Members Spotlight: British Fashion Council
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Actress, author, podcaster and presenter Giovanna Fletcher took part in a fireside chat at the event hosted by Yasmin Henry-Jones, Writer & Founder of The Lab E20, Financial Times.
On 4th March 2026, over 200 creative businesses, founders, sector leaders and investors from Cornwall, Devon and the wider regions came together at Falmouth’s Maritime Museum for The Big Creative UK Investment Summit: Cornwall and Devon.
The event was a celebration of the Create Growth Programmes that have been delivered in Cornwall and Devon, funded by DCMS and delivered in partnership with Cornwall Council, Screen Cornwall, and Falmouth University in Cornwall, and West of England Combined Authority, Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council, Devon County Council, Exeter City Council, Exeter University, University of Plymouth, Plymouth Culture and Real Ideas Organisation in Devon. Over 170 businesses have been supported by the programme over three years, resulting in businesses providing over 150 products and services, taking on 60 new staff and acquiring £15.3million in investment.
Designed to spotlight the extraordinary growth potential which exists within the sector and the region, the event was hosted by Yasmin Henry-Jones, Financial Times Writer, Cultural Place shaping Strategist and Co-founder The Lab E20, and featured a mix of bold discussions, live performances, short film screenings and networking, as well as an exhibition of creative businesses from across Cornwall and Devon.
The afternoon opened with a welcome from event host Yasmin Jones Henry, followed by a fireside chat with Giovanna Fletcher, actress, author, podcaster and presenter, who reflected on how embracing adaptability and recognizing her creative toolkit helped her to pivot into a successful writing and pod cast career.
The first panel of the day focused on the creative founders investment journey, highlighting the region’s progress in building an investment infrastructure that is suitable for the creative industry, with available funding offers signposted to the businesses in the audience.
The second panel of the day focused on changing narratives and partnerships in the creative industry, looking at the region’s progress in leveraging creativity, unified messages and collaboration to build a sustainable future for creative industry businesses.
Alongside panels, there are invitation-only pitches to investors, where seven businesses who have been supported through the Create Growth Programme were selected to pitch their businesses to a room of engaged investors. The pitches were really well received, with feedback from investors reflecting the quality of the businesses from the programme.
The day culminated with networking, a performance from Off the Wall Aerial, and the inaugural screening of Two Short Nights 2026, a celebration of Celtic language film.
Throughout the day, there was an expo of 27 unique creative businesses who have come through the programme.
