Modern Slavery, Creative Industries and the Cardiff Capital Region: A New Collaboration

The Modern Slavery and Social Sustainability Research Group (MSSS RG) was established and is co-hosted by Cardiff University’s Business School and the Social Science Research Park (SPARK).

One of our commitments as the Research Group is to work with key partners across academia, industry, business, the public and voluntary sectors to build shared expertise and reputation – and to provide evidence-based solutions to challenges in – this field.

Today, this collaboration and commitment was mirrored by a new research project bringing together the modern slavery risk management expertise from within the Business School with the responsible investment approach of Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) and the Fair Agenda of Media Cymru, part of the Centre for the Creative Economy based in SPARK.

Cardiff Capital Region is a partnership of 10 local councils working together to transform the economy, business landscape and potential for inclusive prosperity across Southeast Wales. They aim to make a difference through nurturing an inclusive economy where no one gets left behind, fostering and inspiring innovation in businesses, public services and foundational economies and matching economic ambitions with progressive social policies.  Media Cymru is a Consortium with a shared aim – to turn Cardiff Capital Region into a global hub for media innovation with a focus on green and fair economic growth.  Both are key partners with much to offer to the challenge of tackling modern slavery in Wales.

The collaborative research initiative is led by Dr. Maryam Lotfi and Dr. Anna Skeels, Co-Directors of the MSSS RG, in partnership with Dr. Marian Buhociu from the University of South Wales and has been generously funded by Medr, the Welsh Commission for Tertiary Education and Research.

Today’s event brought together a diverse range of stakeholders from industry, academia, and policy, fostering an open and solution-driven discussion on the challenges and opportunities Creative Industries SMEs face in mitigating modern slavery risks.

An initial awareness raising and training session on modern slavery prevention, detection, response and remedy in relation to business supply chains from Dr Maryam Lotfi equipped participants with knowledge on the nature and extent of forced labour, conceptual models such as the ‘exploitation spectrum’ with modern slavery at its extreme and key components for a risk management approach including training, policies, risk assessment and due diligence.  Research Assistant on the project, Amy Boote, then presented a high-level analysis of Modern Slavery Statements from big industry in the Creative Economy as well as on some of the modern slavery risks associated with the sector.  These include high levels of freelancers and contractors, complex and global supply chains and informal employment structures.

Key highlights of the day included insightful discussions on the ethical and legal responsibilities of Creative Industries SMEs; exploration of practical strategies to strengthen ethical business practices and engagement with key partners committed to tackling exploitation and improving social sustainability in the sector.

As the project moves forward, Cardiff University and its partners remain dedicated to translating these discussions into tangible impact, reinforcing the university’s role as a leader in social sustainability and anti-slavery initiatives.  There was a great energy in the room, potential for collaboration across multiple policy and practice levels and enthusiasm for leading the way in Wales.