The Big Creative UK Investment Summit: West Midlands showcases a region on the rise

Last month, we hosted our second annual Big Creative UK Investment Summit: West Midlands, marking the culmination of this year’s West Midlands Create Growth Programme. Held at Birmingham’s historic Repertory Theatre, the event brought together founders, investors and creative leaders to celebrate the region’s creative economy. 

This year’s programme supported more than 30 high-growth creative businesses, helping founders strengthen their commercial strategy and build meaningful investor relationships. At the summit, ten of these businesses exhibited, with a further five pitching to a room of investors and stakeholders. Many participants have already reported new partnerships, revenue growth and early investment conversations – a powerful testament to the region’s growing momentum. 

The day began with an exclusive Investor Breakfast, hosted by the dynamic Tara Attfield-Tomes (The 51% Club / East Village PR / The Whole Point), and featuring five investment-ready pitches from programme participants. 

“It was an absolute joy to host the Investor Breakfast […] It was such a brilliant moment to celebrate the success of the Create Growth Programme and just how much it has helped the founders to progress their ideas and become more investable. The turnout from the local investment and business support ecosystem was fantastic and everyone was really engaged, which is no mean feat. I saw some exciting conversations happening between investors and founders too, so I have no doubt the impact of the event will last way beyond the day itself.” 

The session opened with a keynote from Gareth Deakin (Sonorous Global), who highlighted the scale of opportunity within the creative industries and the powerful intersection of music and technology. 

“The event was impressively organised and I really enjoyed chatting with the companies […] For me, being based in London, it was an eye-opening experience all round to better understand the opportunities in the region.” 

Investors noted the quality of pitches, the clarity of propositions and the commercial ambition of the cohort – a strong signal of the West Midlands’ growing investment pipeline. 

A panel featuring Creative UK’s Rahul Misra and Helen Oldham of Lifted Ventures explored the realities of investing in creative businesses – from balancing risk and reward to the importance of patient capital and the catalytic role of regional ecosystems. The message was clear: the creative industries are investable, and the West Midlands is emerging as a hub where innovation, talent, and commercial opportunity come together. 

The afternoon showcase opened with an endorsement from Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, who reaffirmed his commitment to the region’s creative industries. Graham Webb (Create Central) set the wider context for the Create Growth Programme, offering a powerful rallying cry that resonated with the room: 

 “Let’s stop talking about building a creative and screen industry here. We’re scaling the one we already have.” 

A fireside chat between Sarah Ellis (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Ammo Talwar (Punch Records) explored the value of failure as a catalyst for growth, and the irreplaceable immediacy of live performance in an AI-accelerated world. 

Later, Nick Grimshaw chaired a lively panel discussion with Amahra Spence (Hood Studio / MAIA Group), Michael Ford (Threewise Entertainment), and Professor Rajinder Dudrah (Birmingham City University). Their shared message was that creative impact thrives when founders are supported with the right infrastructure, the space to experiment, and communities that enable regenerative failure. 

Throughout the day, powerful performances from programme participants grounded the summit in the cultural richness that defines the region. Simone Smith opened with a vivid, place-rooted poetry reading, while Arathi Arun later delivered an emotive Kuchipudi dance performance, bringing a traditional poem to life. 

Many thanks to our partners – Create Central, West Midlands Combined Authority, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport – for their continued support in delivering both the programme and this landmark event.