The British Trade & Cultural Office have organised the「Going for Gold: London 2012 & UK Creative Industries」workshop on 7 October 2009 in Taipei. This design talk will showcase the UK’s 50 years of experience in creative industries and explore the concepts of an alliance between visual creativity and commerce with local businesses.

Following on from the Love & Money Exhibition in 2007, Sir Andrew Cahn, Chief Executive of UK Trade & Investment, was invited to make opening remarks on “London 2012 Olympics: Springboard for the UK Economy”. Three speakers, Christine Losecatt, Dick Powell and Morag Myerscough, discussed with local business and designers on how to explore creative concepts as part of our everyday life.

Christine Losecaat is the Creative Industries Advisor to UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), and has more than 20 years’ experience in the design and creative industries. She is now the Innovation Champion for the Olympic Legacy Unit at UKTI, Christine Losecaat share her views on the role of the creative industries in London 2012 and an overview of cultural Olympics.

Dick Powell is the co-founder and Director of Seymour Powell. He spoke about design,  innovation, and how to be inspired and create breakthrough innovations. He thinks that reality and ideas are utterly inseparable; and that inspiration is more valuable than perspiration! Foresight and observation are essential qualities for innovation.

Morag Myerscough’s work integrates design and environment, and is not controlled by labels and limitations. She thinks our lives are closely linked with design. How design can improve our lives, how design can even make people feel happy, and how listening and understanding the needs of the consumer can improve a design approach rather than hinder it, are all challenges in the evolution of a designer, who must always move forward and take on new challenges.

The market value of the UK Creative Industries in 2008 was about ￡105 billion. In the last decade, it has grown at twice the rate of the previous decade when it accounted for 7% of the UK’s GDP. In the UK, there are about one hundred fifty seven companies in creative industries, mostly in software, computer games, music and the performing arts. The sector employs nearly 2 million people, and is growing at nearly twice the rate of other sectors.

This workshop is a wrap-around event for the ‘LOVE and MONEY - 50 Years of Creative Britain’ audio-visual multi-screen exhibition, which will be showcased in the ‘International Design Pavilion’ at the 2009 Taiwan Design Expo in Taichung from 2 Oct to 18 Oct 2009.

Notes for Editors

Media Contact:
Ms Christina Chen, Communications Officer, BTCO
Tel: 02 8758 2047
Email: Christina.Chen@fco.gov.uk

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