As private individuals the founders of Up North Runway, should not be funding a project to establish the Northern Fashion Industry on an equal footing to the South, no matter the current small influence they have as a voice and operationally. And yet both entrepreneurs, Liz Green and Andy Parr, are putting their money where their mouths are to try and wrestle some funding from the South.
There are moves in the northern fashion industry, education specifically, to bring together powerful voices to realign the industry and encourage investment into the north. Industrial and cultural heritage influenced the fashion industry right here - especially in the mechanisation of cloth, and yet it seems, culturally and operationally we northerners have allowed the decline of our industry in favour of the south. We have to come together to change this drift and re-invest in the north. The below emphasises, in short form, the challenge we all face.
Funding & Business Support for Graduates in the North of England
Is there a North–South divide?
Summary
- Multiple independent analyses show a persistent London–South East concentration of culture/creative funding and activity. IPPR North estimates a £450m annual culture funding gap between London and the North. (IPPR, Museums Association)
- Government and arm’s-length bodies have announced redistribution efforts (e.g., Arts Council England 2023–26, DCMS Create Growth, UKRI/Innovate UK Creative Catalyst), including West Yorkshire & Greater Manchester, but evidence to date suggests the historic imbalance remains significant. (House of Lords Library, The Art Newspaper, GOV.UK, UKRI)
- The British Fashion Council (BFC) runs national programmes (NEWGEN, Fashion Trust, scholarships; Colleges Council includes Leeds, Manchester, Northumbria), yet showcasing and much activity are London-centred (London Fashion Week, Fashion Awards); recent statements signal intent to decentralise, but concrete regional deployment remains limited in public materials. (British Fashion Council, London City Hall, Vogue Business)
1) What the data says about regional disparities
- IPPR North (2025): identifies a “culture chasm” of ~£450m between London and the North; London receives roughly double the culture funding of the North. (IPPR)
- Museums Association coverage (2025): summarises IPPR North’s finding of “stark” regional funding inequalities. (Museums Association)
- Arts Council England (ACE) redistribution: policy since 2022–23 to shift funds out of London; 2023–26 allocations increased investment outside London by ~21.8% vs 2018/19, but debate continues over whether this offsets historic concentration. (House of Lords Library)
- The Art Newspaper (2022): recorded significant cuts to London institutions as ACE moved funding out of the capital—evidence of policy change, though not proof the gap has closed. (The Art Newspaper)
- Creative clusters evidence (Nesta/RSA/PEC): long-running research shows creative industries cluster most densely in London & the South East, with regional clusters (e.g., Manchester/Leeds) growing but comparatively smaller—implying access to networks, finance and buyers is still London-centric. (nesta, Nesta Media, PEC)
Bottom line: The direction of policy is improving, but the structural gap persists.
South funding disparity
Graph Insight: Cultural Sector GVA — London vs. the North
This chart from the UK Government’s DCMS economic analysis illustrates a stark disparity:
- London dominates cultural sector Gross Value Added (GVA)—accounting for nearly 70% of national cultural GVA in 2020.
- In comparison, regions like Yorkshire & the Humber, North East, North West, and others contribute very little to the national total.
Key highlights from the data and Arts Council Funding below:
- London’s cultural GVA significantly exceeds its share of the overall UK economy.
- In regional terms, the cultural sector contributed just 0.3% of regional GVA in the North East, compared to 4.2% in London.
- The Arts Council England (ACE) will distribute £383.5m to 282 organisations in the North in 2023–26.” Arts Council
- ACE’s London investment is ~£152m per year in the 2023–26 portfolio.” Arts Council
- Independent analysis finds a £458.6m vs £383.5m London–North split (core ACE streams, 2022–26), calling inequalities ‘stark’. Museums Association
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Create Growth Programme targets 12 regions including West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester with tailored business support and investor-readiness.” Innovation Funding Service+1
- Creative Catalyst: £30m innovation fund; 55% of a recent tranche awarded outside the Greater South East. UK Research and InnovationGOV.UK
Why This Matters
The graph and content clearly demonstrate the economic heft of London’s cultural industry—and by extension, its access to funding, commercial opportunities, and infrastructure that Northern regions often lack. For the north, this underscores the urgent need for redistributing attention, resources, and support to Northern fashion talent.
2) What support currently exists in the North?
- DCMS Create Growth Programme – targeted business support & grant competitions for creative SMEs, with West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester included (recent rounds up to £8m nationally). (GOV.UK, Innovation Funding Service)
- UKRI/Innovate UK – Creative Catalyst – £30–40m programme for creative-sector innovation (open nationally; Northern firms eligible and supported via Creative UK partners). (UKRI, Innovate UK Business Connect)
- Regional bodies
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority – Creative Industries Showcase & growth support. (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
- Greater Manchester – funds such as Inspire (small grants) and broader creative-industry programmes; additional third-party regional initiatives emerging. (Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Creative UK)
- Market momentum – independent reporting highlights Manchester’s rising fashion hub status (major brands relocating/expanding; headline shows), signalling demand-side growth in the North. (Vogue Business)
Takeaway: There is Northern-targeted support, but it sits within national schemes and relatively modest regional pots versus London’s entrenched ecosystem (buyers, media, finance, LFW).
3) British Fashion Council (BFC): what their materials & posts show
- Programmes: NEWGEN, Fashion Trust, Designer Fashion Funds, scholarships; Colleges Council includes Northern institutions (Leeds Arts University, Manchester Fashion Institute, Northumbria). (British Fashion Council)
- Showcasing: BFC’s flagship platforms are London Fashion Week & The Fashion Awards (London); the Mayor of London has historically funded LFW and associated BFC schemes—reinforcing the London centre of gravity. (London City Hall)
- Communications: recent BFC news and social posts (e.g., Fashion Trust recipients, GQ fund shortlists) focus on LFW and London-based events, though the Colleges Council signals national reach. (Instagram)
- Recent direction: coverage of BFC’s new CEO notes waving LFW fees/extended NEWGEN funding and talk of decentralisation, but concrete Northern deployment is not yet prominent on public channels. (Vogue Business)
Interpretation: BFC does support Northern graduates (via education network & open national funds), but showcasing, buyer attention and media are still London-anchored, which indirectly disadvantages Northern designers/boutiques compared with peers plugged into the capital’s ecosystem.
4) Plan in a Paragraph for the North
- Evidence the funding gap with IPPR North and sector commentary to show why regional platforms are needed. (IPPR, Museums Association)
- Acknowledge national schemes available in West Yorkshire & Greater Manchester (Create Growth, Creative Catalyst) but argue they don’t replace a London-scale network of buyers, media and sponsors—that’s the role businesses like UNR are filling locally. (GOV.UK, Innovation Funding Service, UKRI)
- Position businesses as a “conversion platform” that turns Northern talent + public funds into press, buyers and investment—the pieces London gets via LFW ecosystem. Use BFC’s London focus to justify a Northern runway circuit to promote the north.
- Call to action for regional authorities & sponsors: align with DCMS/UKRI growth agendas by earmarking dedicated Northern fashion showcasing funds (not just general creative). (GOV.UK)
Selected sources
- IPPR North – State of the North 2025; £450m culture funding gap. (IPPR, ippr-org.files.svdcdn.com)
- Museums Association – summary of regional funding inequalities. (Museums Association)
- House of Lords Library – ACE regional redistribution overview. (House of Lords Library)
- The Art Newspaper – ACE shifts funds away from London (context). (The Art Newspaper)
- Nesta/RSA/PEC – creative cluster geography (London/South East concentration; emerging Northern clusters). (nesta, Nesta Media, PEC)
- DCMS – Creative Industries Sector Vision; Create Growth Programme guidance. (GOV.UK)
- UKRI/Innovate UK – Creative Catalyst programme. (UKRI)
- West Yorkshire/GM – regional initiatives & showcases. (West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Combined Authority)
- BFC – NEWGEN/Fashion Trust/education network & London-centred showcasing; recent CEO focus. (British Fashion Council, London City Hall, Vogue Business)
Conclusion
There is credible evidence of a sustained London-centric concentration of funding and opportunity in culture/creative industries. While new funds are reaching West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, the ecosystem advantages of London (media, buyers, showcasing) continue to tilt outcomes southwards. This makes the case for Up North Runway as a regionally rooted, industry-facing platform that converts Northern talent into publishable stories, commercial orders and investment—right here in the North. The question is, who is with us to pull this funding north of the Watford gap? It is not going to happen without a north with one voice. We need a strategic review of the whole industry, from educators, to commercial experts, building from the ground up an ecosystem to support a resurgent re-emergence of fashion in the north.
