Creative Sector
Executive Summary Overview of the Creative Sector
Regional and Local Overview
- 3,878 people are employed in Galway in the Creative Sector accounting for 3.4% of total employment in the county.
- Some 12% of businesses have more than 10 employees, 49% have between 2 and 10 employees and 39% are sole traders.
- 1 in every 33 jobs in the Western Region is in the creative economy.
- Creative technology companies account for 7% of total number of business, 25% of turnover and 15% direct employment.
- There are 35 heritage sites, 32 museums, 10 art galleries in the city and county.
- There were 83 festivals and events hosted in Galway in 2012 bringing in an estimated €62 million in expenditure.
- €136 million plus is the estimated value of the Irish language, with €59 million accrued to Galway City.
- 25,000 domestic and foreign students attend Irish colleges in the Gaeltacht each summer and contribute €24.3 million in added value to GNP each year.
- Traditional Irish music is part of Galway's cultural identity.
- There is the potential for Galway to become the national flagship for contemporary visual arts.
- The Audio Visual sector is worth €72 million employing over 600 people.
- Connemara has a cluster of audio visual companies with the success of TG4 influencing the establishment of 40 companies.
- There are 162 design and craft businesses in Galway with the greatest concentration in textile making, wood working and jewellery.
- Galway is now one of five UNESCO's Creative Cities in the world.
- The sector generates an annual turnover of €534 million and contributes 3% towards employment within Galway.
- The West of Ireland has 2,466 creative companies.
- The Irish language is worth in excess of €136 million annually to the economy of Galway City and County.
- There are 162 design/craft businesses in Galway.
- Galway is now a City of Film and recognised as a standard of excellence.
- Galway has 50 production companies and its audio visual sector's employment rate is growing at 24.5%.
Read the full Sector Overview
Download the Report (pdf) for this sector
Read the full Sector Overview
Download the Report (pdf) for this sector