Key players in Nottingham’s creative industries have been pushing for an event which celebrates the wealth of talent that makes up this city’s creative businesses. As a result of this belief and recognition, the Nottingham Creative Business Awards were born and the phenomenal number of entries we received is testimony to this vision.
The exceptional quality and standard of our creative sector provides an enormous boost towards the city’s economy and ranks it amongst one of the highest in the country. There are an estimated 1500 creative businesses in Nottingham employing approximately 10,000 people; these range from individual enterprises to firms with multi-million pound turnovers, so there is no doubt that creativity is our hidden strength.
Each category in the awards has its own stars and the task of arriving at a short list of only three proved immensely difficult.
One of the toughest categories to judge was Visual Arts. The number of talented artists and art collectives producing and displaying a wide range of visual artwork using various techniques including digital technology, traditional art mediums and even sound technology is astounding.
The graphic design and advertising categories shone light on big budget marketing and promotional campaigns for national companies, ranging from Weetabix, The Gadget Show and the GraddtoBusiness initiative.
National and even international exposure does not stop there. Nottingham can proudly boast an international reputation in current fashion design, building upon a history of lace and textile manufacturing.
Yet another outstanding category that was difficult to judge was Film & TV. Our city has a wealth of directional talent and a thriving commercial tv sector.
Our own interior and exterior design companies are working locally and winning awards nationally and internationally. Nottingham is becoming a centre for contemporary dance at the Nottingham Playhouse, Dance 4’s annual Nott Dance Festival, plus companies such as Reckless Sleepers, New English Contemporary Ballet and Retina.
Nottingham’s creative sector doesn’t end here. We have acclaimed writers, musicians and photographers. Too many to list!