New research into York’s creative spaces

A new research report explores the physical workspaces that support York’s creative economy and identifies the types of spaces needed to foster enhanced university-industry collaboration.

A project team from the University of York, the University of Stirling, York Creatives and York’s Guild of Media Arts gathered information from creative practitioners and worked with local artists to define York’s creative landscape. 

The report presents key findings in relation to management and operations, working environments, and location/facilities in the city. 

As York Central, one of the UK’s largest city centre regeneration schemes, aims to “power York’s economy into the future”, the report also makes recommendations regarding investment and infrastructure to support economic impact and social value.

The work highlights the value of artistic and creative production in York as an UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts.

Visit the XR Stories publications page to read the report, ‘Creator Spaces York: Negotiating economic impact and social value’.

The Creator Spaces York project was funded by The York Policy Engine and is presented under the Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN) project. The project emerged from previous research about content creator labour published as part of the SIGN Collaborative Research Grants Scheme. 

Photograph of artwork by Hannah Sibai featured at the York Creative Spaces exhibition in July 2024.

Published on 19 March 2025