“We're seeing the government starting to see digital creators as part of this country's cultural fabric and a force for good”, says Chris Curtis MP, officer of the newly-formed Digital Creators all-party parliamentary group co-run by the IMTB

According to the recent YouTube Creator Consultation, 56% of UK creators feel they don't have a say on the rules that affect their work. 43% feel their value isn't recognised by the wider creative industry. And only 17% say they get enough support with training skills. Delivering his keynote address at YouTube’s Impact Day event last week, Chris Curtis MP, officer of the newly-formed Digital Creators all-party parliamentary group (APPG) said: “We wouldn't accept numbers like that in any other part of our creative sector, and we shouldn't accept it here, either”.

Mr Curtis explained the rationale for the new dedicated, cross-party forum designed to champion the creator economy. Co-run by the IMTB, the APPG will act as a vital bridge between the UK’s creators and Westminster. It comes at a time where sentiment towards creators is becoming more positive in parliament. “We're seeing the government starting to see digital creators as part of this country's cultural fabric and a force for good,” acknowledged Mr Curtis. 

The APPG officer then laid out three key areas to be targeted by the new forum:

“Firstly we need to treat creators as cultural institutions in their own right” he told delegates continuing “Creators reach audiences much bigger than many legacy outlets. They set trends, they spark debates, and they have incredible talents. Public funding and government policy should reflect that.”

Creators should benefit from the same access to financial support as traditional cultural institutions, argued Mr Curtis: “If the museum can get public support for an exhibition, why shouldn't a creator-led documentary series of local heritage be eligible for similar backing, especially if it reaches 10 times the audience?” 

The second goal for the APPG outlined by Mr Curtis is to help realise a greater investment in creative competences and “build up skills from the school to the studio”. Young creators should be “learning how to create responsibly and sustainably, editing, storytelling, lighting, sound, audience development, digital rights and basic business skills like invoicing and contracts.”

The APPG’s third goal is “to think about how the government communicates”. Politicians, argued the MP, “need to change the way we communicate. We can learn from digital creators how to capture attention and get messages across in a world where there's a lot of competition for attention.”

Finally, Mr Curtis underscored the opportunity the creator economy offers us as a country, explaining: “On a per capita basis, we've got world-class storytellers, musicians, comedians, teachers, thinkers, and we have a proud tradition in the UK of public service media and world-leading creative industries. If we get this right, the UK can be the best place in the world to be a digital creator – fair rules, smart support and a culture that celebrates creativity, whether it's on stage, the screen or on someone's smartphone.”

Mr Curtis was speaking at YouTube’s Impact Day, an event designed to explore the inspiring stories behind YouTube’s positive impact in the UK and celebrate the power of responsible online content. The event was attended by creators, industry partners, NGOs and policymakers to recognise those driving meaningful change in this area. 

Alison Lomax, Managing Director, YouTube, UK & Ireland, set the scene for the afternoon, highlighting YouTube’s work across Youth, Learning, Health, Civics, News, and Sports before covering areas of Creator Consultation.

About the IMTB

The IMTB is a UK-based not-for-profit trade association dedicated to building a robust, sustainable future for the influencer marketing industry through increased accountability, governance and a unified voice.

Launched in October 2021 with six founding members, the IMTB now counts circa. 30 progressive creator economy companies as members.

IMTB represents influencer marketing on the Committee of Advertising Practice ("CAP"), the UK advertising’s rule-making body.

It co-owns the Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct alongside ISBA. The Code aims to standardise good practices and guidance with brands, agencies and creators. It covers areas including disclosure, transparency, pay parity, and effective representation.

IMTB sits on the government's Online Advertising Taskforce as part of its influencer marketing workstream. 

IMTB co-runs the Digital Creators All-Party Parliamentary Group, designed as a forum for creators to engage policymakers - acting as a vital bridge between the UK’s creators and Westminster

IMTB is an Advertising Association member. Our director general sits on the AA's council. 

In 2024 IMTB co-founded the European Influencer Marketing Alliance - a federation of professional influencer marketing organisations across Europe. EIMA provides a unified voice for creator economy constituents to regulators, legislators, media, academics and other key stakeholders at a time of tremendous growth within the industry but also a time of increased legislative and regulatory scrutiny.

Member organisations sign up to our code of conduct when joining the IMTB. The code articulates specific requirements for members. These are the behaviours that members must demonstrate when they are providing business services and ensure our members are always responsible, accountable, transparent and competent.