Creative companies named in national Top 50

Companies from Stoke and Tamworth have been selected amongst the top 50 companies in the country in Creative England’s 2018 awards. The CE50 2018 celebrates the achievements of businesses in the film, games and tech sectors, who are chosen for their ability to convert a bright idea into a commercial success.

Nominees are selected by Creative England and only businesses in the English regions, outside of London, are eligible for selection, which rewards those companies whose activities have been as “disruptors and innovators”.

Two Stoke based companies have been chosen for the CE50 2018, Carse and Waterman, whose business offers a service that enables brands to “tell personable stories to their audience in a uniquely engaging way”, and Platform, which is a moving image cluster, enabling effective collaboration between companies and individuals working in the region on everything from training to showcasing local talent.

Enlighten, which is based in Tamworth, is a well established e-learning business, founded 40 years ago. Its virtual access technology permits learners to experience their chosen interest at a much reduced cost, whether they are on a construction project or a sports stadium.

Caroline Norbury, the chief executive of Creative England, said: “The people and businesses featured in this year’s CE50 are the very forefront of creativity. Through their work – be it games, film or TV productions, interactive platforms or immersive experiences – they produce the original ideas, the entertaining content and the innovations which make this country truly world-leading in the creative industries.”

Creative England’s role is to help companies in the creative industries to access finance, partly by offering specialist investment and support to to develop new and effective business models. Despite the extraordinary growth in this sector, research shows that in 9 out of 10 locations in the UK creative businesses struggle to get finance