£25m funding boost 'will unlock creative talent'

The funding will help industries including film, TV, music and video games

Creative businesses in part of the North-West are set to receive £25m government funding to help them grow and attract private investment.

The Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester are among six UK regions which will each receive £25m as part of the Government's Creative Places Growth Fund.

The funding will go towards the film, TV, music and video games industries.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy - who is attending the Labour Party conference in Liverpool - said the funding was about "unlocking talent and ambition everywhere".

Lisa Nandy (centre) said creativity "has no postcode"

The Creative Industries Sector Plan was first announced in June with the government detailing plans to invest £150m in the creative industries of six regions outside of London.

Nandy revealed the fund would be split equally across the Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester, the North East, the West of England, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

She said the money would drive growth, innovation and investment.

"Creativity has no postcode - whether it's a musician in Liverpool, a filmmaker in Birkenhead, or a video games developer in St Helens," Nandy said.

"We know that it is not one size fits all.

"That's why we are committed to growing our creative industries in every corner of the nation as part of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, and hope that this devolved funding will be just what these regions need to make their creative industries the best that they can be."

The fund will allow local mayors to support creative professionals, businesses and young people in their communities with access to finance, mentoring and networking opportunities to help them connect with investors and skills programmes.

The £25m allocations will be awarded over three years, starting in the 2026 financial year.