Top 10 Most Colourful, Happy and Creative Cities in the UK

The creative industries cover everything from design to dance, art to architecture but what really makes a city creative?

Bloom & Wild have compared data for some of the UK’s biggest cities to find out which are the most creative, happy and most colourful. This will help guide creative start-ups so that they can find the right location to grow their business.

Being a “creative” is more than just a job, it feeds into many aspects of life. Creative people bounce off other creative people, business owners trying to find the most creative talent pool can use this list to help narrow down the search.

UK’s most creative cities

1. Edinburgh
2. Brighton & Hove
3. Oxford
4. Norwich
5. Manchester
6. Glasgow
7. Bristol
8. York
9. London
10. Newcastle upon Tyne

The most colourful place in the UK came out as Oxford however, a recent study revealed that Edinburgh is the most creative city. With 48 art galleries and 29 theatre and concert venues, there is plenty of inspiration available for those living there. The university offers a huge number of creative courses meaning there is a huge pool of talented individuals graduating in the city each year. It also has the 4th highest number of creative jobs available in the whole of the UK, creating a thriving industry scene.

UK’s happiest cities

1. Newcastle upon Tyne
2. Plymouth
3. Norwich
4. Edinburgh
5. Reading
6. Oxford
7. Cardiff
8. York
9. Cambridge
10. Bournemouth

Newcastle upon Tyne is the happiest UK city. When looking at a range of twelve factors including, community spirit, art and culture, opportunities to develop skills and friendliness (amongst others), the northern city scored the highest. A happy workforce is likely to be more comfortable in all areas of life including work. Happiness creates a space for creativity and so start-ups need to consider their employee’s work life balance when setting down roots as this can really impact workforce productivity.

3 things to look for when deciding on a home for your start up

1.      Is the talent pool big enough and good enough to meet your needs?

A good start up needs talented individuals who can wear many hats. Having universities nearby that offer relevant courses to your businesses can make recruiting these people easier.

2.      If not, will people relocate to the chosen location?

A good work life balance is now a key consideration for many Brits looking for work. Looking at what else the location has to offer people will again help with recruitment. Would working for your company really be enough to keep employees happy? Or will they look at the surrounding area for culture and activities?

3.      Do you really NEED to be in London?

London is of course the centre of UK business however, will your start up thrive there? This research shows that there are many creative places outside of the capital (possibly with cheaper rents and wages too). Think about your business strategy and where you need to be placed for the best chance at success.

Sources:
·         Most colourful UK cities
·         Most creative UK cities
·         Happiest UK cities

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