The creative industries in the UK’s regions can bid for part of a record £500 million government funding package for research, development and innovation in the creative industries. The announcement was made on 20 January, along with the publication of UK Research and Development’s high level R&D strategy.
A key aim is to increase collaboration with high-value createch-driven markets and encourage more foreign direct investment into UK creative businesses.
‘We welcome this announcement in Oxfordshire, where there is a thriving createch community, particularly in film, AI and associated technologies,’ says Helen Ryan-Wallis, Director of Strategic Development and Programmes at Enterprise Oxfordshire. ‘With the founding of Marlow Studios, only half an hour’s drive south of Oxford, creating a new creative film corridor, there is plenty of scope to thrive within this region’s unique blend of tech, academic and creative energy, especially with our immense talent pool and long experience of international collaborations.’
Marlow Film Studios was given official planning approval in November 2025, clearing the way for development on the 36-hectare site which will house 18 soundstages and a skills academy. The studios are backed by globally well-known filmmakers such as James Cameron and Sam Mendes, and will be designed for the latest forms of technology and contemporary content creation.
A precedent was set by multi-million pound Rebellion Film Studios which opened in 2018, capitalising on the success of the company’s video games empire to expand into feature-film making, publishing and animation.
Next-generation creative technology is exemplified by Oxfordshire AI firm Charismatic.ai, which is creating an ecosystem to accelerate productivity and unlock new revenue streams for the global entertainment industry. Specialising in short-form digital content and ‘microdramas’, its platform allows simple prompts to be turned into complete scripts and animated storyboards in minutes. Its animated film Carnival was awarded first prize for Best AI-Generated Production or Use of AI in Animation at Content London recently.
Meanwhile, Oxford is celebrating its grassroots film-making as Film Oxford marks 40 years of community filmmaking with free opportunities for aspirant filmmakers.
Regions across the UK can now apply to be part of the next cohort within the Creative Clusters programme, which funds research and development partnerships across different creative sectors. The programme connects universities with businesses to drive innovation, skills, job creation, and economic growth. The first wave of Creative Clusters generated £270 million public and private investment from an initial £56 million programme investment by the government.
Image provided by Rebellion Film Studios