Norfolk's creative industry is being given a £1.275m funding boost from the government to grow the sector and create jobs. 

The county, along with Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, was one of six regions in the UK to be given the grant through the Create Growth Programme. 

Creative businesses in the area will also be able to draw from a fund of up to £7m delivered by Innovation UK to provide financial support and connect firms in the industry with investors. 

The money is being awarded after a successful bid from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), meanwhile, the University of East Anglia will be the lead delivery partner. 

Chris Starkie, chief executive of New Anglia LEP, said: “The business support provided by the Create Growth Programme will be a blend of group masterclasses and seminars.

"These will cover a range of topics from specific investment insights through to intellectual property, legal sessions, exporting, pitching, business planning, finance and marketing, roundtable discussion sessions with investors, entrepreneurs, creative specialists and a bespoke package of one-to-one mentoring from a range of expert consultants, plus one-to-one advisor time for each beneficiary business."

Cllr Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for growing the economy, added: “Our creative sector is growing almost three times faster than the national average, and yet we offer no specific support programmes to the sector.

"That’s why I’m delighted that we’ve been awarded £1.275m from Create Growth programme.

“The grant will enable investment in programmes which will be offered to at least 80 creative organisations in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Peterborough.

"We look forward to working with partners to deliver this exciting programme which we plan to launch in January 2023.”

The government is also set to deliver a £950,000 Creative Careers Programme, which will aim to help young people from underrepresented backgrounds break into the creative industry. 

The programme will provide specialist guidance to 11 to 18-year-olds on careers in the creative industries.

It will be targeted towards 53 locations across the country, including Great Yarmouth and Peterborough, and help pay for online talks, workshops and training for careers advisors.