BARONESS Shriti Vadera has been appointed co-chair of the Creative Industries Council, a key forum connecting the government with the creative sector.
She will succeed Peter Bazalgette, who has served in the role since 2021, next summer.
Baroness Vadera, currently chair of Prudential plc and the Royal Shakespeare Company, is also co-chair of the World Bank Private Sector Investment Lab. She is the first woman and person of colour to chair the Royal Shakespeare Company and a British bank. Her appointment is for 18 months, after which an open competition will determine a permanent successor in 2026.
The Creative Industries Council is working on a growth strategy for the sector, valued at £125 billion annually. Baroness Vadera and Peter Bazalgette will co-chair a newly formed taskforce to guide the strategy, with plans to publish a Sector Plan next spring under the government’s Industrial Strategy.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy thanked Peter Bazalgette for his contributions and welcomed Baroness Vadera’s appointment, highlighting her experience in business and the arts. “The Council is an invaluable partnership between government and industry. Under her leadership, I look forward to a renewed focus on delivering growth, jobs, and opportunities,” she said.
Baroness Vadera expressed her commitment to supporting the creative industries, saying, “I look forward to working closely with the extraordinary creative talent and organisations it represents. I am particularly delighted to be working with the inimitable Baz in this endeavour.”
Peter Bazalgette described the appointment as a positive step for the sector’s innovation and growth.
The Creative Industries Growth Summit, set to take place in Newcastle on 5 December, will provide further opportunities for industry input into the sector plan.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event