Businesses and individuals in the West of England’s creative industries working on projects that promote resilience and recovery during the pandemic will be able to apply for financial support as part of a new scheme.
Small-to-medium-sized companies will be eligible to apply for grant funds to help finance creative projects which employ freelance creatives, engage local communities and advance diversity and inclusion.
A fund for self-employed people developing their own creative product, practice or service, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic will also be available as part of the West of England Authority Combined Authority’s (Weca) Regional Recovery Plan.
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Grants will range from £1,000 to £3,000 for freelancers and £5,000 to £10,000 for businesses.
The sector-specific support programme will also offer mentoring, networking opportunities, training and workshops to help businesses looking to adapt their operations and financial models.
West of England mayor Tim Bowles said: “Our cultural and creative industries really are the soul of the West of England and are an important contributor to our wider economy.
“As we secure our recovery from the impact of Covid-19, this much-needed support will help ensure that our creative businesses can continue to provide exciting and engaging jobs, attract new commercial opportunities and help ensure the West of England remains an exciting and vibrant place to live and work.”
The initiative, which was developed with consultation with members of the creative and cultural sector, is part of Weca’s ambitions to form a new partnership with Arts Council England.
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The West of England Cultural Compact would be jointly funded, and aim to help increase investment across the creative and cultural sectors in the region.
Professor Sue Rigby, vice-chancellor of Bath Spa University, West of England LEP board member and interim chair of the Cultural Compact, said: “Culture is part of our DNA in the West of England, and so many of us value it and earn our livings from it.
“The pandemic has highlighted our need for culture as a key part of our recovery, and the Cultural Compact will help us to bring this about as a region.”
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Weca has already provided around 60 creative businesses with online peer and mentoring support to help them respond to the impact of Covid as part of its Creative Scale Up programme.
Since joining the programme in January 2020, Bristol-based independent development studio and games consultancy Auroch Digital has secured a new publishing deal and taken on 15 new members of staff.
Dr Tomas Rawlings, chief executive of Auroch Digital, said: “The Creative Scale Up programme, particularly the mentoring process, was great – we were able to pick mentors targeting specific needs we have.
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“We got direct support with business questions as they arose and that helped us deal with them and move forward.
“As a result, we've been able to advance some key areas of the company. We've landed one big publishing deal for a new IP game and are circling a second big project, and that mentoring advice has been part of the mix of positives getting us there.
“Information provided by the Creative Scale Up team also led us to a UWE Digital Innovation Fund grant.”