The latest Partner to join the Counterculture ranks, Vanessa Elliott is a tour de force in the creative industries. After over ten years serving as the Head of Public Affairs at the BBC, she has been present at key moments and delivered key legislative successes and policy. We took a moment to discover more.
Welcome to Counterculture – what were the reasons behind choosing this firm and do you have a particular area of consultancy work you are planning to concentrate on?
I have loved my career to date. Although I have worked at the BBC for most of it I have done many different roles and worked across so many different areas. Counterculture offers this same level of professional diversity and excitement, opening up the opportunity to work on multiple projects in the areas of arts, heritage and culture that inspire my work and personal life. I was struck by Jim Coe’s “confession” that he has never had a dull day working with Counterculture and that feeling is hugely motivating. The level of expertise amongst partners, associates and all the team is incredible and also inspiring and challenging. I am looking forward to some steep but exciting learning curves, working with the genuinely supportive, fun and creative bunch of people who make up Counterculture.
You have moved from journalism and filmmaking to public affairs & now consulting as a Partner at Counterculture. Is there a thread which connects these different stages of your career?
Curiosity. I am inherently inquisitive and always want to discover the who, why, what behind every story and then share it with others. Public Affairs allowed me to advocate for the incredible creative powerhouse that is the BBC and utilise my research and stakeholder skills to put together strategic engagement plans that tell the story of economic, universal and creative value. My audiences were different – creatives and politicians rather than the public but the principles were the same.
Now with Counterculture I have an opportunity to tell the story of a huge range of cultural bodies, charities and not for profit organisations developing their top lines, narratives and business cases to support specific projects and their overall messaging and future successes.
You are described as having ‘an unparalleled understanding of the complex interactions between public policy and the world of culture.’ Were there any key moments in your career that shaped this view, and what does it translate to in more practical terms?
Holding the relationship between the BBC and the UK Parliament has given me incredible up-close insights into how government decisions, laws, and funding affect cultural life, and how culture in turn influences public policy. Whether evidenced through communicating the economic value of creative hubs such as Salford or Cardiff, or the power of the UK’s universal broadcaster as a partner supporting everything from pre-school literacy, to sport participation to social mobility; culture is inherently linked to societal coherence and, as such, is a vital strategic pillar guiding public policy and its implementation.
I can think of numerous examples of where culture has affected public policy debate – from investigative journalism and its revelations on issues such as the Post Office scandal, or the affects of social media on behaviour and mental health; recognising the vale of universally accessible elite sport on participation and in turn health, a connection I advocated for in-depth during the Media Bill’s progress through parliament; or submitting evidence to the CMS Select Committee as part of inquiries whose recommendations fundamentally changed policy – such as on high end TV and film and tax credits.
Vanessa Elliott with the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy & colleague. With thanks to Vanessa Elliott
You were a core member of several diversity groups, and a hearing manager for disciplinaries and appeals – how has this inspired you?
The BBC’s raison d’etre is to “inform, educate and entertain” and for me culture, heritage and the arts – in all forms – has the same purpose. I would however also add another word … “unite”.
Not everyone has to love, or want to do the same things, but everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves, and feel represented and reflected by the creativity around them.
Building a diversity policy for BBC Westminster was a recognition of the huge value new and diverse voices, on and off air could bring to those involved and audiences, and I have constantly supported and challenged myself on representation and diversity of voice throughout all my roles. Working on the BBC’s pan social mobility taskforce we secured new policies and targets for diverse representation and I have seen first-hand how this has increased our support amongst those who previously felt the BBC was not for them either as an employer or audience member. Working with colleagues across the UK and internationally I am also hugely conscious of the importance of national and regional nuance and I have loved discovering the power of diversity to unite.
Where do you see your sector in 10 years’ time? Are there any opportunities for the creative sector to be braver in how they tell their stories and communicate?
This is a really hard one to answer because everything within the sector is moving so fast. Essentially, as we all know, the creative industries are already huge – contributing 124 bn to the economy a year, supporting around 2.4 million jobs and representing 14% of all UK services exports. To put it in context, the creative industries generate an economic contribution greater than the automotive, aerospace and scientific research sectors combine and are growing at a rate that exceeds the national average by more than a factor of three!
So the potential is huge – backed up by the Government’s ambitious creative industries sector plan which promises to recognise the power of the sector and significantly boost investment.
But the sector can help itself too and showcase its huge value and societal impact . I would highlight a few things. Firstly, it is not exclusive. It must embrace the widest definitions of arts, culture and heritage from sport to technology business to creative IT. Secondly, this inclusive sector should not operate in a silo. Partnerships with educators, manufacturers and the NHS all highlight the wider holistic value of the sector and build support, funding and investment opportunities. And finally, the cultural landscape will be unrecognisable in ten years time as AI and XR change the face of how people create and showcase creativity. This is not scary it is exciting and a huge opportunity for the sector and those communicating their narratives and value.