When The Drum, a news site specialising in modern marketing and media, approached us to comment on the state of Brighton’s digital economy, we were delighted to share our opinion with reporter Angela Haggerty.
Here is the story they published which includes a fair few quotes from Developing Dream’s Kati Byrne:
How to get a job in digital: Brighton boom promises to create more jobs
According to the local city council, job growth in Brighton and Hove has exceeded both the regional and national average for the last 15 years, driven by the boom in digital, and continued investment into the creative hubs in the area is positive news for those looking for a digital job in Brighton.
Proposals from the Cathedral Group – which heads a partnership between Brighton and Hove City Council, the University of Brighton and South East Dance – mark a regeneration plan for the derelict Circus Street municipal market to build two new public buildings and create office space for digital companies.
Projections suggest the completion of the project would be a huge boost to the creative industries and could create more than 600 jobs, as well as generating more than £208m for the economy over a 10-year period.
The city council estimates a potential for the city to create in the region of 20,000 jobs over the next two decades – a point made when expressing dismay at a recent government rejection of council pleas for areas of the city to be made exempt to new legislation which will ease the change of use from office space to residential space – and all eyes are on the digital and creative industries.
Co-founder of Brighton-based digital agency Developing Dreams, Kati Byrne, said: “Brighton has developed a reputation as a digital media hub and there are more digital agencies and freelancers in this industry here than the number of pebbles on the beach you are prepared to count.
“There are approximately 25,500 self-employed people in Brighton and Hove. This represents 13 per cent of 16-64 year olds, which is much higher than the national average of 9.6 per cent.”
Traditionally the creative and digital industries are known to employ more freelancers than most other industries, which explains why Brighton and Hove have more freelancers on average.