Happy Global Entrepreneurship Week!
The UK’s creative industries are jam-packed with small businesses and self-employed individuals.
Government data shows 95% of the sector’s companies are micro-businesses, while self-employment accounts for 32% of employment, compared to 16% for the economy more broadly.
With that in mind, Dan Martin asked individual and startup members of Bristol Creative Industries to share their tips for running a successful freelance or small business. We received some brilliant responses which we’ve highlighted below.
Become an individual and startup member of Bristol Creative Industries for only £4.95 a month or £49+VAT a year and enjoy many business-boosting benefits. Sign up here.
Bristol Creative Industries members share their tips below. Click their BCI profile links to find out more about them and to see if there are opportunities for collaboration. We love to see members working together!
Build a network
Working for yourself can be a solitary pursuit and the idea of networking can be intimidating. But it starts with making friendly connections. That can create the basis for future partnerships, referrals and support.
We’re lucky to be spoilt for choice with a wonderful community in Bristol and the South West and Bristol Creative Industries is at the heart of that. I’ve enjoyed every minute of making like-minded connections and friends in the process.
Sell yourself with confidence
Don’t be shy. Remind people of your experience and expertise – don’t assume they know that already. Make it an easy choice for them to buy your services. If you keep it authentic and make a personal connection, selling doesn’t have to feel awkward.
Take time to contract with a clear brief
Over the years I have been eager to make it as easy as possible to get started on a scope of work by writing a proposal from a loose verbal brief. That means doing a lot of the scoping myself which, as well as a lot of time and effort unpicking the client’s needs, can leave room for (mis)interpretation. I find the most successful partnerships involve the client putting an equal amount of work in up front to shape a really clear brief.
Having a good support network is key. In my experience, this goes beyond family and friends. Of course, you need people around who love you unconditionally. You also need those people who, being self-employed, just get it. People who understand the ups, as well as the downs, and who can give you a boost with some sage words of advice. You never know when you might need to call on those freelance friends – whether it’s celebrating a big win or simply asking, ‘How do I do that thing on Mailchimp, again?!’ Don’t go it alone, you’ll travel farther with trusted, supportive people at your side.
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The freelance life is full of many highs and lows, and it can be easy to focus on the negative, worries and stresses. When things have felt stressful or a bit bleak, which I know it has done for the freelance community over the last 6 months or so (everyone is feeling it, it’s not just you!), then put the work in, get your head down, send out the emails, chase the leads, get back in touch with previous clients and trust the process. It works. Work comes in, clients get back in touch, and those invoices (finally!) come through.
Being part of a community of likeminded freelancers and solo workers really helps. I created a Slack community for freelance and solo workers in the South West, which has been a great place for us to share briefs, get advice. We also share the wins. It feels great to celebrate your milestones with others as they know the importance of them too!
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Work out who you are before you offer services
The creative industry is becoming more and more specialised, so we (as companies or individuals) need to move with that trend ourselves. It’s good to have multiple offerings and skills but you open yourself up to more competition. So when it comes to marketing yourself, it’s better to be amazing at a couple of things than being ‘just good’ at too many things. Maybe you focus on editorial design or you might be an illustrator in the sports sector. This doesn’t mean turning away work that doesn’t suit your marketing; it’s just simply good to have a focus. This makes branding your company far less complicated and helps with consistency.
Create a content strategy
It’s important to show up to work. If you don’t, you get fired. The same thing happens if you’re freelance or a small business but instead, the clients forget about you. Building a consistent content strategy keeps you at the forefront of your audiences’ minds. Write short blogs about your sector, interact with your audience by having competitions or you could even do peer shout-outs. Just make it relevant and consistent.
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Invest in your own brand
There are so many businesses out there doing the same or similar to you, so make sure you are really clear about who you are. Not just your services, but really what makes you tick, what makes your business individual and why clients should come to you. Look at what you are incredibly skilled at, knowledgeable about, understand and enjoy. Then build on it.
Keep moving forward
Stay relevant, understand the market, keep talking to people to learn more. Just don’t get caught up in the jargon and hype. Your customers and clients won’t understand it, or care.
Be inspired by your own creativity
It’s your business so you should be excited by it. If you’re not then you’re probably on the wrong path. Look for the type of work you want to do and reflect it in your work. Talk to businesses that hold similar values. Follow people, brands and businesses on social media that give you fire in your belly.
Care about what you do
Actually give a damn. Care if you get back to someone, care if it is right, care if you think it could be better. Care about what you do and others will too.
Face reality
Running your own show isn’t easy. Always be ready to change the plan, surround yourself with people that are genuinely on your side and want you to succeed. Above all, have the right mindset, stay positive and believe in your own ability. Then just when you’re about to give up, that’s when you need to push even harder.
Give back
It may be a portfolio review, your time, your advice, your energy, but give back when you can and do it genuinely and generously.
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Find yourself an accountability partner. When you’re running your own small business it’s important to have someone to talk to. When you don’t have a team of your own, find someone that understand’s the highs and lows of running a similar business. I have a weekly Friday afternoon Zoom call with another marketing consultant and we use it to share what we’ve been working on, what we’ve seen on social media and what we’re planning to work on next. Setting this up during Covid lockdowns, and continuing it since, has been one of the most valuable things I’ve ever done for my business and me personally.
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Actively and regularly seek out your ideal clients
Sometimes money can overrule your decisions, whether on a practical basis of needing more of it, a big project that sounds too good to be true or it doesn’t quite feel like the right fit with your values and expertise. Working when you feel any kind of conflict (internally) can be really hard work for all involved. Don’t underestimate the strength of a long-term client that you align with and have trust and respect on both sides. Working with the career mentoring charity Ablaze for five years has been my biggest reward in terms of the value of the work they do and I support them with, and in being so consistent long-term.
Be alive to all opportunities
You never know what opportunities are behind someone’s ask for help on social media such as LinkedIn. I stepped in to some really interesting research work with Projects by IF through answering a last minute call for help when a team member got Covid. Plus chatting to a client via an introduction (thanks Constance Fleuriot!) at the Data Science Conference last year turned out they wanted help with a project researching the mental health ecosystem for their mental health app. Keep exploring and don’t miss opportunities on your own doorstep.
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Climate/environment: Often an overlooked part of the business, it is important for you and your team to know where you stand. We are not talking about addressing global climate change, but rather what approach your business takes. Using something like the UN Global Sustainable Goals (SDGs) can be a useful tool to measure and monitor on-going improvement. Delegate this to one of your team who is passionate about climate and the environment.
Finance: Keep a close eye on financial health. Are you equipmed to do this yourself or should you delegate this and get someone to oversee this for you? Regularly analyse cash flow, manage expenses, and invest wisely to maintain stability and fuel growth.
IT/tech/web: Embrace technology to improve productivity and customer experience. An effective online presence and streamlined IT systems can enhance efficiency. Again, this can often be delegated to specialist that will advise, set up and keep your system safe. Don’t wait for the headache, scam, fraud, breach to hit you – anticipate and get an expert in to set you up.
Marketing: Develop a targeted marketing strategy to reach your ideal customers. Will you do this? Will one of your team? You know your business best, but are you best equipped to deliver this? Focus on cost-effective digital marketing channels that yield a high return on investment and consider whether you should do this internally or delegate it.
Mindset/culture/vision: This is so important and your team (and partners/freelancers) should be fully briefed on this. Keep an eye on it and cultivate a growth mindset and a clear vision for the business to share across your business, peers and clients.
Sales: Nurture a strong sales team and develop effective sales strategies. Consistent revenue generation is vital for business sustainability and expansion, and, a with ops and delivery, this is key to business growth. But should you be doing sales, or one of your team or outsource this? Only you can decide.
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Be true to yourself, and be authentic. Take small steps if needed, celebrate all your successes, and try not to compare yourself to others. Set realistic goals, build a support network, and consider finding an accountability partner – someone who will listen impartially, remind you of your goals, and help you stay on track.
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The key to doing what I love and building great creative relationships is forging a true connection at a personal level – getting as close as possible is where I do my best work because then I’m fully invested in both head and heart.
Time and time again it’s over a coffee or a wine that the no holds barred honesty chats happen and reveal the truth of what is on the table and why you are the best person to help bring it to life. People love to talk so offering them the opportunity to be heard is where the magic happens. I’ve often thought I should list in my proposals: two, three, four hour coffee chats as a key stage in the creative process.
As human beings we love to find connections and then tell a story about how that relates to us – and as designers that’s how we create beautiful solutions by listening, understanding and simplifying the story to make it easier to understand.
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Always deliver on time or slightly early.
Be clear and proactive with the client, especially about what they said they would do/by when. If their lateness impacts you, say so right away – in writing.
Always assume there will be some fallow months. Take out money that you need not what you want!
Build a nest egg – the bigger the better.
If buying in services, such as print, get payment from the client upfront. Always mark up such services.
Keep personal drawings and money separate from business revenue – they are not the same.
Always keep money in the business account for a rainy day – cash flow is king/queen and the tax authorities will need paying!
Consider a limited company but understand the differences versus self employed.
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If you come up with a great name for your creative business, you must do due diligence to make sure it’s available. Check on Google, check domain names, check Companies House and, most importantly, check at the Intellectual Property Office as a trademarked name trumps a limited company name. If it is available, trademark it.
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Become an individual and startup member of Bristol Creative Industries from only £4.95 a month and enjoy many business-boosting benefits. Sign up here.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the 2024 Autumn Budget 30 October, the first from the UK’s new Labour government. Here’s a round-up of measures and announcements relevant to businesses in the creative industries.
Describing it as a Budget “to fix the foundations”, the Treasury said “difficult decisions” had to be made “on tax, spending and welfare to restore economic and fiscal stability” to deal with a “£22bn black hole” in the public finances left by the previous government.
The announcements included £40bn in tax rises, with the big headline the increase in employer National Insurance which will add significant costs to many businesses.
We’ve listed the measures relevant to most businesses at the end of this article. Firstly, here are the announcements specific to the creative industries in the West of England region.
The Budget confirmed that the government will continue to fund the following creative industries programme:
The government said it will provide £3m in funding to expand the Creative Careers Programme, which raises awareness of career routes and tackles skills gaps in the key sector.
The Creative Industries Clusters programme, which has supported creative businesses in nine regional hubs, will continue to provide support over the next six years, with more clusters to be announced. Bristol and Bath was one of the regions supported between 2018 and 2024 through Bristol and Bath Creative R+D.
The Autumn Budget confirmed that the creatives industries is one of eight sectors of focus in the government’s vision for its new industrial strategy.
It has published a green paper and launched a public consultation. Read more details here.
The government said it is providing tax reliefs for the creative sector worth £15 billion over the next five years, and confirmed announcements from the previous government’s Spring 2024 Budget:
From 1 April 2025, film and high-end TV productions will be able to claim an enhanced 39% rate on their UK visual effects costs. UK visual effects costs will be exempt from the credit’s 80% cap on qualifying expenditure, with costs incurred from 1 January 2025 eligible.
The previous government proposed that generative AI would not qualify for the additional tax relief for visual effects, but the new government has dropped that measure.
UK Screen Alliance said the move means that the UK is now set to attract an additional £175m per year of spending on VFX for film and TV, an increase of over 45%, and to create 2,800 new jobs.
Adrian Wootton OBE, chief executive of the British Film Commission, said:
“UK film and TV is globally admired, and a key sector driving economic growth. Our VFX sector is one of the jewels in the UK industry’s crown, with a depth of creative and technical expertise. But these are competitive times. Productions are looking globally for the best talent and incentives to guide their investment decisions.
“Any new measures must address intensifying global competition and help us put our best foot forward. Confirmation of the VFX tax credit increase doubles down on UK strengths and will drive up investment. It is not only welcome, but essential to support our sector and wider UK growth.
“We’re delighted that HM Treasury has listened to industry feedback on generative AI, and included these costs in the overall VFX tax credit enhancement. The BFC pressed for this in our consultation response and we believe this will play an important part in keeping our VFX sector future-proofed and globally competitive.”
From 1 April 2025, UK films with budgets under £15m and a UK lead writer or director will be able to claim an enhanced 53% rate of audio-visual expenditure credit. Expenditure incurred from after 1 April 2024 on films that began principal photography on or after 1 April 2024 is eligible.
From 1 April 2025, the rates will be set at 40% for non-touring productions and 45% for touring productions and all orchestra productions.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:
“The creative industries will play a critical role in helping us turn the corner and deliver on the national missions of this government – driving economic growth into our towns and cities; drawing on the wealth of talent that exists everywhere; and flying the flag for British culture and values on the world stage.
“The chancellor’s Budget underscored just how important these sectors are going to be with funding extended for vital programmes and tax reliefs, an expansion of the Creative Careers Programme and a £25m investment in the CrownWorks Studio in Sunderland that will make the city one of the centres of our TV and film industry for years to come.
“This government recognises that for millions of people, geography has become destiny. That while talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. This Budget has put the creative industries front and centre of how we write those people back into our national story and drive opportunity, jobs and prosperity into every community, in every region.”
The following are announcements not specific to the creative industries but are of interest to businesses in the sector.
To fund public services, including the NHS and education, the government will increase employer National Insurance.
The rate will increase by 1.2 percentage points to 15% from 6 April 2025. The secondary threshold, the level at which employers become liable to pay National Insurance on each employee’s salary, will reduce from £9,100 per year to £5,000 per year.
To protest the smallest businesses from the National Insurance rise, the employment allowance will increase to £10,500 from £5,000 and be extended to all eligible employers by removing the £100,000 cap.
The government said this will allow firms to employ up to four National Living Wage workers full time without paying employer National Insurance.
The government will increase the lower and higher main rates of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) to 18% and 24% respectively for disposals made on or after 30 October 2024.
Business Asset Disposal Relief, which entrepreneurs pay when they sell all or part of their business, and Investors’ Relief, which reduces CGT on a disposal of shares in a trading company that is not listed on a stock exchange, will increase to 14% from 6 April 2025, and to 18% from 6 April 2026.
The National Living Wage for employees over 21 will increase by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour from April 2025. The government said this represents an increase of £1,400 in the annual earnings of a full-time worker
The National Minimum Wage for 18-20 year olds will rise by 16.3% to £10 an hour, the largest ever increase in both cash and percentage terms.
The government said that intends to create a single adult wage rate over time.
The cap on bus fares in England, due to end on 31 December 2024, will be retained until 31 December 2025, but with a 50% increase from £2 to £3.
From 2026-27, “permanently lower” business rates rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England will be introduced. The government said “this will be funded sustainably by introducing a higher multiplier for the most valuable properties, including distribution warehouses used by online giants”.
Business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England, up to a cap of £110,000 per business, due to end in April 2025, will be retained for 2025-26. However, it will be cut from 75% to 40%.
The small business multiplier will be frozen in 2025-26.
The government confirmed continued funding for small business finance schemes provided by the British Business Bank including £250m in 2024-25 and 2025-26 for Start Up Loans and the Growth Guarantee Scheme. To boost access to finance for women entrepreneurs, the bank will also invest £50m into female-led funds.
The Budget confirmed that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the government’s replacement for EU funding which was due to end in April 2025, will be extended for another year but with reduced funding of £900m.
The government will also continue to fund the Help to Grow: Management course and Growth Hubs in England in 2025-26.
A “Small Business Strategy Command Paper” will be published in 2025 that will “set out the government’s vision for supporting small businesses, from boosting scale-ups to growing the cooperative economy, across key policy areas such as creating thriving high streets, making it easier to access finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment”.
Bristol Creative Industries is supporting jfdi with the 8th annual jfdi/Opinium New Business Barometer. This report is an absolute necessity for anyone who has a focus on building their agency’s new business as it will arm you with valuable insights and industry-wide stats to benchmark your performance.
When it comes to new business, there are lots of opinions, but not enough data. As proud partners of the jfdi/Opinium New Business Barometer, we want to change that.
If you’re an agency owner, managing director or part of your agency’s senior management team, please take a few minutes to complete the survey and you’ll receive a copy of the unique report as soon as it’s available in the new year.
In return, as well as the free report, you’ll:
jfdi help agencies grow by winning new business. The team are privileged to have worked with over 1000 agencies – both large and small and across marketing disciplines. The one thing they all have in common is their ambition to grow. For these bold and ambitious agencies, jfdi offer a mix of strategy, creativity and action that works in the real world not just in workshops and away-days.
The creatives industries is one of eight sectors of focus in the government’s vision for its new industrial strategy.
Publishing a green paper and launching a public consultation, the government said the strategy’s aim is to “drive long-term growth in key sectors that is sustainable, resilient and distributed across the country”.
In their foreward, chancellor Rachel Reeves and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds say:
“There is rapid change in the global economy, and the case for governments to roll up their sleeves and shape markets rather than step back in the face of these challenges is stronger than ever. To capture the growth the UK so desperately needs, we need a modern industrial strategy to share in the next decade’s growth opportunities.
“This industrial strategy will provide a launchpad for businesses. It provides the firm foundation for investment that businesses have told us they need. This government believes it is our role to provide the certainty that inspires confidence, allowing businesses to plan not just for the next year, but for the next 10 years and beyond.”
The eight sectors the government will focus on are:
Summarising the UK’s creative industries, the green paper says:
“The UK’s creative industries are world-leading, showcasing the best of its creativity and culture to the world. According to UN Trade and Development, the UK is the third largest creative services exporter behind the US and Ireland, worth $87 billion in 2022. Globally, 1 in 10 songs streamed are from the UK.
“The UK is a global centre for screen production, with £4.23 billion in production spend in 2023, of which 78% was from inward investment. According to the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, the creative industries accounted for 67% of the UK’s digital exports in 2021.
“The sector is expected to grow worldwide, creating further growth opportunities. The sector is highly innovative, attracting significant inward investment and producing goods and services that are world renowned. PwC estimates that the global entertainment and media sector will grow to $3.4 trillion by 2028. Half of global trade is expected to be digital by 2050.
“To enable growth in the sector, the government will leverage UK creative industries’ global comparative advantages by unlocking private investment, boosting exports, and developing its highly skilled workforce. The government needs to ensure that the UK sector remains globally competitive as a home for world class talent while maximising access to important markets to tour and collaborate.
“The sector plays an important role in driving growth across regions and nations, through creative clusters and corridors across the country that spread opportunity and prosperity in communities, as well as driving growth by enhancing access to skills, spillovers, and knowledge sharing.”
Skills is a key area of focus for the government, with the green paper saying “the UK has a skills mismatch greater than many peer economies, with 10% of businesses reporting at least one skill shortage vacancy”.
It said the skills needs of employers vary according to their sector and geography, with one example given being the creative industries sector needing workers with skills in digital, design and data.
A key focus at Bristol Creative Industries is boosting workforce diversity in creative businesses and helping to grow the talent pipeline for our members through initiatives such as our groundbreaking Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme with social enterprise Babbasa and Bristol-based agencies.
A core objective of the government’s industrial strategy is “unleashing the full potential of our cities and regions by attracting investment and creating the best environment for businesses in them to thrive”.
The green paper highlights areas where focused clusters already exist and have potential for growth. One of those mentioned is digital industries in Bristol.
The government is running a public consultation on the industrial strategy until 24 November.
We are interested to hear ideas for how the Bristol Creative Industries community think the creative sector should feature in the final industrial strategy. Send your ideas to Dan Martin.
Ahead of the 2024 general election, several BCI members told us how they would like to see the new government supporting creative businesses. Here are some of the responses:
“The creative industry faces two significant challenges: attracting and retaining skilled talent and securing financial support to facilitate investment and growth in a challenging economic environment.
“Many creative businesses are small and agile, enabling them to deliver results with minimal resources. However, for these businesses to reach their full potential, the next government must acknowledge the creative sector’s value and contribution to the UK economy and provide tangible support.
“That means offering tax incentives to small businesses and startups, increasing access to loans and grants – and not just for R&D – expanding and supporting creative apprenticeship programmes, and providing business support programmes specifically tailored for small and creative businesses.
“Finally, we need greater market visibility and opportunities to access national and international trade.”
Catherine Frankpitt, Strike Communications
“To continue building the creative sector, further focus needs to be placed on education, advocacy, and innovation, ensuring the sector not only survives but thrives in a rapidly changing world.
“Education is where it begins. The government must recruit and keep inspirational teachers who can inspire and cultivate the future generation of creative individuals. Quality educators play a crucial role in motivating students and equipping them with the necessary skills to excel in creative industries.
“It’s also crucial to advocate for the creative industry and change outdated perspectives to promote diverse career paths. Traditional career guidance often emphasises professions like policing or accounting, while overlooking the numerous opportunities available in creative industries. It’s important to shift this discussion in educational institutions, as well as with parents and the community, whilst showcasing success stories and the economic potential of creative careers.
“Innovation is at the heart of the UK’s creative accomplishments. For instance, consider Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s creation of the World Wide Web or the iconic design of the Mini car. These examples illustrate the UK’s leadership in problem-solving and generating new ideas. To continue this momentum, the government needs to provide support to creative start-ups, allocate funds for arts research and development, and promote collaborations between businesses and creative professionals.
“So, let’s remember what we’re good at as a nation, continue to nurture it, and constantly innovative, to remain at the global forefront of creativity.”
Ryan Wills, Taxi Studio
“The UK represents vast untapped potential for creative businesses. For young people, entry into the industry remains something of a closed shop, achieved via well-trodden paths. Any efforts to broaden these pathways are largely driven by charities or pro bono work by smaller businesses. So we’re undoubtedly missing out on millions of incredibly talented people, and they’re missing out on what could be exceptional careers.
“The incoming government should invest meaningfully in giving the next generation more exposure to what our industry can offer, and easier access to financial and professional support that would make a creative career a viable option for all, regardless of background. Then let’s see what we could achieve!”
Ailsa Billington, Proctor + Stevenson
“We are strong advocates that the next government must focus on digital skills education to help prepare our future creative industry workforce. We see investment in digital and AI education, skills, initiatives and training will be crucial for businesses like ours, so we can recruit exceptional talent for the future.
“We believe the next government must also foster collaborations between educational institutions and industry, to help bridge skills gaps and by investing in these, the government can empower and future proof the creative sector to help drive economic growth.”
Tom Vaughton, Varn
Bristol Creative Industries is delighted to be sponsoring Creative Day at Bristol Technology Festival 2024 alongside BCI members Aer Studios and MyWorld.
Now in its sixth year and organised by techSPARK, Bristol Technology Festival is the UK’s largest regional technology festival.
It celebrates the awesome people, innovation, community and thriving tech scene in the city. We are excited to be involved and representing Bristol’s brilliant creative industries.
Each day of the festival from 7-11 October is themed. Thursday 10 October is Creative Day.
Here the brilliant free events to attend on Creative Day:
SXSW UK is being hosted WHERE?
MyWorld, 9.30 – 11am
…we all know it should have been here, right? Join us as we unlock the untapped potential of creative tech in the region and realise what it takes to position ourselves as rightful global leaders.
Fuelled by barista coffee and brunch, this interactive workshop invites participants to collaborate with key community figures and industry bodies to define what creative technology means to our community and chart a path forward.
Panel: Setting the future vision of creative technology in the South West
Motion, 12.45 – 2pm
Join us for an engaging and interactive panel discussion that will dive into the future of creative technology in our region. Building on the insights from our morning workshop, our panel of industry experts will discuss the untapped potential of our sector and work together to define a shared vision for the future.
Meet the panel:
MyWorld Creative Tech Showcase
Motion, 2 – 5pm
Join us and immerse yourself as we explore emerging technology innovations and trends, such as AI, immersive, gaming, sound and how they are going to continue to transform creative industries. The event showcases the technology that has been researched and developed through MyWorld.
The Sheds studio tours
MyWorld, 9am – 5pm
Book a tour to look around MyWorld’s state of the art facilities at The Sheds and experience some of the innovative technical research being developed in the spaces.
Tom Harber, Bristol Creative Industries board director and Aer Studios managing director, said:
“We see our involvement in Bristol Technology Festival as a meaningful step towards driving deeper collaboration with the tech sector and a stronger relationship with key organisation including techSPARK and MyWorld.
“Creative Day at Bristol Technology Festival provides a platform for Bristol Creative Industries to discuss the creative industries’ role in driving innovation in the region and will bring valuable insight for our members, as well as opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.”
If you’re new to Bristol Creative Industries, here’s a bit about us.
Founded in 2005 as Bristol Media, we’re a community interest company that supports the creative sector to learn, grow and connect.
Driven by the common belief that we can do more collectively that alone, we’re about prosperity for creative businesses and that means attracting new talent and new customers.
In Bristol and across the region we:
We are supporting Bristol Technology Festival to foster greater collaboration across the sectors and create opportunities for insight and connections for our members.
To maximise the benefits of tthe Bristol Creative Industries network, support our work and help the region’s creative sector thrive, you can join as a member.
Look out for representatives of Bristol Creative Industries at Bristol Technology Festival events.
The government has started a review of the cirruculum to ensure creative subjects are part of education, Lisa Nandy said.
Speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, the culture secretary criticised the previous Conservative administration for not supporting arts and culture, and said the new government will “reignite the imagination of the next generation because a complete education is a creative education”.
With education secretary Bridget Phillipson, she said she has launched “a review of the curriculum to put arts, sports and music back at the heart of our schools and communities where it belongs”.
The government will also, Nandy said, launch a review of Arts Council England to “ensure arts for everyone, everywhere because we will never accept that culture is just for the privileged few, to be hoarded in a few corners of the country, and we will never accept there is a trade off between excellence and access”.
Other focuses outlined by the culture secretary included “making the TV industry far more representative of the country”, working with mayors and councils to grow creative sectors such as tourism, film, and gaming, and shortly launching the BBC charter review “to ensure the BBC survives and thrives well into the latter half of this century”.
In his conference speech, Keir Starmer also referenced creativity, saying:
“Everyone deserves the chance to be touched by art. Everyone deserves access to moments that light up their lives.
“And every child deserves the chance to study the creative subjects that widen their horizons, provide skills employers do value, and prepares them for the future, the jobs and the world that they will inherit.”
The creative industries were also discussed in other parts of the conference, including in a pavilion run by Creative UK.
One panel focused on improving working class access to the creative industries, following research released earlier this year which found that in film, TV, video, radio and photography just 8.4% of people identify as being from a working-class background.
On the panel was Line of Duty actress Vicky McClure who said:
“If it wasn’t for the likes of Jed Mercurio [Line of Duty writer] and Shane Meadows [This Is England writer], working class lads from Birmingham and Uttoxeter, I wouldn’t be here.”
The panel discussed the need for funding to be targeted at underrepresented groups wanting to enter the creative industries. Watch a recording of the event here.
A key focus at Bristol Creative Industries is boosting workforce diversity in creative businesses and helping to grow the talent pipeline for our members.
As well as our groundbreaking Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme with social enterprise Babbasa and Bristol-based agencies, we provide opportunities for members and have committed to an annual programme of round tables with key post 16 education providers in the region including colleges, academies and universities.
Our aim is to promote creative careers to staff and career advisers, drive applications to our internship programme and explore how we can promote the creative industries to students already studying.
By joining the Bristol Creative Industries Talent Programme as a partner, you’ll help to fund all of our activities that support underrepresented groups entering the creative industries. Your support is vital to ensure we have a healthy and diverse talent pipeline.
For more details, contact Alli Nicholas, BCI membership and operations manager, at [email protected], or Lis Anderson, BCI co-chair, at [email protected]
Social media expert and Bristol Creative Industries member Luan Wise recently delivered a series of BCI events focused on practical insights for using LinkedIn to make connections, boost your business and find work. The first was tips on optimising your LinkedIn profile.
Dan Martin summarises her brilliant advice.
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LinkedIn is one of the oldest social media networks having launched in 2003. It now has over one billion members in 200 countries and regions worldwide.
LinkedIn’s mission is to “connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful”, with the vision of “creating economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce”.
Luan advises asking yourself the following questions to ensure your LinkedIn profile is relevant and beneficial to what you are trying to achieve.
What will you be using LinkedIn for?
Who do you want to find your profile on LinkedIn?
How do you help solve their problems?
What keywords will they search for to find you?
Who would you like to be in your network on LinkedIn?
What do you want to be known for within your network?
Luan says that while there’s lots you can do with a free account, there are many useful benefits of paid accounts. Before upgrading to a paid account, think about whether the features will benefit you enough to justify the cost. LinkedIn offers a one month trial.
As a Premium Business user (currently £49.99 a month or £359.88 a year), the benefits are:
Luan advises to consider your privacy settings on LinkedIn and who you’re sharing your content with. Go to the visibility section to check your settings
One section you can switch off is allowing your network to see all your contacts. Luan says:
“Leaving it switched on would be like walking into a room and leaving all of my data assets, my connections, my business cards on the table. I don’t want everyone to see so I switch it off.
“I would suggest that you switch yours off, but if you’re looking at someone else’s profile, and you’re in a sales, or business development mindset, there’s nothing stopping you having a look if they haven’t adjusted that setting.”
Your LinkedIn headline appears on your profile and every time you post, so make it count! Luan says:
“By default it will be the job title and company name taken from the ‘experience’ section of your profile. But job titles can sometimes can be a bit vague, and company names don’t always communicate what you do, so add a descriptor.
“For example, if you’re freelance and offer a multitude of skills, you could change your headline to say ‘I help these types of clients by doing this.’
“Have a look around LinkedIn, and see what other people have done with their headlines. Think about making a good first impression, what will appear in search results and what will appear alongside everything you do on LinkedIn.”
The ‘experience’ section of your profile is the CV-like section of your profile, “but unless you are job seeking”, Luan says, “reframe it to be a description of your role and responsibilities and how you can help the person that you want to be viewing your profile.” She adds:
“I would also encourage you to include a small paragraph describing the organisation you work for. If you’re part of a team, all your colleagues should use the same paragraph. Tell people what your company does, its size, its client portfolio etc, so people immediately understand what you do and how you can help.
“You will naturally include keywords that people are searching for. You can also add assets such as website links, videos, PDFs etc.”
In the ‘skills’ section, which allows you to get endorsements for your skills from other people, Luan instead has switched endorsements off and uses it a place to showcase current skills that people are searching for:
“I see the skills section as a set of forward facing keywords. I don’t include all the skills that I’ve developed throughout my career, because there things that I don’t want to do anymore and services that I don’t want to offer. There are also skills, such as AI, that I’m starting to develop and want to be found for over the next 12 months.
“As I’m keeping the skills section up to date, my personal thoughts are that it would take a lot of work to get endorsements and I think there are ways that I can show evidence of my work, my credibility and my skills elsewhere on my profile.
“So my advice is use the skills section, but think about your organisation, the services you offer and your personal skills. You can allocate them to other sections of your profile as well, such as the ‘about’ and ‘experience’ sections. I personally don’t do this but if you’re job seeking or starting out in a new business and want to show more evidence, you might want to showcase them in other sections.”
Testimonials about you from real people are a powerful way to showcase your skills. These appear in the ‘recommendations’ section of your LinkedIn profile. Luan says:
“Recommendations add credibility, endorsement, and social proof to your profile. Ask your peers, colleagues, and clients for recommendations. Go for quality and substance over lots of people saying that you’re great.
“Think about who you want to be named on your profile, and what they can say about you to add to your story.”
Luan says the ‘about’ section is a brilliant place to bring everything together, tell your story and explain why people should connect or work with you.
“This isn’t a CV-style personal statement. I want to see your career story. I want your highlights. I want to know what you’ve done and who you’ve done it for. If you can name drop, then name drop. Tell me what you’re doing now. At the end, put a call to action.
“You will naturally include keywords, and you can keep it up to date to reflect why you are using LinkedIn at any given point. I change my ‘about’ section often, depending on what I’m looking for and what I’m working on.”
In summary, Luan’s key tips for creating a great LinkedIn profile are:
You can connect with Luan Wise on LinkedIn here, follow Bristol Creative Industries here and join our LinkedIn group here.
Werkshop Weekender (formerly known as Werkhouse) is finally back! This year they’re changing it up, and the torch for hosting has been passed on to Halo.
The weekend, where future designers, copywriters, and strategists are given the chance to connect with the industry and get a taste for agency life first hand through a real brief, is happening in Bristol on 16th and 17th November 2024.
Breaking down barriers
As Halo takes over the mantle, they are continuing to dial up the focus on diversity and inclusion. The weekend is open to anyone over 18, no matter their previous experience or education, and all applications are being judged blind.
“We know that university isn’t accessible, or even the right route, for everyone but yet there’s still such a heavy onus on having a degree when trying to move into the Creative Sector. We don’t think this should be the case. Creativity is open to everyone, and always should be, no matter where you are in life or what you’ve been (or are going) through. “ ~ Bryony Greenwood, People & Studio Coordinator at Halo
Werkshop Weekender brings together professionals from some of the best studios in Bristol and Bath, with curious individuals looking to enter the creative industries. Participants are divided into squads to tackle a real life brief from a client in the charity sector, developing ideas and communicating their concepts, with the support of assigned team leaders and on hand professionals.
Studios that so far have signed on for the weekend are:
How to apply
Applications open on 2nd September and close on 1st October, but if you for any reason need more time to finish, please contact Halo at [email protected] and they’ll do what they can to accommodate you.
The Werkshop Weekender team has made it clear; the weekend isn’t for those with experience. It’s for those with an interest in communications, design, and commercial creativity. They aren’t looking for professionals, they’re looking for those with a curious attitude and drive, who want to gain insight into agency life.
“If you’re passionate, if you have ideas, if you’re curious, we want to hear from you. Good ideas come from every aspect of life, and the experiences and the way people perceive life right from day one are what forms rounded ideas. We know life isn’t linear, and your journey into the creative space may not be either (mine wasn’t), so if you have even an inkling to apply, please do!” ~ Bryony Greenwood, People & Studio Coordinator at Halo
Go to the Werkshop Weekender website to find out more and to access the application when it opens.
We want to take a moment to acknowledge that many of our members may feel vulnerable as a result of the distressing events which have happened in our community recently.
The riots and disorder remind us of the work that must be done to create a truly inclusive and equitable society.
However, the large crowds who gathered on Wednesday to protest against the violence show us what can be achieved when the city and our communities pull together in true Bristol spirit.
As a membership organisation, we would like to signpost to groups and resources that can help to support the safety and wellbeing of those impacted.
If you have your own recommendations, please share them in the comments so that others can benefit too.
Let’s continue to support one another and stand together as a united sector.
Stay safe and take care.
Race Equality Matters has shared some ways you can ensure safety and support for ethnically diverse colleagues.
Stand Against Racism & Inequality has resources on its website explaining what you can do if you encounter or witness a hate crime. You can report a hate crime here.
On 26 August, Bristol Creative Industries internships programme manager Clare Leczycki joined other people from the creative and culture sectors for a walk from Bath to Bristol.
The walk was an act of togetherness and to raise money for Hope Not Hate and SARI (Stand Against Racism & Inequality). Over £4,800 has been raised and you can still donate here.
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Sir Peter Bazalgette is one of the most influential figures in the UK’s creative industries.
As the former chairman of Endemol UK and creative director of Endemol Group Worldwide, he was responsible for some of the most successful and recognisable television shows of the past 25 years, including Big Brother, Ready Steady Cook, Ground Force and Changing Rooms.
Sir Peter, who was also chairman of Arts Council England and non-executive chairman of ITV, was recently appointed as the new chancellor of the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol).
In an interview with Dan Martin, he discusses his career, the support needed from the new government to grow the UK’s creative industries, how to improve the sector’s diversity, and why he has taken on the role of UWE Bristol’s new chancellor.
For an extra insight, read to the end to discover Sir Peter’s favourite TV show of all time!
Sir Peter Bazalgette officially took up his role as chancellor of UWE Bristol at the university’s graduation ceremonies in July, which were held for the first time at Bristol Beacon following a new partnership between the two organisations.
“Until 1955, there was only the BBC, and until 1982, there was only the BBC and ITV. Then there was Channel Four, and then Channel Five came along in the 90s. So even by the 1990s, there were very few channels. Sky Television and Virgin weren’t there at that point, but subscription TV came along when they arrived.
“Fast forward to recently and when I was chairing ITV, we launched ITV X and to be listed we had to negotiate with more than 30 platforms.
“In terms of production, that has changed a lot too. We used to just have public service media putting money into television production, but now we’ve got Netflix alone spending more than a billion in the UK, not to mention Apple, Amazon, Disney and so on.
“It’s changed massively, and people are consuming their TV when they want and how they want.”
“As much as documentaries are wonderful things, try to have a repeat series, whether it’s factual or fictional, but one that can be repeated and can come back again because that gives you certainty and turnover.
“You should also have a range of clients among both the streamers and the public service media.”
“None of us ever know the night before a show goes out for the first time whether it’s going to be a complete flop or a big hit.
“Big Brother had already become a massive phenomenon in Germany, Spain and Holland before it came to the UK, but not every format works in every country. For example, Survivor has never really taken off in the UK, but it has been a hit in America since the 1990s.
“When Big Brother launched, it was like trying to ride a bucking bronco. It got bigger and bigger. It was on the front page of every newspaper every day, and we had the press on our doorsteps.
“In most of the early Big Brother houses in other countries, the key talking points were two housemates getting amorous with each other. But true to form in Britain, we instead had a class struggle, with working class Craig defeating middle class Nick, who became known as Nasty Nick. Lots of people couldn’t believe we hadn’t set the whole thing up, but we had no idea any of that was going to happen, none at all.”
“It was massively controversial wherever it was broadcast. People thought it was exploitative and invasive, but actually it was interesting in that it had a transsexual woman, a gay man, someone who suffered from Tourette syndrome, and all sorts of extraordinary people who at the time were demonised. But they won because people saw their lovely character shining through, and so it did have a positive element.
“It was also an example of early fusion technology because it was on TV as an edited programme, it was on the internet, people watched it live, and you could vote on the telephone. It represented a convergence of media, and it was part of the process of the generation, who today on their mobile phones shoot and edit videos, becoming media literate. They used to watch the live transmission, and then watch the edited programme, before complaining we hadn’t put certain bits in, or we’d been unfair to certain characters.
“They then realised that the programme was an edited piece that was entirely subjective and what the director thought the story was. There was a big element of the viewer developing media literacy which was groundbreaking.”
“The creative industries, as they say on The X Factor, have been on a journey. We were the first country in the world in 1997 to define an industrial sector called the creative industries, but we then had to catch up because we didn’t have any data about our GVA, our employment etc. In time we had the Creative Industries Council, and we then established an advocacy body that is now called Creative UK, but in many ways, Britain is still playing catch up with the creative industries. With the new government, I hope that the journey and process will continue.
“The creative industries are 6% of the UK’s GVA, but we get 1% of public investment. Clearly that is not aligned with the creative industries as a priority sector for growth which we have been told is the case by both the former Conservative government and the Labour Party.
“Private investment is currently not good enough. The British Business Bank, which encourages investment in small and medium sized enterprises, is not really attuned to the way the creative industries run, the way small creative businesses work, and the criteria by which they have to be judged and invested in. We need to make progress on public and private investment.
“We also need to make progress on research and development tax credit definitions. The UK has a narrow definition of R&D, which is different to the one in other countries in Europe which includes the creative industries so creative businesses can claim tax credits for the innovation that they carry out.
“We need a more flexible apprenticeship scheme because small companies find it difficult to use the apprenticeship levy.”
“The creative industries are naturally and organically arranged into clusters. When I made a proposal for public investment in clusters in 2017, which was enacted in 2018 in the creative industries sector deal, it was going with the flow of where clusters typically are. For example, there’s the fantastic screen cluster in Bristol, an advertising cluster in Manchester, fashion in Leeds and games in Dundee. All of those things were happening organically and I suggested that we got behind it.
“The investment was £56m in nine creative clusters and each of them had an anchor partner of a university which could feed the value of applied research into local SMEs. It was fantastically successful over five years. It was matched by about £260m from industry and other sources. It’s a very good example of how you use small amounts of public money to generate growth and investment. It connected applied research with more than 2,500 SMEs, and created lots of new jobs, products and services.
“We found it incredibly difficult to get clusters two funded, despite the extraordinary success story which underlines my point about public investment not being aligned with the national policy to grow the creative industries.
“In the end, we did get it funded, but it still depends on UK Research and Innovation honouring the commitment in the next Spending Review, which has to be agreed by the new government.
“That’s another example of how Britain has not caught up with the creative sector, and isn’t backing it in the way that we are organised.”
“We need to do a lot better in this area. If we claim that the creative industries is not just an economic powerhouse, but a social and cultural powerhouse, and that what we produce, our music, theatre, films, TV, books and so on, touches the pulse of the nation, then it has to represent the whole nation and all of the communities. It can only do that if all of them find easy career pathways.
“One of the key things to do is defining better career pathways, which was set out in the former government’s creative industries sector vision last year. When I work with Speakers for Schools, the charity set up by Robert Peston, and speak to first year sixth form students, I ask them ‘what’s your favourite music?’, ‘what’s your favourite fashion?, ‘what’s your favourite film?, ‘what’s your favourite TV show?, ‘what games do you play?’. It always leads to a big discussion about who has the best taste.
“I then ask them to tell me about the jobs that all of those products represent and there’s dead silence. As an industry, we have not defined the career pathways properly. If we do, we’ll have a much more diverse sector.
“We also need much better outreach. When I was deputy chair of the National Film and Television School, we greatly increased the money we put into finding people of talent from all communities, such as having bursary funds dedicated to Black and Asian people. These are the sorts of things you can do to make a difference, but we have a way to go.”
🤝 This morning at #UWEGraduation Sir Peter Bazalgette was presented as the new chancellor of UWE Bristol – succeeding Sir Ian Carruthers OBE who has performed the role with distinction for the past 13 years 👏
Welcome, Sir Peter! pic.twitter.com/K6DSUZ5D5u
— UWE Bristol (@UWEBristol) July 18, 2024
“The role higher and further education plays in training, inspiring and producing the next generation of talent in the creative sector is critical.
“The particular thing that interested me about UWE is that the creative industries is one of the key areas in which they specialise.
“Activities that impress me about UWE include The Foundry which encourages collaboration, new ideas and development of technical knowledge. I also like the fact that they have a student ventures centre which encourages graduates to set up businesses, I like the university enterprise zone, and I like that more than 50% of graduates tend to work in the surrounding area after they’ve graduated. This is a very good statistic, and shows the contribution that UWE is making to Bristol and its surroundings.
“Finally, as a TV producer and chair of the Arts Council, I visited the city many times and I love what Bristol has already and its potential for growth.”
“Antiques Roadshow. I can’t get enough of it!
“I love the combination of the personal histories and regional histories that are linked to an object. You learn so much about history, and individual stories of brilliant heroism. There’s also the arts and culture, the wonderful locations they visit and the element of greed when it’s revealed what the item is worth. It’s the perfect TV show. I wish I’d invented it myself.”
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