Creative West - The Future - Have Your Say

Creative West 2035 Survey

The Western Development Commission (WDC) is undertaking Creative West 2035, a major analysis and needs assessment of the creative economy across Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and Clare, as the Western Region.

The research builds on the original Creative West report published in 2008 and the WDC's recent mapping of the creative sector across the Western Region. We want to understand the creative sector as it exists today — its scale, strengths, challenges, needs and future opportunities. We are particularly interested in hearing from artists, creative practitioners, freelancers, creative businesses, cultural organisations and enterprises of all sizes, including those who may not currently engage with public funding or support programmes.

Your responses will help inform the evidence base and recommendations for the future development of the creative economy in the Western Region. The survey should take approximately 10–12 minutes to complete. This information is being collected for aggregate EDI analysis only and will not identify individual respondents.

SECTION 1 — ABOUT YOU / YOUR ORGANISATION

Question Title

1. Which county does your business primarily operate from?

Donegal

Leitrim

Sligo

Mayo

Roscommon

Galway

Clare

Other / outside the Western Region

Question Title

2. Where are you primarily based?

City

Town

Village

Rural area

Island

Gaeltacht area

Other

Question Title

3. Which best describes you?

Individual artist / creative practitioner

Freelancer / sole trader

Creative micro-enterprise

Creative SME

Larger creative business

Cultural / creative organisation

Not-for-profit / community organisation

Social enterprise

Educational / research organisation

Other

Question Title

4. Which creative disciplines or activities best describe your work? (select all that apply)

CRAFTS (i.e. ceramics, textiles, jewellery, glass, wood, metal, furniture, musical instruments, leather, paper)

ARCHITECTURE (i.e. architecture, landscape, urban/place design, architectural technology)

FASHION (i.e. design, textiles, clothing, accessories, footwear)

PUBLISHING (i.e. books, magazines, newspapers, digital publishing, literary content)

ADVERTISING (i.e. advertising, branding, creative agencies, content marketing, commercial communications)

ART / ANTIQUES TRADE (i.e. galleries, dealers, art markets, antiques, collecting, art fairs)

MUSIC, VISUAL, PERFORMING ARTS (i.e. music, theatre, dance, opera, visual arts, traditional arts, circus)

VIDEO, FILM, PHOTOGRAPHY (i.e. film, TV production, documentary, animation, photography, VFX, post-production, virtual production)

RADIO, TV (i.e. radio, broadcasting, podcasting, television, streaming)

INTERNET, SOFTWARE (i.e. creative software, platforms, apps, web development, creative technology)

DIGITAL MEDIA (i.e. games, XR, AR/VR, immersive, interactive media, digital content)

DESIGN (i.e. graphic, product, industrial, UX/UI, service, interaction, web, strategic design)

Other (please specify)

Question Title

5. How long have you been operating professionally in the creative sector?

Less than 2 years

2–5 years

6–10 years

11–20 years

More than 20 years

SECTION 2 — SCALE AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Question Title

6. Approximately how many people currently work in your creative activity/business/organisation?

Just me

2–5

6–10

11–25

26–50

51–100

More than 100

Question Title

7. Has your creative activity/business/organisation actively recruited in the last financial year?

Yes

Question Title

8. Approximately what was your annual turnover/income from creative activity in the most recent completed financial year?

Under €10,000

€10,000–€24,999

€25,000–€49,999

€50,000–€99,999

€100,000–€249,999

€250,000–€499,999

€500,000–€999,999

€1m+

Prefer not to say

Question Title

9. What proportion of your income/turnover comes from creative activity?

Less than 25%

25–49%

50–74%

75–99%

100%

Question Title

10. Over the past three years, has your creative activity/business:

Grown significantly

Grown somewhat

Remained broadly stable

Declined somewhat

Declined significantly

Too early to say

Question Title

11. What is the approximate value of the three main products and services purchased by your creative activity/business/organisation?

	Advertising & Marketing	Consultation Services	Distribution/logistics/transport	Utilities	Contract Labour	Stationery	Materials	IT & Technical Equitpment
0%	0% Advertising & Marketing	0% Consultation Services	0% Distribution/logistics/transport	0% Utilities	0% Contract Labour	0% Stationery	0% Materials	0% IT & Technical Equitpment
20%	20% Advertising & Marketing	20% Consultation Services	20% Distribution/logistics/transport	20% Utilities	20% Contract Labour	20% Stationery	20% Materials	20% IT & Technical Equitpment
40%	40% Advertising & Marketing	40% Consultation Services	40% Distribution/logistics/transport	40% Utilities	40% Contract Labour	40% Stationery	40% Materials	40% IT & Technical Equitpment
60%	60% Advertising & Marketing	60% Consultation Services	60% Distribution/logistics/transport	60% Utilities	60% Contract Labour	60% Stationery	60% Materials	60% IT & Technical Equitpment
80%	80% Advertising & Marketing	80% Consultation Services	80% Distribution/logistics/transport	80% Utilities	80% Contract Labour	80% Stationery	80% Materials	80% IT & Technical Equitpment
100%	100% Advertising & Marketing	100% Consultation Services	100% Distribution/logistics/transport	100% Utilities	100% Contract Labour	100% Stationery	100% Materials	100% IT & Technical Equitpment

Other (please specify)

Question Title

12. What is main business activity of your largest clients?

	Education/Research Institutions	Media Firms	Government/Local Authorities	Designers/Artists/Galleries	Hotels & Restaurants	Property Developers	Retailers, Craft Shops and Collectors	Corporate Businesses	Private Clients	General Public
0%	0% Education/Research Institutions	0% Media Firms	0% Government/Local Authorities	0% Designers/Artists/Galleries	0% Hotels & Restaurants	0% Property Developers	0% Retailers, Craft Shops and Collectors	0% Corporate Businesses	0% Private Clients	0% General Public
20%	20% Education/Research Institutions	20% Media Firms	20% Government/Local Authorities	20% Designers/Artists/Galleries	20% Hotels & Restaurants	20% Property Developers	20% Retailers, Craft Shops and Collectors	20% Corporate Businesses	20% Private Clients	20% General Public
40%	40% Education/Research Institutions	40% Media Firms	40% Government/Local Authorities	40% Designers/Artists/Galleries	40% Hotels & Restaurants	40% Property Developers	40% Retailers, Craft Shops and Collectors	40% Corporate Businesses	40% Private Clients	40% General Public
60%	60% Education/Research Institutions	60% Media Firms	60% Government/Local Authorities	60% Designers/Artists/Galleries	60% Hotels & Restaurants	60% Property Developers	60% Retailers, Craft Shops and Collectors	60% Corporate Businesses	60% Private Clients	60% General Public
80%	80% Education/Research Institutions	80% Media Firms	80% Government/Local Authorities	80% Designers/Artists/Galleries	80% Hotels & Restaurants	80% Property Developers	80% Retailers, Craft Shops and Collectors	80% Corporate Businesses	80% Private Clients	80% General Public
100%	100% Education/Research Institutions	100% Media Firms	100% Government/Local Authorities	100% Designers/Artists/Galleries	100% Hotels & Restaurants	100% Property Developers	100% Retailers, Craft Shops and Collectors	100% Corporate Businesses	100% Private Clients	100% General Public

Other (please specify)

SECTION 3 — MARKETS AND INTERNATIONALISATION

Question Title

13. Where are your primary markets/audiences?

Local

County

Western Region

National / Republic of Ireland

Northern Ireland

North America

Other international markets

Question Title

14. Approximately what amount of income/revenue did you generated from outside Ireland (export) in the last financial year?

None

Not currently, but we are seeking to do so

Under €10,000

€10,000–€24,999

€25,000–€49,999

€50,000–€99,999

€100,000–€249,999

€250,000–€499,999

€500,000–€999,999

€1m+

Question Title

15. What are the main barriers to growing the business in Ireland, developing new markets or increasing international activity? (select up to 3)
*Infrastructure- could be defined as- Workspace; Studios; Production facilities; Performance/exhibition spaces; Digital infrastructure; Meeting/networking spaces; Equipment; Affordable workspace

Infrastructure

Lack of Finance

Lack of time/capacity

Lack of knowledge

Lack of contacts/networks

Lack of marketing expertise

Lack of digital capability

Lack of appropriate supports

Skills gaps

Travel costs

Access to international opportunities

Intellectual property / legal issues

Language / cultural barriers

Other (please specify)

SECTION 4 — SUPPORTS AND FUNDING

Question Title

16. Have you accessed any public or publicly supported funding or business/creative support in the past five years?

Yes

Don't know what supports are available

Applied but were unsuccessful

Prefer not to say

Question Title

17. What types of support have you accessed?

Grants

Business development

Mentoring

Training

Internationalisation

Export support

Workspace / infrastructure

Networking

Research and development

Digital support

None of the above

Other (please specify)

Question Title

18. How useful have supports which you have accessed been to you?

Question Title

19. What are the main barriers to accessing existing supports? (Rank your top 3)

Question Title

20. What types of support would make the greatest difference to your development over the next five years? (Rank your top 5)

SECTION 5 — SKILLS AND CAPACITY

Question Title

21. How has employment changed in comparison to three years ago?

Much better (significant increase in employment)

Better (some increase in employment)

About the same (no significant change)

Worse (some decrease in employment)

Much worse (significant decrease in employment)

Not applicable

Other (please specify)

Question Title

22. What skills are currently most difficult for you/your organisation to access? (rank your top 5)

Question Title

23. Do you expect your skills needs to change significantly over the next five years?

Yes

Unsure

Other (please specify)

Question Title

24. If yes, to the question above, what emerging skills or capabilities do you think will become most important?

SECTION 6 — INFRASTRUCTURE AND PLACE

Question Title

25. How would you rate the availability of appropriate creative infrastructure* in your area?

Scale 1–5. (where 5 meets all needs)
Consider the following when answering:
Workspace ; Studios; Production facilities; Performance/exhibition spaces; Digital infrastructure; Meeting/networking spaces; Equipment; Affordable workspace

Question Title

26. What are the biggest infrastructure challenges facing the creative sector in your area?

Question Title

27. Does being located in the Western Region create particular opportunities for your creative work?

Unsure

Yes (tell us more about the opportunities)

Question Title

28. Does being located in the Western Region create particular challenges?

Unsure

Yes (tell us more about the challenges)

SECTION 7 — THE CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM

Question Title

29. How well connected do you feel to the wider creative sector?

1 Not connected at all

5 Very well connected

1 Not connected at all

5 Very well connected

Question Title

30. Which types of organisations or networks are most valuable to you? (select all that apply)

Other creative practitioners

Creative businesses

Cultural organisations

Local authorities

Creative hubs

Enterprise agencies

Education providers

National cultural agencies

Business networks

International networks

Tourism organisations

Other (please specify)

Question Title

31. What would improve collaboration across the creative sector in the Western Region?

SECTION 8 — FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Question Title

32. Where do you see the greatest opportunities for the Western Region's creative economy over the next 10 years? (Rank your top 5)

Question Title

33. What are the biggest threats or challenges facing the creative economy in the Western Region over the next decade? (Rank your top 5)

SECTION 9 — THE BIG QUESTION

Question Title

34. If you could make ONE change that would have the greatest positive impact on the creative sector in the Western Region, what would it be?

Question Title

35. What is the one thing you think the Western Region should be known for creatively by 2035?

SECTION 10 — INCLUSION AND PARTICIPATION
This section is optional

Question Title

36. To help us understand the diversity of participation in the creative economy, would you be willing to provide the following information? (This information is being collected for aggregate EDI analysis only and will not identify individual respondents.) What is your age?

Under 18

18–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–64

65 and over

Prefer not to say

Question Title

37. What is your Gender?

Male

Female

Non-binary

Prefer not to say

Prefer to self-describe

Question Title

38. Did your organisation/you recently participate in the WDC mapping project?

Yes

If No, please provide your organisations name

Question Title

39. Do you have Disability/accessibility requirements?

Yes

Prefer not to say

Question Title

40. Do you have a language preference?

Irish

English

Both equally

Prefer not to say

Question Title

41. Are you located in an urban/rural location?

City

Town

Village

Rural area

Island

Gaeltacht area

Prefer not to say

Other (please tell us more)

SECTION 11 — FOLLOW-UP

Question Title

42. Would you be interested in participating in further research?

Yes – interview

Yes – focus group

Yes – workshop

Question Title

43. If you would like to participate, please provide your email address.

Email Address:

Mobile Number:

Creative West - The Future - Have Your Say

Creative West 2035 Survey

Question Title

* 1. Which county does your business primarily operate from?

Question Title

* 2. Where are you primarily based?

Question Title

* 3. Which best describes you?

Question Title

* 4. Which creative disciplines or activities best describe your work? (select all that apply)

Question Title

* 5. How long have you been operating professionally in the creative sector?

Question Title

* 6. Approximately how many people currently work in your creative activity/business/organisation?

Question Title

* 7. Has your creative activity/business/organisation actively recruited in the last financial year?

Question Title

* 8. Approximately what was your annual turnover/income from creative activity in the most recent completed financial year?

Question Title

* 9. What proportion of your income/turnover comes from creative activity?

Question Title

* 10. Over the past three years, has your creative activity/business:

Question Title

* 11. What is the approximate value of the three main products and services purchased by your creative activity/business/organisation?

Question Title

* 12. What is main business activity of your largest clients?

Question Title

* 13. Where are your primary markets/audiences?

Question Title

* 14. Approximately what amount of income/revenue did you generated from outside Ireland (export) in the last financial year?

Question Title

Question Title

* 16. Have you accessed any public or publicly supported funding or business/creative support in the past five years?

Question Title

* 17. What types of support have you accessed?

Question Title

* 18. How useful have supports which you have accessed been to you?

Question Title

* 19. What are the main barriers to accessing existing supports? (Rank your top 3)

Question Title

* 20. What types of support would make the greatest difference to your development over the next five years? (Rank your top 5)

Question Title

* 21. How has employment changed in comparison to three years ago?

Question Title

* 22. What skills are currently most difficult for you/your organisation to access? (rank your top 5)

Question Title

* 23. Do you expect your skills needs to change significantly over the next five years?

Question Title

* 24. If yes, to the question above, what emerging skills or capabilities do you think will become most important?

Question Title

* 25. How would you rate the availability of appropriate creative infrastructure* in your area?

Question Title

* 26. What are the biggest infrastructure challenges facing the creative sector in your area?

Question Title

* 27. Does being located in the Western Region create particular opportunities for your creative work?

Question Title

* 28. Does being located in the Western Region create particular challenges?

Question Title

* 29. How well connected do you feel to the wider creative sector?

Question Title

* 30. Which types of organisations or networks are most valuable to you? (select all that apply)

Question Title

* 31. What would improve collaboration across the creative sector in the Western Region?

Question Title

* 32. Where do you see the greatest opportunities for the Western Region's creative economy over the next 10 years? (Rank your top 5)

Question Title

* 33. What are the biggest threats or challenges facing the creative economy in the Western Region over the next decade? (Rank your top 5)

Question Title

* 34. If you could make ONE change that would have the greatest positive impact on the creative sector in the Western Region, what would it be?

Question Title

* 35. What is the one thing you think the Western Region should be known for creatively by 2035?

Question Title

* 36. To help us understand the diversity of participation in the creative economy, would you be willing to provide the following information? (This information is being collected for aggregate EDI analysis only and will not identify individual respondents.) What is your age?

Question Title

* 37. What is your Gender?

Question Title

* 38. Did your organisation/you recently participate in the WDC mapping project?

Question Title

* 39. Do you have Disability/accessibility requirements?

Question Title

1. Which county does your business primarily operate from?

2. Where are you primarily based?

3. Which best describes you?

4. Which creative disciplines or activities best describe your work? (select all that apply)

5. How long have you been operating professionally in the creative sector?

6. Approximately how many people currently work in your creative activity/business/organisation?

7. Has your creative activity/business/organisation actively recruited in the last financial year?

8. Approximately what was your annual turnover/income from creative activity in the most recent completed financial year?

9. What proportion of your income/turnover comes from creative activity?

10. Over the past three years, has your creative activity/business:

11. What is the approximate value of the three main products and services purchased by your creative activity/business/organisation?

12. What is main business activity of your largest clients?

13. Where are your primary markets/audiences?

14. Approximately what amount of income/revenue did you generated from outside Ireland (export) in the last financial year?

16. Have you accessed any public or publicly supported funding or business/creative support in the past five years?

17. What types of support have you accessed?

18. How useful have supports which you have accessed been to you?

19. What are the main barriers to accessing existing supports? (Rank your top 3)

20. What types of support would make the greatest difference to your development over the next five years? (Rank your top 5)

21. How has employment changed in comparison to three years ago?

22. What skills are currently most difficult for you/your organisation to access? (rank your top 5)

23. Do you expect your skills needs to change significantly over the next five years?

24. If yes, to the question above, what emerging skills or capabilities do you think will become most important?

25. How would you rate the availability of appropriate creative infrastructure* in your area?

26. What are the biggest infrastructure challenges facing the creative sector in your area?

27. Does being located in the Western Region create particular opportunities for your creative work?

28. Does being located in the Western Region create particular challenges?

29. How well connected do you feel to the wider creative sector?

30. Which types of organisations or networks are most valuable to you? (select all that apply)

31. What would improve collaboration across the creative sector in the Western Region?

32. Where do you see the greatest opportunities for the Western Region's creative economy over the next 10 years? (Rank your top 5)

33. What are the biggest threats or challenges facing the creative economy in the Western Region over the next decade? (Rank your top 5)

34. If you could make ONE change that would have the greatest positive impact on the creative sector in the Western Region, what would it be?

35. What is the one thing you think the Western Region should be known for creatively by 2035?

36. To help us understand the diversity of participation in the creative economy, would you be willing to provide the following information? (This information is being collected for aggregate EDI analysis only and will not identify individual respondents.) What is your age?

37. What is your Gender?

38. Did your organisation/you recently participate in the WDC mapping project?

39. Do you have Disability/accessibility requirements?

40. Do you have a language preference?

41. Are you located in an urban/rural location?

42. Would you be interested in participating in further research?

43. If you would like to participate, please provide your email address.