, all by 2030.

And I am now working with the industry to deliver on that commitment.

Through the funding of Creative Industries Clusters across the country like TV in Leeds, gaming in Dundee and Bristol.

Backing innovation in the TV industry – with funding for collaborations like the one between we’ve just announced between the National Television and Film School, Royal Holloway University of London and Pinewood for the development of green screens.

And investing in developing the pipeline of talent, with approval for BRIT School North in Bradford in August, to help us bring through the next Tom Holland or the next Amy Winehouse.

These are just three examples of how we are investing over £300 million since the last Spending Review.

And they build on years of support by the Government.

Building on the tax reliefs that support and incentivise culturally British production, like the high end TV tax relief and the audio visual and cultural reliefs.

Direct funding through initiatives like the Global Screen Fund.

As well as the significant support we gave throughout Covid through the £1.5 billion Culture Recovery Fund and the hugely successful Film and TV Restart Scheme that supported more than 100,000 jobs for cast and crew on more than 1,000 productions.

I am proud that the Government has, for years, recognised the importance of our TV industry.

Secondly as I highlighted we need to make sure you have the framework in which to remain globally competitive in this changing world.

That is why we’re bringing forward the Media Bill, which we have already drafted and consulted on.

This Bill updates the system in which public service broadcasters operate, future proofs it and levels the playing field.

It ensures that we sustain both public service broadcasters and the radio sector.

It does this by making sure public service broadcasters’ apps like BBC iPlayer and ITV X, as well as STV Player in Scotland, the Channel 4 app, My5 and S4C’s Clic in Wales are always easy to find and watch, whether you’re on a smart TV or using a streaming stick.

The way we’ve approached this Bill has been in a consultative fashion, but I do recognise some concerns remain, including about extending content regulation to video on demand services.

But what we are saying is this – is that when you are watching TV, the same rules that apply to a new Channel 4 series or a new Sky documentary should be the ones applied across the board.

The Bill is about ensuring we have the right playing field in place for all parts of the TV ecosystem to thrive.

This is part of our work to help bring TV into the digital age but we recognise there is more to do.

Because we recognise that internet provided TV is growing,

74% of homes now have a smart TV connected to the internet.

And this has spawned hundreds of new, mostly internet-based TV channels which have created yet another innovative way for audiences to enjoy their favourite shows.

But while this shift is an exciting one, it’s our job to look at those channels that fall outside our existing regulations and to make sure people are not left behind by this move to digital.

That’s why we are going to consult on whether we need to extend regulation to these unregulated channels and Electronic Programme Guides. And if so, how?

And, my starting point in looking at this will always be that any change to regulations must strike a balance between protecting people – particularly the young and vulnerable while protecting freedom of speech, and not unduly burdening the TV industry.

I know that this challenge of the move to internet TV is something that you are thinking about with the announcement of Freely earlier this week.

As we focus on the future, our attention must also be on making sure people are not left behind.

Because new ways of consuming TV should not come at the expense of those who still enjoy terrestrial television.

Free to view television is a vitally important part of our television landscape, and this Government wants to encourage the sector to keep embracing innovation and technological development, but we’re not going to pull the rug from under the devoted audiences of Freeview channels.

We want terrestrial television to remain accessible for the foreseeable future.

At the same time, we really want to build a clear picture of what the future of TV looks like.

So today I can confirm that we’re launching a new programme of work on the Future of TV distribution, alongside a call for evidence from Ofcom – which it will publish later in the autumn.

My department will undertake a six-month research project, looking at changing viewing habits and technologies that will impact how shows are brought to our screen, both now, and in the decades to come – acknowledging always the importance of access.

I recognise that the future of TV is not just about pipes and wires, the way it appears on our screens, and how people access it.

We are also working within my department, with industry and with Ofcom to consider the impact of specific new technologies like AI and to shape an evidence base that can guide future policymaking.

It is our job to ensure we strike the right balance between supporting innovation and protecting rights holders.

As part of that, we’re engaging closely with the Intellectual Property Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to ensure we strike that right balance.

While it’s clear that AI is a rapidly developing technology, I want to assure you all that one of my priorities is to make sure we protect and maintain the integrity of our high quality news output.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be growing that evidence base with a number of roundtables on AI to discuss what it means for our media and for our creative industries.

And finally, why this is all so important, and that’s because your work retains and enhances our media freedom.

TV is an enormous industry. Together with film it brings in more than £18 billion for the UK economy and supports almost 300,000 jobs across the UK.

It’s an industry that is there to entertain and inform.

But it is also so much more than that.

A television industry which is able to broadcast, to produce and distribute fearless truth telling in its news, uncomfortable issues in its documentaries, or produce dramas that highlight challenging real life issues.

Is one that reveals behind it a strong democracy that is the mark of a free country.

We all know the playbook in countries that are not free.

The first thing a dictator does is take control of the airwaves.

Because these leaders know that if you succeed in stifling universal debate, you can control the narrative.

That is why you’re all so important to our present, and to our future.

Media freedom is central to our values as a country, and to mine as your Culture Secretary.

And that is partly why I’ve always enjoyed watching the political dramas that you make – whether that is House of Cards, the Politicians Wife, Road Kill, The Diplomat – A Very British Scandal.

They are all so brilliant.

And I don’t even mind that all these programmes often have as their theme a Tory politician, always unscrupulous, who inevitably ends up booted out of office, in prison or dead.

Because that is one of the things that makes our country great.

The freedom you have to make programmes.

I should say that I have noticed in most of these there is a female heroine, often political (sometimes a lawyer), who always outwits the men.

Which is probably the real reason I have enjoyed them all.

Now, before I close, I do want to address the serious allegations that came to light over the weekend concerning Russell Brand.

Those allegations are deeply shocking and it’s right that the police are encouraging anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward.

It’s also right that organisations involved in his employment conduct transparent investigations into whether complaints were made or concerns raised – and what action, if any, was taken.

The nature of these allegations means it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage, but I do want to briefly touch on the wider culture within our film and TV industry.

This is an industry that young people – like 7 year old me – grow up dreaming of working in.

One where the sky’s the limit for talent.

It is incumbent on all of us to make sure that this industry is synonymous with talent, opportunity and inclusivity – not the scandals of MeToo.

TV studios, production facilities and offices need to be places where people feel safe.

Places where working cultures are responsible and accountable, and do not allow for possible abuses of power.

Places where everyone feels able to speak up, no matter how junior, and where leaders never turn a blind eye.

I would urge all of you, as leaders in your industry, to look hard at the cultures and processes in your own organisations and lead change, if change is needed.

But I’d like to finish properly by thanking you all for the work you’ve done, to build not just a world class TV industry, but a world-leading one.

It is a testament to your talent, your ingenuity, and your commitment.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor have identified the creative industries as one of the 5 priority sectors of growth which we will focus on as a government.

And you’re an essential part of that.

We want to work with you not just to retain our position but to build on it.

And I as your Culture Secretary promise to be your champion in Government to support you to maximise your potential and thrive in this changing landscape.

And I look forward to doing that with you in the months and years ahead.

Thank you.

The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in London on 18 May 2023.

Good morning,

Today I want to set out my reflections on three key parts of my portfolio as Culture Secretary.

They are Potential. Opportunity. And Freedom.

That is:

Unlocking the potential that exists in the industries my department represents, including the creative industries

Ensuring DCMS and Government as a whole support and create opportunities for young people.

And highlighting the challenges to press freedom and identifying the principles by which we need to resolve those challenges

Before I turn to these thoughts I want to talk about delivery

As you will know we have a Prime Minister who is laser-focussed on delivery.

And he appointed me 100 days ago to deliver

On a number of projects that affect our communities

And I have taken that challenge to deliver very seriously.

And in that time I have brought to fruition a number of previous commitments

These include:

A draft media bill with reforms to level the playing field for our public service broadcasters

A Football White Paper to protect our beautiful game

A Gambling White Paper that delivers for the smartphone age

Millions of pounds to support Youth facilities across the country

100m to support our charities and 60m to upgrade our swimming pools

An international summit setting out our opposition to Russian and Belarusian participation in international sporting events

As well as working with my department, the Royal Family and the BBC to deliver the coronation and the events surrounding it as well as Eurovision, where we worked closely with Liverpool

And now that I’ve delivered on these commitments , I want to lay out a clear agenda for the months ahead.

One centred around potential, opportunity and freedom.

And I wanted to start by telling you a story about a brilliant woman called Yetta who understood the importance of freedom, opportunity and potential.

Her parents were Russian, and came to our free country as refugees fleeing persecution.

And despite a number of potential drawbacks of that age – being Jewish, the child of immigrants and a woman.

She succeeded.

Yetta ignored obstacles.

And focussed instead on the opportunity she had been given to be brought up here in the UK and in her very own extensive potential.

My grandmother, Yetta Frazer, became the first female barrister in Leicester and practised at the bar until she was 80.

And on every visit I made to see her, she reminded me of a line in a poem by Robert Browning.

‘A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for.’

It’s a line about believing in your ability to succeed and taking advantage of the opportunity to realise your potential.

It totally summed up her life

and it is my guiding principle in this role.

I think my Department – gets to represent some of the very best of Britain.

Musicians and songwriters like Adele and Ed Sheeran. World-class footballers.

Budding young writers and producers, video game creators and fashion designers.

To my mind, DCMS is the Department for talent and opportunity.

And our industries are truly world-class.

I represent so many companies that have understood their potential and done everything possible to maximise it.

Taking just 2 examples from companies here in this room.

Sky who launched in 1989 in a prefab structure in an industrial park on the fringes of west London.

Today Sky is among our leading entertainment companies, with 23 million subscribers.

Or Netflix who were founded as a mail order rental firm in the 90s and have evolved into a business that has spent £4.8bn in the UK since 2020 making TV shows and films here and kickstarting long-term studio leases at Shepperton, Longcross, and a new London HQ opening last year.

Indeed our creative industries are world class. They generated £108 billion in 2021 and employ over two million people across the country.

And to put things in perspective they are worth more than our life sciences, automotive manufacturing, aerospace and the oil and gas sectors combined.

We are in the global age of the silver screen.

We rival any country in the world at sound and visual effects, and are on track to double UK film stage space by 2025.

And the world over, there is demand for high-end British productions not just because of our fantastic actors and our great locations, but because of our tech know-how and production skills.

The imagination of our designers, our producers, our content creators, our writers and artists is spearheading growth right across our economy.

But it’s also owed, in-part, to how the Government and industry have worked together to back talent in this country and make Britain one of the best places in the world to be creative.

And I am here to continue to maximise that growing potential.

This Conservative Government has shown what can be achieved when we work with and listen to all of you working in industry.

It is that same model of public-private partnership that gave us:

A world-class vaccine development programme and rollout across the country.

A £1.5bn covid relief package during Covid that helped protect our cultural and creative industries.

A highly successful Film and TV Production Restart Scheme that ensured the industry was able to keep making great new content despite the lack of commercial insurance to cover Covid risk

And tax reliefs that have been a huge catalyst for growth for our creative industries.

I have no doubt that we in Government can do more to support our creatives.

But we cannot simply rely on the formula for that past success.

We face increasing global competition and we cannot afford to be complacent.

By turbocharging growth and investment in sectors like video games, visual effects, music, fashion, film and television and more, we can retain our status as a creative industries superpower for decades to come.

In order to do that we need to maximise potential. So I am committing to:

Growing the creative industries by an extra £50bn by 2030.

Creating a million extra jobs – all over the country – by 2030.

And delivering a Creative careers promise that builds a pipeline of talent into our creative industries. And I want to work with you to deliver it.

And I know we can. Because we are fortunate to have a PM and Chancellor who have identified this sector as one of 5 priority sectors for Government.

And who have shown their commitment by taking action to support the industry.

At the Budget the Chancellor backed our theatres, museums, galleries, orchestras, film, High-end TV and video games sectors by extending and reforming tax reliefs that create jobs, drive growth and support talent.

Over the next few months we will be identifying how we can go further.

First – growing these sectors by promoting skills from primary school children to those returning to the workforce.

Whether that is in music at school or extracurricular activities, and working with the creative sector on maximising the opportunities of bootcamps and apprenticeships.

Secondly we want to harness talent in clusters across the UK and support cannot be at the expense of London or detract from those places that are already thriving.

It needs to build on what we have already seen across the country. Whether that’s video games in Dundee and Leamington Spa, or TV in Birmingham and Leeds.

And thirdly, targeting specific support at different sub sectors, to unlock growth across the UK.

And now I would like to turn to opportunity. Particularly for young people.

Because we need inspired, empowered and creative young people to drive these industries forward in the future

And I want to ensure that young people, wherever they are, and whatever their backgrounds are, have the opportunity to realise their potential, to fulfil their dreams, and reach, like Yetta did for something better than the probable destiny of their background.

Before taking up this role in DCMS I was responsible for youth justice and met many young people who had, unfortunately, gone down the wrong path.

None of them intending or really wanting to.

I remember meeting John, who had struggled at school, then dropped out of school, and then been sent to a young offenders institution.

He said to me ‘I don’t understand why no-one realised I was struggling and needed help, why no-one noticed me’.

Through a mentoring support scheme, after he came out of prison he got back on track.

And he himself became a mentor for other young children.

We already have the National Youth Guarantee but I plan to expand that offer and make youth central to how we do things, as a Department.

We need to offer all young children inspiration, aspiration, fulfilling education, hope and support.

And finally freedom.

As the descendant of someone who had to flee persecution for freedom, I appreciate what it means to live in a free society, and how dangerous it is when those freedoms are threatened.

Organisations in this room today play a vital role in protecting both our democracy and our freedoms.

We often talk about freedom of the press, but the reality is that it’s you, the media, who are helping protect the freedom of others.

You who live up to the words of George Orwell, inscribed by his statue outside BBC Broadcasting House that ‘If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.’

I recognise this basic right is under threat across the world.

The New York Times chairman told Unesco earlier this month that ‘All over the world, independent journalists and press freedoms are under attack.’

And he was right.

You only need to look at the Russian arrest of a Wall Street Journal journalist to see that.

I know that the challenges to free, fair and truthful reporting are coming from so many quarters: from the potential misuse of AI to mis and disinformation.

And that is without even mentioning the speed of the changing media landscape.

Staying competitive in a rapidly changing environment is a challenge for everyone. Challenger companies like BuzzFeed and Vice that were once the new kids on the block, are facing uncertain futures.

As a government we are taking steps to increase press freedoms and make sure journalists can do their jobs effectively.

With measures like the protection of public service broadcasters and prominence in the draft media bill and our commitment to the repeal of section 40 or the protection of journalists in the online safety bill, we are actively guarding your ability to uphold the rights of others.

If we want a thriving media sector in the future – our focus has to be on a free press and a press that is free to grow.

I know that is a major focus of your discussions today – looking at what the future looks like for companies big and small.

And through our draft Media Bill we are updating a decades old regulatory framework to level the playing field and help guarantee the long term future of those first class Public Service Broadcasters.

While also giving a broadcaster like Channel 4 even greater freedoms to produce, own and sell outstanding British content across the globe.

No Government has all the answers to all the challenges the media faces, but what I can promise you is that my approach will be guided by the following principles.

Protect our public service broadcasters.

Stand up for independent voices.

And nurture a thriving media landscape which upholds and champions fearless truth telling.

To finish, I want to end with a thought.

Last Saturday I enjoyed seeing the amazing cultural programme organised by Liverpool as the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest which showcased Ukrainian artists. And I also celebrated with 7,000 others in the Liverpool arena at the Grand Final.

Creative excellence, TV production at its finest, world class BBC output.

I was sitting next to the Ukrainian culture minister.

As the show started Russia bombed Ukraine. He turned to me and said ‘it’s surreal.’ He looked around at the glitter, the spectacle and the sparkle. And said ‘I am here. And my wife is in a bomb shelter in Ukraine.’

Here in the UK we are lucky to have it all. Potential. Opportunity. Freedom.

And we must embrace it.

Because as my grandmother would have said, ‘what’s a heaven for’?