The arts are not just good fun for Brighton and Hove. They happen to be big business for the towns as well.

A new report shows that 1,600 firms, or almost a fifth of the total business community, are part of the creative economy.

But there is a widespread feeling that not enough is being done to support them and keep them on the coast.

It is easy for authorities to help a financial firm or manufacturing company because what it does is clear or solid. The same applies to the hotel and catering industry.

But small firms in new technology, music and the arts are often more difficult to back because it can be hard to work out exactly what they are about.

The message is clear. Brighton and Hove Council and experts on finance and the law need to make more effort to understand what these companies are doing and offer support.

But it is a two-way process. Too often, creative industries have directed all their energies into the products without bothering about how they can be properly financed.

The idea of pooling expertise where it will be readily available and accessible is an excellent one.

We all know how much sparky talent there is in the arts and media in the two towns. The problem is keeping it here and helping it expand without losing all that creative buzz.