At the heart of the Orange Economy is something profoundly human: creativity.

Creativity is more than an industry or commercial sector. It is an expression of who we are as human beings. It engages our senses and shapes how we experience, interpret and understand the world around us. It gives us a way to communicate beyond language, connect across cultures and find common ground through shared experiences.

Consider food. The creativity of a chef, the combination of spices, and the colours, aromas and flavours of a dish can transport us to another country, culture or generation. Indian cuisine has become an integral part of Britain’s cultural fabric, just as British food, influences and culinary traditions have found their place in India.

Consider visual art. A painting, sculpture, photograph or piece of design offers an individual’s interpretation of the world, allowing us to see through someone else’s eyes. The relationship between British and Indian art demonstrates how artistic traditions continually influence one another, from the Bengal School and its engagement with European artistic movements to contemporary artists such as Anish Kapoor, whose work has become an important part of Britain’s cultural landscape.

Music has an equally extraordinary ability to reach people without requiring a common language. The influence of Indian classical music on Western musicians, collaborations between Indian and British artists, and the global popularity of British-Asian music all demonstrate how sound can transcend geography and bring cultures and generations together.

Through dance, theatre and performance, art forms such as Bharatanatyam and Kathak, alongside contemporary British theatre, tell stories through movement, expression and emotion. They allow audiences to experience perspectives and traditions beyond their own.

Then there is film. Film gives us the opportunity to tell powerful stories, including those that may be difficult to communicate through everyday conversation. Through a cinema screen or television, we can enter another person’s world, understand their struggles, celebrate their achievements and recognise our shared humanity. The success of Indian cinema in Britain, alongside the growing international reach of African and Commonwealth filmmaking, demonstrates the power of storytelling to connect audiences across borders.

Creativity ignites the senses. It makes us see differently, listen differently, taste differently, feel differently and, ultimately, understand one another differently.