“Show the world what you can do” says Wrexham MP as he praises town’s creative talent in new video

Wrexham’s MP has appeared in a short film which praises the town’s trailblazing creative industries.

Ian Lucas, who is standing down on Wednesday after 18 years in Parliament, worked with Rossett-based Knew Productions to make the feature before the snap General Election was called.

In it, Mr Lucas explains how Wrexham is now home to an increasing number of creative industries, from film-makers to musicians, artists and designers. Many of these enterprises are involved in projects which have an international reach – and Mr Lucas urges them to “show the world what we can do”.

The film is titled Wrexham: A Creative Future and is one of the final projects Mr Lucas worked on before the end of his time as MP for Wrexham, you can view it below:

You can view the video on youtube here, or below:

Mr Lucas said: “This video really does underline how much Wrexham has changed in my time as MP.

“The rise of so many creative enterprises across the town has been good to see and I wanted to put this fact on record.

“Advances in digital technology have helped greatly. We no longer need to lose talented people to major cities. These businesses can be set up anywhere and can operate internationally. It’s exciting to see and hear about so many of them in Wrexham.”

Mr Lucas is a member of the parliamentary Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and has been a keen supporter of creative ventures in Wrexham for many years.

The idea for the film came about following a visit to Knew Productions, one of the more long-established creative businesses in the Wrexham area. Led by award-winning director Richard Knew, the company has been making all sorts of films for 20 years including TV programmes and music videos, but mainly promotional videos and video content for businesses.

Figures show the creative industries sector is one of the fastest-growing in the Welsh economy.

A 2018 audit by Creative North Wales found that 23% of Wales’ creative employment is based in the north. There were about 200 creative enterprises listed in Wrexham alone, with the number rising sharply across the past decade.

Mr Lucas added: “Wrexham has its own particular identity and I genuinely feel like we have something fresh and different to offer. There is now a real creative scene in Wrexham.

“We have an arts hub in the town, Ty Pawb, and business hub just a short walk away. We have Wrexham Glyndwr University and Coleg Cambria producing students with huge talent and ability. There are cultural festivals taking place in Wrexham all year round, and of course we are home to FOCUS Wales – a major showcase for new music which brings in artists and delegates from across the world.

“I am extremely proud to see us reaching out internationally and making our voice heard. I will take an interest in this field long after my time as MP is over.”

Top pic: Ian Lucas MP with the team from Knew Productions & Leighton Cox