AN ORGANISATION to represent the interests of creative industries in the region has been established.

The Creative Industries Commission (CIC) is an industry-led group with membership drawn from the music and performance art business, through to digital media, fine arts and crafts professionals.

It is the first time the sector has had such a group to represent its interests and develop specific projects.

Providing a voice for the 26,000 people who are employed in creative businesses in the North-East, the CIC is developing a business plan to maximise the potential of the sector, which is growing at a rate of more than 15 per cent.

One NorthEast, Culture North East and the Arts Council for the North East have consulted the region's creative businesses to discover the issues they want the commission to tackle.

Dr John Bridge, chairman of One NorthEast, is also chairman of the commission.

He said: "The Government and policymakers have realised that the creative industries are a real success story for the UK and this is certainly the case in the North-East, where the sector now accounts for 26,000 jobs.

"We want to capitalise on this by investing resources into the development of a creative industries commission that will direct projects, communicate with others working in the sector to enable them to grow and contribute even more to this region's GDP."