We are delighted to announce the return of an amazing benefit for Bristol Creative Industries members this summer. You can enjoy free access to the brilliant Origin Workspace in Berkeley Square, Bristol.
Here are all the details direct from Origin:
Origin Workspace invites members of Bristol Creative Industries to enjoy a complimentary, inspiring, and productive workspace in the heart of the city, on Fridays between 26 June and 28 August,
Whether you’re a designer, writer, artist, or innovator, this is more than just a free desk – it’s a chance to thrive with no strings attached. Our lounge and lobby provide the ideal setting to focus, connect, and create, with unlimited coffee, reliable Wi-Fi, and a welcoming atmosphere designed to support your productivity and wellbeing.
We know many creatives are navigating the challenges of securing consistent work. That’s why we’re offering more than just space, we’re a community, offering solidarity, and creating a space where local talent can connect and collaborate.
Surrounded by like-minded professionals, you’ll have the chance to be part of a vibrant network that values support and shared success. As a proudly independent Bristol business, nurturing our Bristol ecosystem is at the heart of what we do. Whether you’re looking for a change of scenery, a spark of inspiration, or simply a place to get things done, Creative Fridays is your opportunity to be part of something bigger.
Spaces are limited, so send an email to register your interest and make Fridays your most creative day of the week. We can’t wait to welcome you to the space. Terms and conditions apply.
Not a Bristol Creative Industries member and want to take advantage of this brilliant offer? Join today.
Missing the buzz of an office without actually wanting to be in an office? Craving a desk that isn’t also your kitchen table? Or maybe you’re already at a co-working space, but it’s giving very much… white box and bad lighting?
Come and find us.
Join Gather Round in Bristol (Brunswick Square, Cigar Factory) or Bath before 30th June and get your first month free, plus an automatic invite to our members’ party on 9th July!
Gather Round is a thriving creative community. Our members are designers, copywriters, and illustrators to developers, tech innovators, magazine publishers and even a cartographer in the mix.
They collaborate constantly, not because anyone told them to, but because that’s what happens when you put creative people in the same room. Connections turn into projects. Ideas turn into reality. And occasionally someone brings really good pastries.
Book a tour to see the space for yourself.
No hidden extras, no surprises. Every membership comes with:
Every month, we create proper reasons to get together: Family Breakfasts, Campfire Talks, group coaching, community sessions, yoga, and more. Community Sessions varied, fun and perfect for meeting new people: drink-and-draws, wine & cheese nights, summer picnics, tennis matches. This month we’re taking everyone to the pub, and the first round is on us!
All events are free for members across every package. And on top of that, members get discounts with local independents, including Pizzucci, Bosco, Soul Spa, and The British Blanket Company. It’s just one more way Gather Round sets itself apart from other coworking spaces.
Whether you’re freelance and flying solo or a small team ready for a proper base, we’ve got part-time, full-time, fixed desk and private studio options across Bristol and Bath. Come for a tour, have a cup of tea, and meet the people who might just become your favourite colleagues. Get involved, get in touch…
Terms and conditions apply, see full details below.
Terms & conditions:
Arnolfini has announced a new strategic partnership with Bristol-based creative agency Fiasco, marking an ambitious new chapter for one of the UK’s leading institutions for contemporary arts.
The partnership comes at a pivotal time as Arnolfini embarks on a major transformation programme designed to strengthen its cultural impact and future growth ambitions.
The organisation has delivered a series of significant strategic and commercial milestones over the past year, including new hospitality partnerships, digital transformation initiatives, and sustainability improvements.
Fiasco’s appointment marks an important step in communicating Arnolfini’s renewed vision and strengthening its distinct position within Bristol’s and the UK’s contemporary arts landscape.
Known for its distinctive work across the cultural and creative sectors, Fiasco will develop a new visual identity for the iconic cultural institution. The identity will reflect Arnolfini’s ambitions to become more open, visible and connected to wider audiences, while celebrating the diversity and creativity of Bristol’s cultural scene.
Alongside a new visual identity, Arnolfini is preparing to launch a new membership scheme, develop a new website and ticketing platform, and reimagine key public spaces within the building ahead of hosting the British Art Show in 2027: the UK’s largest touring exhibition of contemporary visual art.
The partnership comes at a landmark moment for Arnolfini, as the organisation marks 50 years in its iconic harbourside home, Bush House, while looking ahead to its next phase of development. Membership growth and the delivery of more connected experiences across every touchpoint will be a key future focus.
Neil Commander, Chief Commercial Officer at Arnolfini: “Partnering with Fiasco marks an important moment in Arnolfini’s evolution as we shape the next chapter for the organisation and reaffirm our role within Bristol’s dynamic cultural landscape. From the outset, Ben and the team demonstrated a deep understanding not only of Arnolfini’s heritage and purpose, but of our place within the city’s wider creative ecology.
This work goes far beyond developing a new visual identity. It is about articulating who we are and where we are heading – strengthening connections with audiences locally and internationally, increasing visibility and access, and ensuring every experience of Arnolfini reflects the ambition, openness and relevance of our creative programme.
This partnership reflects our belief in the power of creativity and collaboration to drive cultural impact and represents an important step in building a more connected, resilient and future-focused Arnolfini.”
The appointment also marks a significant milestone for Fiasco. Co-founders Ben Steers and Jason Smith launched the agency from an incubator space in Bush House in 2010, making the opportunity to work with Arnolfini a notable full-circle moment.
Ben Steers, Co-founder & Executive Creative Director: “Arnolfini has always been a special place for us. Long before we started the agency, it was a space that made creative ambition feel possible — somewhere that connected us to a wider creative community and shaped our understanding of what culture and creativity could do.
To now partner with Arnolfini at such a pivotal moment in its evolution feels incredibly meaningful. It’s a cultural icon in Bristol, and one on the cusp of an exciting new chapter. There’s a natural alignment between our shared ambition, our belief in the power of creativity, and our deep connection to the city where this journey began for us. It’s a real privilege to be part of what comes next.”
As Bristol continues to evolve as one of the UK’s key creative hubs, this partnership offers an exciting opportunity to help shape a more visible, inclusive and connected future for the city’s cultural landscape.
Fiasco is a brand and digital agency blending strategy and creative craft to move businesses forward with feeling. Past clients include renowned cultural institutions such as Nederlander Theatres, National Trust, Channel 4, Good Energy, Pinewood and Vertical.
fiasco.design
Founded in 1961, Arnolfini is Bristol’s international centre for contemporary arts, presenting an ambitious programme of visual art, performance, dance, film and music. A pioneering public space for arts and learning, Arnolfini is committed to offering innovative, inclusive and engaging experiences for all.
arnolfini.org.uk
Our award-winning creative event series turns 10 this year, double figures! We can’t quite believe it.
When we started Gather Round Presents back in June 2024, we knew we had something good but it’s evolved into something truly special and that’s all down to you, the creative community, our followers and fans. Extending a heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s been involved over the past two years; to our speakers, audience, sponsors and team – you’re the bees.
So, with all that being said, it’s safe to say that we are extremely excited to announce our speaker line up for our tenth edition on Thursday 4th June: “Taste – How to Harness Your Creative Superpower”. Over the course of a couple of hours, our speakers will explore how, in a world saturated with content and repetition, having a distinct point of view is what cuts through the noise – and how learning to trust your own taste is what turns individuality into your greatest creative advantage. Coming from nine different viewpoints across the spectrum of the creative industries, our speakers are poised and ready with gems of knowledge that, hopefully, will inspire you far beyond the walls of our beloved Brunswick Square.
Sponsored by the wonderful people at Boardwalk – a lifestyle focused estate agency selling some of the most beautiful homes in Bristol. With an eye for thoughtful interiors and genuinely great design taste, they’re the go-to people for homes with character, style, and soul.
You can of course expect the usual, delicious free pizza from our good friends Pizzucci, a free raffle with some top notch prizes and this time there’s even a free beer from Boardwalk for the first 20 x people that get through the door.
Tim is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, print, and visual experimentation. Check out the amazing paint job on this VW Baja Bug!
When it comes to a truly distinctive visual identity, Penfold stands apart. From the streets of Bristol and Cambridge to cities across Europe and beyond, his work is instantly recognisable. One glimpse of a mural is enough – it’s unmistakably his. Defined by a bold, intuitive use of colour and an interest in layered compositions, Tim’s work strikes the balance between spontaneity and a deep understanding of material and process.
We can’t to hear him speak about his creative journey – how he’s developed his taste, refined his voice, and built such a striking identity over the past 20 years as a working artist.
Beyond her life as a singer-songwriter, TJA brings her signature blend of soulful storytelling and quiet confidence to her role as co-host of The Library Podcast. Known for her genre-fluid approach to music, she carries that same curiosity into every episode, viewing each guest’s story as a unique composition.
For TJA, every conversation is an exploration of the human experience; introspective, experimental, and always deeply personal. Her professional life is a harmony of creative and strategic pursuits; balancing her own artistry with a career in sync music which has given her a grounded understanding of how a song moves from an intimate idea out into the world.
Driven by a commitment to her community, TJA is exploring her voice in new ways, expanding into presenting and industry panel talks, a new platform to share her journey and insights on ‘becoming’ in the creative arts. And the exploration doesn’t stop there – alongside her presenting exploits, TJA leads music production workshops for women, demystifying the technical side of the craft to empower female creators to take full ownership of their sound. Whether she’s behind the desk at The Library, navigating the publishing landscape or mentoring in the studio – her work is defined by the belief that every story deserves to be told with intention and soul.
As a Gather Round Presents supporter since day one, we’re incredibly excited to finally welcome Helen Liang onto the stage. A familiar face within Bristol’s creative community, Helen has spent years championing thoughtful collaboration, creative experimentation and meaningful innovation across a wide range of industries. Known for her ability to bring people together around complex ideas, she has built a reputation as both a strategic thinker and an energising facilitator – so naturally, expectations are high.
Helen works as a creative consultant specialising in insight and innovation, helping organisations and teams test, learn and grow through structured creativity. Her work sits at the intersection of strategy, research and facilitation, supporting people to navigate uncertainty, unlock new thinking and turn ambitious ideas into practical action. Whether she’s leading workshops, shaping innovation programmes or helping teams reframe difficult challenges, Helen thrives in what she describes as the “deep-middle”. The messy, often uncomfortable space where the most meaningful breakthroughs tend to happen.
For Helen, taste isn’t a fixed identity or polished endpoint – it’s something that develops through action, curiosity and a willingness to sit with discomfort. In her talk, she’ll explore the idea that building taste means embracing tension: between intuition and logic, confidence and uncertainty, structure and play. She sees taste as an evolving “state of doing” rather than something static. Expect insights into creative growth, collaborative thinking and why staying curious is so important.
Jess is a Bristol-based illustrator and creative facilitator working across mixed media to create textured, playful and engaging visual work. Her practice combines paints, pens, pastels, collage and digital design to produce illustrations and murals that help organisations communicate ideas in a warm, accessible way. Much of Jess’s client work focuses on the health, social and environmental sectors, where she collaborates with charities, public organisations and community-focused brands to create visuals that connect people and ideas. Her clients and collaborators have included organisations such as Forestry England, Coeliac UK and community groups across Bristol.
Alongside her illustration practice, Jess runs creative workshops across Bristol designed to help people feel more confident, playful and expressive in their approach to making. Her workshops, including Drink & Draw sessions and seasonal illustration clubs, encourage people of all abilities to experiment. Jess regularly hosts workshops in independent venues across the city as well as facilitating private sessions for teams, community groups and organisations.
In her talk, Jess will explore the idea that taste isn’t something you suddenly “discover”, but something that develops gradually through curiosity, repetition and attention. Drawing from her own creative journey, she’ll discuss how personal taste is shaped by lived experience, visual references, experimentation and the things we instinctively keep coming back to.
Fox has spent decades building brands across agencies, startups and global businesses. After launching his first ad agency at 27 and later founding a brand consultancy, he went on to spend 10 years helping grow Pukka into the globally recognised brand it is today, before joining Unilever as Global Creative and Digital Director across its tea brands! Big stuff!
Today, Fox runsArtichoke – a bespoke furniture and interiors company providing some of the most gorgeous hand-crafted pieces we’ve ever seen. On top of this, Fox also works as CMO forSt Eval. Across both roles, his work focuses on creativity, brand strategy and building meaningful connections between brands and people.
In his talk, Neil will reflect on how taste develops through experience, instinct and perspective – shaped by years of making creative decisions across very different environments. Expect thoughts on branding, creative growth and why, ultimately, the only currency that really matters is time.
Rene Karen Katiisa is a Ugandan-born British actor, theatre-maker, creative director and cultural producer based in Bristol. A trained performer with a background spanning theatre, education and community work, Rene’s creative practice is rooted in storytelling, accessibility and lived experience. After studying at the BRIT School and graduating from the Central School of Speech and Drama, she performed with the National Youth Theatre and worked with organisations including Battersea Arts Centre, Frantic Assembly and Complicite collaborators, contributing to award-winning productions and large-scale creative projects.
Alongside her creative work, Rene spent 25 years working in the public sector, leading education and advocacy projects supporting children in care across Bristol. In recent years, she has returned fully to her artistic practice, developing theatre and interdisciplinary work exploring identity, disability, displacement, motherhood and belonging. Her recent projects include performances with Bristol Old Vic, contributions to the Decolonising Disability in the Arts residency, and presenting autobiographical work through the Culture Biz Incubator Programme and Diverse Artists Network Mini Diaspora Festival.
Seb is a photographer, director and filmmaker specialising in real human stories across music, food and fashion. Working across atmospheric portraiture, lifestyle campaigns and documentary projects, his work is rooted in storytelling – creating images and films that feel natural, thoughtful and emotionally grounded.
With a style that balances honesty and atmosphere, Seb’s projects often focus on capturing people, places and moments in a way that feels enduring rather than over-produced. Whether working on commercial campaigns or longer-form documentary work, his approach is shaped by curiosity, observation and a strong visual sensitivity to mood, connection and character.
Sarah is Head of Copy at Mr B & Friends where she helps shape distinctive brands through strategy, language and creative thinking. A self-described “oddball”, she’s drawn to ideas that feel slightly unexpected, with a particular interest in the details, instincts and cultural references that make creative work feel memorable and human.
Over the course of her career, Sarah has become increasingly interested in the idea of cultivating taste – and how intuition, gut feeling and personal obsessions often play a bigger role in creativity than we like to admit. Her work explores how following curiosity, leaning into niche interests and trusting instinct can help create ideas that genuinely cut through.
Ross spent a decade helping transform a small London bike manufacturer into an internationally recognised lifestyle brand, working at the intersection of culture, design and brand growth. Now consulting with startups and businesses in transition, he brings experience shaped by working alongside brands and individuals who have each influenced taste in their own distinct way – including Palace, Freitag, Kenzo, LCD Soundsystem, David Millar and Tom Dixon.
In his talk, Ross will explore how taste shapes the way brands grow, the directions they take, and the cultural signals they choose to follow. Expect reflections on branding, influence and the strange ways our own tastes can evolve – or occasionally lead us completely astray.
Well, if that lineup hasn’t got you excited we don’t know what will.
Tickets will be released this week, so keep an eye out for an email from us inviting you to come along, for FREE. If you aren’t signed up to our newsletter yet, what are you waiting for? Sign up here to be the first to get your hands on a ticket.
Want to run your own event in our space? You’re in luck, as we have five amazing spaces for hire across Bristol and Bath. Get in touch with Hannah, our Events Manager, to find out more on pricing and availability.
You can also keep up to date with Gather Round by following us on instagram!
Strike Communications has been shortlisted for two awards in the CIPR Excellence Awards 2026 and an award in the PRCA DARE Awards 2026, marking a standout moment for the Bristol-based agency.
For the national CIPR Excellence Awards, the team is in the running for Small PR Consultancy of the Year, a category that recognises high-performing agencies delivering exceptional client work, business growth and industry impact. Strike has also been shortlisted for Low Budget Campaign of the Year at the CIPR Excellence Awards and Low Budget Campaign in the PRCA DARE Awards for its Bring Turner Home campaign, delivered in partnership with Bristol Museum & Art Gallery last summer.
Run by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the Excellence Awards are among the most respected in the industry, celebrating campaigns, teams and individuals that have made a genuine difference – from shifting perceptions to delivering measurable, meaningful results.
The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) DARE Awards brings more top-tier recognition, celebrating the best PR and communications professionals across the UK, with winners determined by a panel of highly respected industry experts.
The recognition comes after three years of strong growth for Strike and it’s most successful year to date last year – the result of its clear strategy on providing values-led strategic consultancy with creative, high-impact campaigns.
The Bring Turner Home campaign captured national attention by rallying public and media support around Bristol Museum’s ambitious bid to bring J.M.W. Turner’s The Rising Squall masterpiece back to the city. Delivered on a modest budget, the campaign demonstrated how strategy, cultural insight and compelling storytelling can drive significant reach and engagement.
Strike’s founder and managing director, Catherine Frankpitt, said: “Being recognised nationally for both our agency performance and our campaign work highlights the breadth and impact of Strike’s work. Seeing our name alongside some big names in the industry and long-established London agencies is real validation for how far we’ve come in the last couple of years. This is real recognition to the Strike team, all of whom put their heart and soul into ensuring we deliver for our clients and remain true to our mission of delivering positive social impact through our work.”
The winners of the CIPR Excellence Awards will be announced at a ceremony in London on 1 July 2026, with the PRCA DARE Awards announced in Bristol on 1 June 2026.
One of the UK’s most influential city-led tech events has today announced its next chapter, relaunching in 2026 as Brazen: a reimagined festival of technology, creativity and culture designed to become a must-attend fixture on the national tech calendar.
Formerly known as Bristol Technology Festival and most recently BTF+, the event, of which Bristol Creative Industries is a founding partner, has evolved rapidly over the past six years, growing from a focused tech gathering into a city-wide movement that brings together founders, creatives, investors, policymakers and communities. Now, as Brazen, the festival is setting its sights firmly on the national and international stage.
Taking place across Bristol over five days in late 2026, Brazen will once again use the city itself as its venue, spanning institutions, neighbourhoods and grassroots spaces, bringing together big ideas, practical innovation and cultural moments in a single, interconnected programme.
Inspired by global festivals such as SXSW but rooted in the distinctive character of the South West, Brazen has been created to showcase Bristol as a place to build, experiment and collaborate, while forging meaningful connections between people and sectors that don’t usually share the same space.
Delivered on a not-for-profit basis, Brazen is designed as a long-term platform rather than a one-off event. Each edition will build on the last, with surplus reinvested into growing the festival’s reach, quality and relevance, strengthening Bristol’s position as one of the UK’s most dynamic centres for innovation and creativity.
In its most recent edition, the festival delivered:
Figures that underline both its scale and its growing national impact.
As part of its next chapter, Brazen has confirmed Bristol Business Improvement District (BID) as a strategic partner for the next three years, cementing the festival’s role in supporting a thriving, inclusive and economically vibrant city centre.
Bristol BID is a business-led partnership, working to make the city centre safer, greener, cleaner and more welcoming. The BID invests directly in initiatives that support local businesses, attract visitors and strengthen the city’s cultural and commercial life.
Steve Bluff, COO at Bristol BID, said:
“Bristol BID is excited to be a lead partner for Brazen, where technology, creativity and culture will collide across five days later in 2026. The festival will unlock new opportunities for Bristol’s businesses, strengthen pride and confidence in the city, and showcase Bristol and the wider region as one of the UK’s most exciting hubs for innovation and creativity. Brazen will bring the city to life with opportunities that we’re excited for our business community to be part of.”
Brazen’s programme is built around four interconnected tracks, designed to reach different audiences while maintaining a strong, coherent festival identity:
Across the week, each day will explore a different theme, from leadership and AI to clean tech, scale-up growth and creative technology, giving the festival a clear narrative arc while allowing organisations and communities to engage in ways that suit them.
Bristol Creative Industries will be running events as part of Brazen Festival. Sign up to our newsletter to stay updated.
Brazen has previously worked with organisations including Accenture, Amazon Web Services, Barclays, Deloitte, Dyson, EY, Meta, Sony, NatWest, and multiple universities and public bodies, as well as hundreds of regional businesses, startups, artists and community groups.
Crucially, there is no single model of involvement. From hosting events and shaping programme themes to showcasing innovation or supporting international delegations, Brazen is built around long-term value and collaboration, not short-term visibility.
At its heart, Brazen is about people: the conversations that spark ideas, the collisions that create opportunity, and the community that keeps showing up. With a renewed identity and an expanded ambition, the festival is inviting organisations, partners and audiences from across the UK and beyond to help shape what comes next.
Ben Shorrock, CEO of techSPARK, commented:
“Brazen is the next evolution of everything Bristol Technology Festival and BTF+ set out to be. We’ve seen first-hand the power of bringing technology, creativity and culture into the same space, and Brazen gives us the confidence, scale and ambition to take that story beyond the city.
“This is about building a festival that people plan their year around, one that puts community first, but speaks to a national and international audience.”
Further announcements on programming, speakers and tickets will be made later this year.
For more information or to get involved, visit www.techspark.co/brazen
Bristol Creative Industries will be running events as part of Brazen Festival. Sign up to our newsletter to stay updated.
Creative production company JonesMillbank and film studio Nine Tree Studios have rebranded as BLANKET™, bringing their offerings together under a single, unified identity.
The rebrand marks a significant milestone for the Bristol-based agency as it enters its 15th year, reflecting both their evolution and a growing demand for integrated production, studio, and equipment rental services.
“We found that studio clients didn’t realise we offered production or kit rental, and many of our production prospects didn’t know we had a studio,” said Russell Jones, Founder & EP. “The separation no longer made sense – it was time to bring everything together along with a complete refresh.”
The new brand, BLANKET™, reflects the agency’s holistic offering across film production, studio hire, and equipment rental, while positioning the agency more clearly within the wider creative and production landscape.
“We wanted something confident, distinctive, and easy to engage with,” said Rob French, Creative Director. “BLANKET is human, tactile and approachable, but also strong and flexible – something that reflects how we’ve always worked and where we’re going.”
The rebrand also signals a shift in how the agency operates. As projects have grown in scale, BLANKET™ has increasingly collaborated with freelance specialists and production partners, including supporting international production companies filming in the UK.
“Collaboration is already a much bigger part of our creative process,” said Adam Millbank, Founder & EP. “Whether it’s larger productions or studio dry hire, we’re working with a wider network of talented crew – from camera operators and gaffers to HMU, catering and runners. That’s only going to increase with the new brand and as the studio continues to become more established.”
BLANKET™ will continue to operate from its Bristol studio, serving clients across the UK and Europe, with a focus on commercial film production and studio-based work.
***
BLANKET™ is a Bristol-based film production company, film studio, and kit rental house. Founded in 2011, the company works with brands and agencies across the UK and Europe including Dyson, Freixenet, DHL, Oxfam, Pukka and Vax.
www.weareblanket.com
+44(0)117 3706 372
[email protected]
Becoming a member of Bristol Creative Industries brings many benefits. We regularly add new opportunities so here is a guide to the latest benefits you can enjoy by signing up. This post is regularly updated.
Join Bristol Creative Industries here.
Showcase your best work and attract new clients with a company profile in the Bristol Creative Industries member directory. The directory receives lots of visits every month from people looking for services from creative businesses.
Got some business advice or news to share? As a Bristol Creative Industries member you can self-publish content on our website and it will automatically appear on your member profile. We upgrade great content to the newsfeed and homepage, while four posts by members are included in our monthly email newsletter.
To get an idea of the content topics that do well, here are the top 30 most popular posts by members in 2025.
Bristol Creative Industries member Jessica Morgan from Carnsight Communications discussed the benefits of posting content in this interview.
The Bristol Creative Industries jobs board attracts thousands of job hunters every month. Business members can post unlimited free job adverts, saving you on average £3,500 per candidate.
Piers Tincknell, co-founder of Atomic Smash, is one of BCI’s longest serving members and he told us in a member profile interview how he regularly uses the jobs board to recruit new employees.
BCI’s monthly members’ lunches are a perfect opportunity for members to catch up with fellow members and the BCI team.
Everyone has a slot of up to three minutes to tell the others a little about who they are and what they do and share any news and/or challenges. You don’t need to fill the full three minutes. We usually find some common themes emerge to discuss over the course of the session. It’s all very informal with no need to stand up and present slides.
The events are free to attend for members, take place at The Square Club in Bristol and include a free buffet lunch.
Check the events section of details of the next lunches.
Our flagship keynote events and workshops feature world class speakers sharing their expertise. It’s a unique opportunity to access valuable insights for growing your business. Bristol Creative Industries members receive a ticket discount.
An example of a keynote event is the brilliant annual presentation on social media trends delivered by Drew Benvie, founder of global social media consultancy Battenhall.
Our regular freelancer networking drinks events in Bristol are free with a free drink for members. It takes place several times during the year. Freelancer drinks still to come this year are on 23 June, 8 September and 10 November. Book for 23 June here and 8 September here. Registation for 10 November will open later in the year.
Keen an eye on the events section for the latest events. You can also sign up to the monthly BCI Bulletin to be notified of events.
Big thanks to everyone who joined us at @SquareClifton last night for the Bristol Creative Industries freelancer networking drinks ☀️ 🍷
Sign up to the BCI Bulletin to be notified of new events: https://t.co/5WgBWPoN1C#BristolCreativeIndustries #Bristol #freelancers pic.twitter.com/1BvT60KZFp
— Bristol Creative Industries (@Bristol_CI) June 21, 2023
Wake Up Call is a member exclusive live webinar that takes place every other Friday at 8.30-9am. The content is delivered by members for members.
Attending the free event gives you access to valuable insights from your fellow members and if you host a Wake Up Call, you can share your expertise and attract potential new clients.
See details for upcoming Wake Up Call events in our events section.
If you’re a BCI member and you’d like to deliver a presentation on a topic of your choice during a Wake Up Call, email Dan Martin.
The Bristol Creative Industries LinkedIn group has more than 11,000 members and is one of the biggest creative sector focused groups on the platform.
Anyone can join the group but posting promotional content, events, jobs (that appear on the BCI site) etc is for BCI members only. See the group rules in the group description for more details.
Research shows that diverse teams are more creative problem solvers, bringing fresh perspectives to solutions, against the echo-chamber effect that results when people in a business come from too-similar backgrounds. With a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, employees feel valued and that they belong.
To help Bristol Creative Industries members achieve this, we have partnered with The Hobbs Consultancy to provide on demand equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) e-learning.
The CPD certified online course consists of modules to help you bring about positive change in your business, understand the key challenges in the way for different groups, and explore your own biases and how to overcome them.
The training modules take an in-depth look at different diversity and inclusion topics: race, disability, LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, gender (split into female leadership, masculinity, gender identity), age and social mobility in the workplace.
The price of the training for BCI members is £120+VAT. All profits will be ploughed back into our youth engagement activity.
To access this brilliant training opportunity, log into your Bristol Creative Industries account and click on the ‘members’ training’ section.
We host regular roundtables for agency leaders to discuss strategic challenges. These events are vital for us to hear from the member community about the key issues you are facing and how we can help. A roundtable on funding led to us creating this popular and regularly updated guide to the latest finance on offer to creative businesses.
If you are interested in getting involved with future roundtables, email Alli Nicholas.
We regularly deliver other special member benefits. A people strategy surgery on 15 May with HR expert Richard Roberts is currently available.
To stay updated on the latest benefits, sign up to the monthly BCI Bulletin.
Reductions on co-working spaces, meeting rooms, hotel accommodation, a recruitment strategy review and a coffee subscription are just some of the many discounts and offers we’ve negotiated for members.
Join Bristol Creative Industries here.
If you have any questions about membership, email Alli Nicholas
The University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) contributed an estimated £547 million to the local economy and supported nearly 9,000 jobs in the West of England in the academic year 2023/24.
According to the newly released economic impact report by Oxford Economics, UWE Bristol – the largest university in the South West – also had a significant impact on the national economy, creating an ecosystem that contributed over £1 billion in the academic year 2023/24, while sustaining over 15,000 jobs across the UK and generating £242 million in tax revenues.
As well as quantifying the university’s economic footprint, the report also analysed its contribution to innovation, research & development – and, critically, its societal impact.
The university attracts students from areas with socio-economic challenges, helping to tackle a key driver of economic inequality. In 2023/24, 29% of students came from the top 30% most-deprived areas of England and 3% come from among the top 10% most-deprived1.
Many of UWE Bristol’s graduates go on to work in socially impactful roles helping to address staff shortages in the sector. Over a quarter of the graduates who found employment in the UK in 2023 took on roles such as paramedics, care workers, social workers and nurses.
The second-largest cohort of UWE Bristol graduates in that year went on to work in the professional, scientific and technical services sector – an increasingly important part of the West of England economy and one of the fastest-growing sectors nationally.
These graduate’s skills are supported by the university’s internationally recognised research, with 76% of research output classified as ‘World Leading’ or ‘Internationally Excellent’ according to the Research Excellence Framework. It is estimated that UWE Bristol’s research & development in the academic year 2023/24 will generate a productivity benefit equivalent to £5.2 million across the UK by 2040.
The skills graduates acquire at university enable them to create new business ventures, often in sectors with high productivity and higher levels of innovation. This is supported by UWE Bristol’s University Enterprise Zone (UEZ), which provides innovative tech start-ups and businesses with high quality space and facilities.
Facilities at the UEZ include the innovation centre, Future Space, which offers high-spec labs, private offices, and technical workshops. According to its Annual Impact Report 2024–25, since 2016, Future Space has supported 148 companies, generating over £35 million in GVA (Gross Value Added) and facilitating over 600 new jobs.
Since 2018, UWE Bristol has also contributed to over 400 new jobs through its Scale up 4 Growth (S4G) partnership with NatWest. S4G is a grant funding programme offering £400,000 of grant funding, as well as practical support, to help small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region to grow.
Professor Sir Steve West, vice-chancellor, president and CEO, UWE Bristol said: “The research by Oxford Economics has shown not only the sizable contribution UWE Bristol’s staff and students make to the local and national economy, but also the breadth of our societal impact too. We’re really proud to be based within the West of England and the report cements UWE Bristol’s position as an important anchor institution, contributing broad economic, social, and civic impact – a role we take seriously.
“At the heart of this is our students, who bring vital skills to the region for local employers, particularly those in health and social care. Our enterprise ethos, embedded across programmes and our campuses, is supporting regional productivity by nurturing start-ups and spin-outs at Future Space, alongside world class research collaborations.”
Image cedit: Drone Motion and Hyphensocial
Why translation?
You’re an account manager at a Bristol PR & marketing agency, and in this week’s meeting, you heard the client say they’re looking for someone to handle their content in multiple languages, to target new markets. It looks like there’s space for you to pitch additional services… And avoid being replaced by a big flashy London agency with the word “global” written in all caps all over its website. The thing is, you’ve never done multilingual projects before.
Where?
So, it’s 10am, you’re looking at the analytics for your tech start-up website, and here comes that nagging feeling again: numbers for visitors on your product pages show growing interest from outside the UK, but it doesn’t convert into international sales. Could it be because your website is (British) English-only? What markets and languages could you pick for localization? Where could you exhibit at an international trade show?
How?
Or you’re working on bringing higher numbers to your cultural attraction. Industry intelligence, including that report you paid for, is all about potential for growth with international tourists. But how to reach them? Which part of your website to translate? Could you offer foreign-language audio tours? What about advertising?
Seeing through the fog
With so many questions and the ensuing confusion, too often valuable opportunities are left untapped. But translation need not remain The Great Unknown. Even a simple chat to explore where and how it applies to your business can bring useful clarity.
Thinking big
At a recent Bristol Creative Industries Members’ Lunch, the conversation turned to Bristol and the South West having the wealth of talent to become a top-tier player in their own right, not just playing second fiddle to London, and how BCI and its members can work to make this ambition a reality.
Looking far
I want to help with this. With the diversity of fields and backgrounds within BCI, I see many scenarios where thinking international can be a source of new business, better clients and brighter prospects for fellow members (agencies or freelancers), whether that means bringing the world to our region or exporting our products, services, and talent abroad.
So, I’m offering BCI members a free 1-hour consult on how the international and translation angle can play out their business. Get in touch for that clarity-bringing chat!
If you’re already clear about reaching beyond English to French-speaking audiences, get in touch too, for a quote for your French translation project.
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