![Sara Pepper BA (Hons), MA](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/6795?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Professor Sara Pepper
(she/her)
BA (Hons), MA
Teams and roles for Sara Pepper
Director of Creative Economy
Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Overview
Sara is Co-Director of the Centre for the Creative Economy at Cardiff University, where she provides leadership and strategic direction across the Centre’s current and future activities. She has led major initiatives at the Centre including Creative Cardiff, a city-wide creative network, Clwstwr (£10 million Creative Industries Cluster Programme) and Media Cymru (£50 million UKRI Strength in Places-funded programme).
Working across academia, industry, and government, Sara brings together diverse stakeholders to better understand, support, and grow the creative economy. She is committed to championing creative talent and ideas and to building partnerships that enable individuals and organisations to realise their full creative and commercial potential.
She is also deeply committed to place-based development, with a particular focus on strengthening Cardiff’s creative community and supporting the growth of the wider regional ecosystem.
Sara is currently a member of the Global Creative Economy Council and Chair of the Creative Industries Council Innovation and R&D Working Group.
Publication
2026
- Pepper, S. and Prime, S. 2026. Developing dihybrid delivery: how higher education institutions can become integrated collaborators in creative innovation. City, Culture and Society 45 100707. (10.1016/j.ccs.2026.100707)
2024
- Fodor, M. et al. 2024. The Cardiff Capital Region and West of England Creative Supercluster: Scoping Study. Project Report.Cardiff: Centre for the Creative Economy, Cardiff University.
2023
- Lupu, R. et al. 2023. Understanding the role of creative networks for cultural and creative industries: the case of creative Cardiff. In: Virani, T. E. ed. Global Creative Ecosystems. Vol. 1, Dynamics of Virtual Work London: Springer. , pp.77-96. (10.1007/978-3-031-33961-5_5)
- Komorowski, M. et al. 2023. Creative hubs and intercultural dialogue—towards a new socio-economic narrative. Sustainability 15 (10) 8282. (10.3390/su15108282)
- Lupu, R. et al. 2023. Greening the audiovisual sector: towards a new understanding through innovation practices in Wales and beyond. Sustainability 15 (4) 2975. (10.3390/su15042975)
2022
- Fodor, M. M. et al. 2022. CLWSTWR POLICY BRIEF No 5: innovation for an inclusive and diverse media sector: the role of r&d in Wales: findings from CLWSTWR.
- Fodor, M. M. , Komorowski, M. and Pepper, S. 2022. Mapping creative hubs in Wales.
- Fodor, M. M. et al. 2022. CLWSTWR POLICY BRIEF NO 3: the impact of the screen sector tax relief on Wales: key takeaways from the BFI screen business report 2021.
2021
- Komorowski, M. et al. 2021. Joining the dots—understanding the value generation of creative networks for sustainability in local creative ecosystems. Sustainability 13 (22) 12352. (10.3390/su132212352)
- Komorowski, M. , Pepper, S. and Lewis, J. 2021. Joining the dots – Understanding the value generation of creative networks.
2019
- Komorowski, M. , Pepper, S. and Togay, S. 2019. Creative hubs: opportunities and challenges for intercultural dialogue. Project Report.[Online].Istanbul: Connect for Creativity. Available at: https://cris.vub.be/en/publications/creative-hubs(b0b70110-c0ad-4366-a22f-e9e1172b37d4).html.
Articles
- Pepper, S. and Prime, S. 2026. Developing dihybrid delivery: how higher education institutions can become integrated collaborators in creative innovation. City, Culture and Society 45 100707. (10.1016/j.ccs.2026.100707)
- Komorowski, M. et al. 2023. Creative hubs and intercultural dialogue—towards a new socio-economic narrative. Sustainability 15 (10) 8282. (10.3390/su15108282)
- Lupu, R. et al. 2023. Greening the audiovisual sector: towards a new understanding through innovation practices in Wales and beyond. Sustainability 15 (4) 2975. (10.3390/su15042975)
- Komorowski, M. et al. 2021. Joining the dots—understanding the value generation of creative networks for sustainability in local creative ecosystems. Sustainability 13 (22) 12352. (10.3390/su132212352)
Book sections
- Lupu, R. et al. 2023. Understanding the role of creative networks for cultural and creative industries: the case of creative Cardiff. In: Virani, T. E. ed. Global Creative Ecosystems. Vol. 1, Dynamics of Virtual Work London: Springer. , pp.77-96. (10.1007/978-3-031-33961-5_5)
Monographs
- Fodor, M. et al. 2024. The Cardiff Capital Region and West of England Creative Supercluster: Scoping Study. Project Report.Cardiff: Centre for the Creative Economy, Cardiff University.
- Fodor, M. M. et al. 2022. CLWSTWR POLICY BRIEF No 5: innovation for an inclusive and diverse media sector: the role of r&d in Wales: findings from CLWSTWR.
- Fodor, M. M. , Komorowski, M. and Pepper, S. 2022. Mapping creative hubs in Wales.
- Fodor, M. M. et al. 2022. CLWSTWR POLICY BRIEF NO 3: the impact of the screen sector tax relief on Wales: key takeaways from the BFI screen business report 2021.
- Komorowski, M. , Pepper, S. and Lewis, J. 2021. Joining the dots – Understanding the value generation of creative networks.
- Komorowski, M. , Pepper, S. and Togay, S. 2019. Creative hubs: opportunities and challenges for intercultural dialogue. Project Report.[Online].Istanbul: Connect for Creativity. Available at: https://cris.vub.be/en/publications/creative-hubs(b0b70110-c0ad-4366-a22f-e9e1172b37d4).html.
Research
Sara's research explores the evolving concept of the creative economy, with a particular focus on how creative and cultural industries develop through networks, structures and innovation. She is interested in both formal mechanisms, such as policy and funding, and informal dynamics, including peer communities, collaborative platforms and grassroots initiatives, that enable and support creative practice. A central strand of her work focuses on the role of people and place in shaping creative ecosystems.
