Founded in 1990, The Square is Bristol’s Private Members Club for the creative industries, located on Berkeley Square. Members of The Square are part of a unique community of like-minded creative professionals. The Square provides an arena of original thought and discussion, and members enjoy a range of personal and professional benefits.

Event and work space

Along with a vibrant events programme and an award-winning restaurant, The Square provides a dynamic social environment and a flexible workspace. Equipped with a boutique lounge, the Square Kitchen restaurant, the Lower Deck Cocktail Bar and hidden city-centre Terrace, The Square is ideal for working, socialising, holding events and meeting new people.

Reciprocal club access

The Square Club connects creatives across the world, and has reciprocal arrangements with clubs in the following locations:

Discounts for BCI members

BCI members can apply for discounted membership at a rate of £60 per quarter. This not only gives members access to The Square Club, but to all of the reciprocal venues around the world.

For an additional fee, membership can be upgraded to include access to Square Works, The Square’s high-end, part and full time serviced offices and co-working space. 

Square Member Benefits include:

To apply for discounted membership, please email sophie.yardley@thesquareclub.com.

 

Access Creative College, Condense and LocalGlobe have teamed up to offer Bristol students a Metaverse Development Scholarship to bring more diversity to tech.

Access Creative College, the UK’s leading games, music and media college, metaverse specialists Condense and venture capital fund LocalGlobe are offering up to eight fully funded scholarships to start in September.

To coincide with the launch, leading Bristol artists Lebo, Dread MC and Badliana were invited into Condense’s cutting edge metaverse environment on 26 July to perform.

Using a state-of-the-art 360-degree camera rig constructed by Condense, the three artists each stepped into a virtual landscape to record their own performance. It is the creation of these virtual landscapes and their live-streaming capabilities which Access Creative College are now offering the chance for students to study.

Jackson Armstrong, executive head of marketing at Access Creative College, commented: “What better way to celebrate the launch of this new scholarship programme than by having some of Bristol’s brightest upcoming artists perform in the metaverse, which our scholars will be working to produce.”

Kicking off in September, successful scholars will learn how to stream live events into one of the world’s most exciting new technologies, the metaverse. The successful applicants will take part in a 12-week programme, full of rich and intensive study, completely funded through the scholarship.

Jackson Armstrong continued: “When it comes to board positions within leading tech companies in the UK, the statistics are deeply concerning with the lack of gender split and those from ethnic minority backgrounds.

“We’re excited at the prospect of helping to change that through this new scholarship programme and we’re currently on the lookout for applicants to apply online.”

Fully-funded intensive metaverse course

Scholars will learn digital graphics, 3D modelling, photogrammetry and textures, realtime VFX, plugin integration, in game/venue scaling and enhancing virtual worlds, enriching virtual worlds, interactions, spatial sound, player movement and networking basics.

James Tong, head of people at Condense, added: “You should apply for this scholarship because while everyone has a story to tell, not everyone has the same opportunities in life.

“This is an incredible opportunity to carve out a career in engineering and metaverse content creation. It’s a 12 week fully-funded intensive course, so you will meet other people with similar interests and ambitions, and it could even lead to a permanent job with Condense.”

Applications for the course are now open, and can be made through Access Creative College here.

Successful applicants will receive:

Seven Bristol Creative Industries members feature in a list of 50 of the most innovative entrepreneurial companies in the south west region.

The latest edition of EntreLeague was announced at the recent EntreConf event for entrepreneurs. Organisers MediaClash said:

“This diverse range of companies indicates how thriving the entrepreneurial scene is, covering multiple sectors from tech to media, property, health, ecommerce, sustainability, cosmetics, finance, data, food and much, much more.”

The businesses were chosen by a diverse range of experts from organisations including Bristol Creative Industries, Citrus HR, Invest in Bristol and Bath, Portobello Brewery, Rocketmakers, SetSquared, Storm Consultancy, University of Bath and Vidcomms.

Congratulations to these Bristol Creative Industries members for being included in EntreLeague:

All About The Cooks

“One day it will be possible to buy delicious, authentic home-cooked food from local people, wherever you are in the world. We are already doing this in Bristol and plan to launch in six new cities in the coming year.

“Living amongst us, in our communities, talented people are making extraordinary food in their own homes. All About The Cooks is an online marketplace which enables them to share that delicious food, and the stories that go with it, with people near them and make some money too.”

See All About The Cooks’ BCI profile here.

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Diva

“From our humble beginnings back in 2008 we have always stayed true to our belief that happiness comes from loving what you do. This ethos has resulted in a thriving, award winning creative agency working with some of the biggest clients within the video games and entertainment sectors.

“Diva is packed with amazing people, who combine their professional talents with their favourite pastimes and we believe that every day should be filled with fun and games.”

See Diva’s BCI profile here.

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Gravitywell

“We use technology and creativity to help startups blossom and achieve their goals. Every project is different so we’ve built a set of tools and sub-processes that we employ efficiently for each situation.

“We believe in original thinking, clear communication and simple action. Working closely with you to inspire, guide, create and grow your ideas.”

See Gravitywell’s BCI profile here.

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Launch

“Launch is a paid media agency that delights ambitious businesses by achieving challenging growth forecasts. As a Google Premier Partner (the top 3% of agencies in Europe), we leverage the latest tools and techniques to maximise results for our clients with paid media.

“Our Conversion Rate Optimisation service ensures users are more likely to take key actions once they reach a website, and our data expertise provides in-depth insights to inform the wider marketing strategy – as well as ensuring compliance with the latest privacy laws.”

See Launch’s BCI profile here.

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Plimsoll Productions

“Plimsoll is an ambitious global content company. Our premium shows entertain and thrill audiences around the world. We value excellence and kindness and promote creativity, inclusivity and diversity.

“We are passionate about ensuring our opportunities are accessible to a wide range of people. We believe that diversity of thought, experience and talent are key elements of the creative process and always promote equality, respect and inclusivity across the company.”

See Plimsoll Productions’ BCI profile here.

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StatsBomb

“StatsBomb was founded in January 2017 to provide football data and analytics to clubs, media and gambling companies. StatsBomb continually undertake new research and are well known in the analytics industry for providing unique insights into the game.

“We have developed our own proprietary, industry leading data collection and analytics software with a user-friendly high-vis front end.”

See StatsBomb’s BCI profile here.

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Yuup

“Yuup is a new digital marketplace for local experiences in Bristol. We help curious customers discover unique and brilliant Bristol experiences.

“We are a small friendly team, with big ambition based in Bristol. Our mission is to champion small businesses and independent hosts, whilst building a supportive community and of course, deliver amazing Bristol experiences.”

See Yuup’s BCI profile here.

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Not yet a member? Join Bristol Creative Industries from only £4.50 a month.

 

As we reach 13 years in business this summer, Loom Digital is celebrating its best ever half-year financial performance. Our Bristol-based digital agency has scooped 11 new clients in the past six months, including LITELOK – the brand behind the world’s lightest bike locks; fuel storage solutions company, Western Global; and summer school provider, Summer Boarding Courses (part of Dukes Education). 

Loom has recently received an impressive score of 9/10 from clients in The Drum Recommends international agency rating scheme and has delivered a total ROAS of 735% with over £5m in sales for their eCommerce clients 2022 to date. Later this year, we will be supporting all clients with the adoption of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) as Universal Analytics is sunsetted on 1 July 2023.

“New clients have joined us because of our proven track record and our brilliant team, who are dedicated, experienced and talented. Client success and a strong, trusted team go hand-in-hand. Although we’re growing, we’re also incredibly proud of our staff retention, with 50% of the team being with us for over five years,” comments Nikki Ellison, founder of Loom.

Loom has upweighted our PPC and biddable offering in 2022 with the appointment of Dan Waller, boosted SEO expertise with Marco Morelli and Jack McGivern joining, and are currently recruiting for future digital talent. Although operating a flat structure, Loom is also committed to welcoming and nurturing talented people who are new to digital.

With increased competition in the industry, areas such as client experience and employee culture are increasingly the things that set agencies apart.

Here at Loom we’ve relaunched our employee benefits, introducing a more flexible approach to these by offering a wide range of monthly benefits the team can choose from. Each employee can decide between health and dental cover; gym membership, yoga classes; monthly massages; Audible or Headspace subscriptions. 

All 16 team members are also offered professional coaching via MoreHappi, the one-to-one online workplace coaching company.  All benefit from peer-to-peer support, including being given a budget to buy up to four gifts a year (sourced from local, independent shops) to say thank you to colleagues that have gone above and beyond. 

“We are committed to providing a healthy, happy and progressive workplace, with our office as a hub but also welcoming a hybrid approach, depending on each team member’s circumstances. We’re 100% transparent and our new [perks package] and ongoing coaching also means everyone can find their purpose and grow in all aspects of their lives,” adds Vicky Hockley, People & Growth at Loom.

For full benefits, please visit Loom’s careers page here.

The founders of The Big Plastic CountGreenpeace UK and Everyday Plastic appointed purpose-driven creative agency, Enviral, to create its latest national campaign, which has lifted the lid on the country’s recycling rates and exposed that the government is talking trash about our plastic problem.

Through their launch video, The Big Plastic Count and Enviral encouraged 31 MPs and 97,948 households to take part in counting their plastic for a week in May, which equates to 1 in every 262 households in the UK. This was the biggest ever investigation into UK household plastics and the data uncovered will be crucial in convincing the government, big brands and supermarkets to take ambitious action on reducing plastic packaging.

Throughout the investigation, participants counted over 96 billion pieces of plastic and uncovered that only 12% of our plastic waste is actually recycled with 17% exported abroad, 25% sent to landfill and 46% incinerated.

Working in close partnership with the The Big Plastic Count team, Enviral developed the creative, the narrative and oversaw the shoot productions to create three hard-hitting films; a launch film, a how-to film and a shocking results film which puts pressure on the government to act.

Chris Thorne, Plastics Campaigner at Greenpeace UK said: “The plastic crisis is out of control but if the government acts we can get a grip on the problem. That’s why The Big Plastic Count is so important. Getting the narrative right on a campaign like this can be make or break. Through Envirals understanding of our needs and their collaborative approach they’ve helped us create assets we know the public will connect with and will lead to more and more people pushing the government to take ambitious action to end the plastic waste problem.

Joss Ford, Enviral Founder, comments: “We’ve been consistently beating the drum around the role of creatives in fighting the climate crisis and in connecting hearts and minds. So being able to partner with such an impactful organisation like Greenpeace UK really is a huge moment for our team and one which we hope brings real impact and holds those in power to account.”

This project embodies Greenpeace UK’s wider mission to defend the natural world from destruction, with a vision for a greener, healthier and more peaceful planet that can sustain life for future generations to come. The campaign evolved out of The Everyday Plastic Survey, pioneered by Everyday Plastic, a research-led non-profit focused on evidence-based education and campaigns. With the aim of mobilising and inspiring the UK population to help lift the lid on our recycling, it’s hoped this campaign will hold the government to account and bring real, positive change.

Enviral was awarded the contract after a competitive pitch process. With previous agency nominations including The Drum’s Best Use Of Video For Digital Advertising, Enviral is a full-service ethical brand communications agency based in Bristol that leverages the power of storytelling to effect real change for future generations.

Watch the launch video in full here.

 

The Enterprise Sessions is a new content series led by Prof. Michele Barbour Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor: Enterprise and Innovation at the University of Bristol.

The series has been created to inspire entrepreneurs and help them to realise impact from their ideas. Michele interviews founders, researchers and academics from different disciplines and career stages who’ve been part of the University’s Enterprise ecosystem. Each episode is a treasure trove of information covering a range of topics from funding, licensing and IP, consultancy, contract research and business incubation.

Guests include Konstantina Psoma, Professor Wuge Briscoe, Professor Roberta Guerrina and Dr Tom Carter.

Bristol now tops the list of UK universities for the return on investment achieved by spinouts and is ranked in the top 3 for equity investment.

Prof. Michele Barbour said: “The University of Bristol has an impressive track record of enterprise and innovation and we’re keen to share that knowledge within our community as well as with a wider audience. The Enterprise Sessions is a new content series that brings to life the personal stories of spinout Founders and how our enterprise ecosystem has them.

Firehaus took our idea and created a branded content series, introducing the broadcast-style interview approach, as well as the name and look and feel. The approach has allowed me to develop rich conversations with our interviewees and showcase their experience of our ecosystem which will be of huge benefit for anyone involved in research, innovation and enterprise.”

Nick Barthram, Strategy Partner at Firehaus said: “Firehaus has worked with a range of organisations in the Research, Innovation and Enterprise space, including UKRI, Made Smarter Innovation and The University of Bristol. Consequently, we’ve developed a clear understanding and methodology to ignite opportunities at the intersection of academia and industry”.


Strategy, Concept and Art Direction: Firehaus
Film Production: JonesMillbank

We’re delighted to announce that we’re wrapping up the first quarter of 2022 with a duo of new business wins. We’ll be working with Vivo Life on brand positioning and will aid the University of Bristol in the development of their commercial Quantum offering.

Vivo Life makes 100% plant-based health and fitness supplements. They have an enviable range of top-quality products which are not only great for people using them, but for the environment and world around them. Its growth has been fuelled by growing awareness and desire for plant-based, cruelty-free nutrition, and is underpinned by a strong sense of purpose as a business-for-good.

With a loyal following in the UK, US and Germany in particular, the business is looking to remain top-of-mind in an increasingly competitive environment, expand awareness to wider audiences within those core markets, as well as access new international markets.

Based in Somerset, Vivo Life is the latest purpose-driven organisation based in the region to work with us as they scale for growth.

We’ve been appointed to take the Vivo Life team through its Brand Ignition framework, beginning with defining a new Brand Position. We’ll also use our proprietary Spark survey with employees to understand how the brand currently shapes their internal purpose, culture and environment to set the business up for growth.

Salvatore Notaro, co-founder and Managing Director at Vivo Life comments, “With big change in the competitor landscape since our launch seven years ago along with rising marketing costs, we recognised that we need a new approach to be able to achieve sustainable growth. So, I’m delighted to be working with Firehaus and their Brand Ignition framework to get us to that next stage.”

We’ll also be working with the University of Bristol to develop its commercial quantum offering and brand positioning. The focus will be on Bristol bringing quantum technology out of the lab and into the world to help tackle the challenges of the future.

Nick Barthram, Founder and Strategy Partner adds, “We’ve been working behind-the-scenes with the Bristol quantum community for a year now and it still remains exhilarating to be part of something which could so fundamentally change the world we live in.”

See more images here

Top floor, corner of St Nicholas St and Clare St above Four Wise Monkeys – BS1 1YH
Minimum 6 month contract

Hey! What? and Duchess Media are looking for freelancers or small start ups to come share our recently expanded creative office space with us. We have 4 more desks available in our bright and spacious second room that includes its own kitchenette and a shared meeting room space.

We are a fun, creative and social group and are looking for people who will fit into the environment we have created.

Rent includes:
• Desk
• Internet
• Electricity
• Showers
• Cleaning

You will need to provide your own chair.

Anyone interested in coming to have a look please get in contact here or call Hamish on 07866 915 863.

We have a jam-packed events agenda in July so we thought we’d summarise the education and inspiration you can enjoy.

All Bristol Creative Industries-run events are free for BCI members. If you’re not a member, sign up from only £4.50 a month


Wake Up Call: Blogging for results – How to strategically use content to move people along the buyer journey

1 July, 8.30am. Free for BCI members only. 

Wake Up Call is our online event exclusively for BCI members that’s delivered by BCI members. It features a 30 minute practical presentation and Q&A every other Friday at 8.30am.

First up in July is copywriting expert Rin Hamburgh from Rin Hamburgh & Co.

On 1 July at 8.30am, Rin will look at the different types of blog post you might use to engage your audience at each stage of their buyer journey and guide them one step closer to doing business with you.

Sign up here.


Why we need to talk about menopause at work

5 July, 12.30pm. Free for members, £25 for non-members. 

Women over 50 are the fastest growing demographic in the workforce, and a significant percentage are likely to be in senior/leadership roles, plus on the front line of client relationships. 25% of menopausal woman say it can have a ‘debilitating’ effect on their ability to do their job, but unfortunately due to lack of awareness and societal shame, this is issue is not acknowledged enough in the workplace.

What can you do if you manage a team that includes women who could be heading towards menopause if you know nothing about it, and wouldn’t have much of a clue how to tackle a conversation about it?

In this online session, executive coach Fi Craig and Kinneir Dufort’s Tamsin Chambers discuss why this menopause is such a relevant topic for the workplace, why is it not spoken about enough, and what business leaders can do to address it.

Sign up here.


Solutions to the 2022 Recruitment Challenge

14 July, 12.30pm. Free for BCI members, £25 for non-members.

In this online workshop, recruitment Liz Gadd will cover the affects of the pandemic, Brexit, the ‘Great Resignation’ of 2021, the gig economy and how they’ve have contributed to businesses’ current recruitment challenges.

She will suggest solutions and ideas on how you can better recruit including perfecting your recruitment process, advertising the roles, using job boards, working with recruiters, and much more.

Sign up here.


Wake Up Call: How to supercharge your lead gen activity with value-based bidding

15 July, 8.30am. Free for BCI members only.

This online session will demonstrate how you can drive lead quality through the roof and bid more efficiently using value-based bidding.

Harriet Barter, from paid media agency Launch, will guide you through what value-based bidding is, how it works and how to start using it right away, so you can target the conversions that mean the most to your business.

Sign up here.


Other events from the Bristol creative community

See all events here.

Running your own event? Submit details here for listing on the website. 

All Bristol Creative Industries-run events are free for BCI members. If you’re not a member, sign up from only £4.50 a month

Digital marketing agency Noble Performs has announced that it is bringing its ‘Noble Deeds’ programme to Bristol this summer. Already well established in North America, the programme which upskills charity & not-for-profits’ in-house marketing teams, will launch in the UK at an exclusive summer drinks event at the Bristol Observatory on Wednesday 6th July.

Launched to mark the programme’s 10-year anniversary and reinforce the agency’s commitment to Bristol as its UK home, the Noble Deeds initiative will see one local charity secure £12,000 worth of digital performance marketing support.

Noble Performs is inviting Bristol-based charities to attend the launch event on the 6th July, when entries will open, with the winner announced in August and work beginning in September.

Started originally by Noble Performs Nevada Headquarters, the Noble Deeds programme has upskilled dozens of charities & not for profits during the past decade, and scaled as Noble’s US business has grown, now donating in excess of $200,000 a year of services to worthy causes.

Noble’s UK managing director, Kate Sikora, explains;

“Ever since we first established our Bristol base in 2018 we’ve wanted to bring our Noble Deeds programme to the city. With charities and not-for-profits struggling more than ever to secure vital donations due to the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis it felt like the right time to be trying to help charities look at how their digital marketing efforts can help crucial fundraising efforts

“One of the reasons we chose the city as our UK home is it really resonates with our ‘Be Better Every day’ philosophy. Bristol is such a melting pot of businesses and not-for-profits of all shapes and sizes but there’s a real sense of genuine community and shared responsibility around making the city a better place to live and work for everyone.”

Helping clients such as Adobe, Rolls Royce, Air Asia and Yosemite with their international digital presence, Noble’s ambition is to replicate the scale of its Nevada Noble Deeds programme in Bristol as its UK footprint grows.

To enter registered charities or not-for-profits must be Bristol-based and complete a simple application form, which will be available on the Noble Performs website on July 6th, 2022.

The Bristol-based charity that wins a place on the programme will secure a package of digital marketing support and skills training tailored to suit its specific needs, however this could include; SEO, PPC, Analytics and Paid Social.

Charities who wish to register their interest in the Noble Deeds Programme and attend the launch event at the Bristol Observatory on Wednesday 6th July (6-8 p.m.) should email kate.sikora@nobleperforms.co.uk to receive an invitation and secure their place.

To find out more about Noble Performs go to https://nobleperforms.co.uk/