It’s clear from a straw poll earlier this summer that companies who like the idea of an apprenticeship have a real struggle connecting to the right talent, and the opportunity to bring in new thinking and lived experience collapses – it’s just too much to organise.
In any other situation, the response would be to drop back, brainstorm the issues and form a plan.
Can we do this ourselves? Are we using the right communication channels? Do we need to bring in a freelancer? Do we need a partner in a joint venture? Do we simply buy-in the service?
These are all professional, creative responses we use all the time.
My aim for the last 15 years has been to better understand the dynamics of creative opportunity – through collaboration, mentoring and brokering, so here are some thoughts :
Build your own talent pool – lots of companies hold open days, portfolio sessions, and with projects like Fiasco’s Tracking, BCI’s Internship programme or Halo’s Werkshop Weekender, we’re even grouping those together to make them stronger.
So, stay in touch with the interesting people, give them thoughtful feedback and they’ll get more employable. They may feel they’ve broken into their dream industry – don’t just drop them.
Get closer to the talent – not just by suddenly launching on TikTok (something akin to “dad-dancing”), but by connecting through the organisations they trust – whether that’s Creative Youth Network, Babbasa, KWMC or the others in the region.
Engage an Expert – evidence from other industries from BAe Systems to Thatchers Cider shows apprentices grow in the company culture and out-compete their graduate intake, so it can be a great investment – and a small creative company is simply the BEST place to learn!
So, work out what you need, how it is easily supported by your company culture – maybe with a junior buddy as well as management mentoring – and what the career path will be.
Engaging with a specialist company such as Creative Alliance, Professional Apprenticeships or Working Knowledge will guide this process, help with screening and provide the training outside the workplace.
Across the next month, there will be more developments, so keep an eye on the BCI website, and join in the discussions – especially if you employed a dream apprentice or have been terminally frustrated! Together we can change the picture.
Bristol is full of brilliant outreach projects – award-winning wildlife film company Silverback Films held an insight day on July 24th, Fiasco Design are working with Noods Levels on a design project called Tracking, and next week the Werkshop Weekender opens to applicants – it’s managed by Halo with a group of top agencies involved. And the BCI Internship programme with Babbasa is celebrating its half-way point
The new government aims to strengthen the way people are employed, and also move from a shareholder to a stakeholder economy – with staff, clients, management and the wider culture of the city as players. We all recognise that we’re only as good as our staff, and how involved they feel is key to performance.
The challenge for companies is to become places of learning as well as doing – we rely on people who work fast, but describing how you work to someone with less experience (such as an apprentice) really opens up your own thinking, as well as getting a wider range of brains engaged in the project.
Where do apprenticeships fit? They can be the way to get new thinking and lived experience into your company – whether it’s at entry-level or more mature. (The Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development states that 50% of apprentices are over 25)
They are a great means of developing your current staff into new roles – you can get training costs covered through the Levy Share scheme operated by Western Training Providers Network
Large companies from BAE Systems to Thatchers Cider find that apprentices outcompete their graduate intake, having been treated as stakeholders in the company, and developing within the company culture.
BUT the elephant in the room is how you find the right people to achieve this nirvana, when you are a microbusiness constantly pitching for new work. Anyone who works in apprenticeships in our industry knows recruitment is a real struggle, and that’s shown clearly in the poll. There’s no lack of enthusiasm, but a real limit to the time and networks available to recruit.
SO maybe all those engagement programmes could have an apprenticeship as the end goal, organised and funded, with the apprentice provided with a buddy (a great way to develop junior staff) as well as a managerial-level mentor?
In October we’ll take this thinking forward – if you’re interested then do contact Paul Appleby [email protected] or Katie Green [email protected]
As a potent part of the UK economy dominated by microbusinesses and SMEs, the Creative sector has struggled with apprenticeships, but with the new government aiming to re-energise them, it’s time to dispose of some myths :
Apprenticeships are NOT only for young people: Although frequently linked to inexperienced school leavers or young adults, they are available to people of all ages – 50% of apprentices are over 25. They are a way to develop and retain quality staff or transfer skills from other sectors (such as project management) and not just for entry-level recruitment, though an apprenticeship could be the next step after a work placement or internship.
Apprenticeships are NOT just for manual or low-skilled jobs: Creative specialist training providers support a wide range of apprenticeship standards including Marketing Executive, Content Creator, Production Technician, Broadcast Production Assistant and Business Administrator.
Apprenticeships are NOT less respected than university degrees: Many talented young people are challenged by the cost of a university education and want to get into work – especially if they have a passion! There is a pathway of apprenticeships that can lead to the equivalent to degree-level education, shaped within the employing company, so in-tune and up-to-date. Buddying or mentoring a learner is also a great way to develop your more experienced staff.
Apprenticeships DO address skills gaps: Apprenticeships are designed by employers to meet industry needs and they are agile – tailored to address the evolving demands of fast-changing sectors like ours. Upskilling existing staff within your organisation via the apprenticeship route provides the opportunity to retain and develop them – a key driver of job satisfaction.
And you can get help with funding – assuming that your company doesn’t have the £3m annual payroll that triggers the Apprenticeship Levy (!!), you can cover all the training cost through the Share to Support Scheme commissioned by the West of England Combined Authority and funded by the UKSPF (UK Shared Prosperity Fund), Over £3m has been gifted by larger companies to support SME’s accessing apprenticeships in the West of England, and it’s available to YOU.
It’s managed by the Western Training Providers Network – to find out more, just get in touch with: [email protected] and [email protected]
Or go along to one of their drop-in sessions
Engine Shed, Temple Meads, Bristol – Every Wednesday, 9am – 1pm Free Weekly Business Apprenticeship Guidance Drop-In Session | The WTPN
Future Space, Stoke Gifford, Bristol – The first Thursday of the Month, 10am – 12.00pm Monthly Future Space Apprenticeship Guidance Drop-In Session | The WTPN
Bristol-based CRM specialists Flourish have today joined forces with the creative services agency Curious and The Harbour Collective, in what is the first step in the development of a new marketing company – the Harbour Group.
The group will be led by Paul Hammersley. Previously founder of Harbour Collective, Hammersley will become the CEO of Harbour Group, with Hugo Varney taking on the role of CFO. Before forming Harbour, Hammersley was a chief executive of DDB and Cheil. He launched Harbour in 2017.
Hammersley said, “For some time we have been discussing with a number of our Collective member agencies how to more closely align their shared interests and create a more connected plan for future growth and value creation… central to those discussions has been our desire to allow for the continued autonomy of the agency Brands.”
Founded in 2004, Flourish built its reputation in CRM and Customer Journey marketing, working for clients such as Nissan, Twitch and ASOS. Today, the agency employs over 50 people and operates from offices in Bristol and Dubai.
Of Flourish’s three founders, Neil Hecquet and Rich Hartson will be departing the agency, whilst Keith Nichol will remain, taking a position on the Harbour Group board. Nichol said, “The last 20 years have been such an incredible personal experience. I couldn’t have hoped for better partners than Neil and Rich and both have been instrumental in Flourish’s success. The time has come to push on and this opportunity with Harbour enables us to add our strength to a wider group proposition.”
Ian Reeves, Flourish’s Managing Director, said “The Harbour Group vision is clear and offers our clients tangible value through vertically integrated and complimentary services. We’re excited to start the journey alongside Curious and believe their offering can help push the creative barriers of what can be achieved within CRM.”
For more information, please contact Aimee Blakemore, Marketing Manager at Flourish on 01173 117620 or [email protected].
About Flourish
Flourish, which has offices in Bristol and Dubai, is a CRM agency “specialising in the development and delivery of personalised data-driven experiences, direct communications and content”. Its clients include Nissan, Bet365 and Asos.
About Curious
Curious is a “tech-driven agency that provides design, artwork, photography, video, CGI, and content distribution services”, with clients that include Diageo, Specsavers and Patek Philippe.
About Harbour
Harbour Collective, described as a “standalone company which manages a membership base of a number of independent agencies”, includes Live & Breathe, Pretty Green, Thursday, Platform, Digital Natives, TCO, Just So and Mi Media.
Nine Tree Studios in Bristol celebrated their opening earlier this month with an event that saw over 150 attendees from across the creative sector.
The 10,000sq ft facility includes two soundstages for film and photography plus a podcast suite, office space, green rooms and a fully-equipped kitchen studio.
Backed by Bristol-based commercial production company JonesMillbank, the studios have been designed to support both small-scale and broadcast-level productions.
“This has been a long road, but it was amazing to see so many new and old faces, all coming together to support and celebrate our launch.” said Russell Jones, Co-Founder of Nine Tree Studios.
Located in Brislington (BS4), the studios are perched near the centre of Bristol allowing them to service productions mixing studio and on-location filming, aided by its 8,900sq ft secure yard for trucks and trailers.
The studios are now Bristol’s largest independent studio, joining a raft of creative spaces throughout the city including neighbouring virtual production stage Distortion Studios and the established Bottle Yard Studios.
“Like restaurants on a high street, the more there are, the better they are, the more their reputation builds. We’re proud of everything Bristol has to offer and stands for, and the more facilities, talent, crew and creative companies that are based here only goes to benefit the region as a whole” Russell continued.
Nine Tree Studios features:
For more information and bookings please visit www.ninetreestudios.co.uk, call 0117 3706 372, or email [email protected].
Mostly Media, the Bath-based media planning and buying specialists enjoyed recent success at the Independent Agency Awards scooping not one, but two awards.
Hosted by the Alliance of Independent Agencies at the leading worldwide marketing and digital festival ‘MAD//FEST’, this prestigious award ceremony celebrates the finest work across the independent agency sector.
Firstly, for the third time in four years, Mostly Media proudly received the Best Use of Media award, this time for their work on behalf of the UK charity, Crohn’s & Colitis UK.
Secondly, Mostly won the coveted Freedom Award for Client Service, a testament to their exceptional culture and dedication to clients.
Head of Digital Tom Marshall who led the team’s digital campaign commented: “It is a fantastic achievement for such a wonderful cause. To receive the recognition for both Best Use of Media & Client Service was really special, and so well deserved for all the amazing planning and strategic work from the CCUK (Crohn’s & Colitis UK) team, they were amazing to work with on this campaign, so a big thank-you to them for trusting us with this project. Special mention also to the Mostly Team for their brilliant strategy, planning, implementation, and optimisation work – 250,000+ symptom checker completions & delivery of the campaign message to potential sufferers of Crohn’s & Colitis is out of this world!”
Recap of Mostly Media’s Recent Award Wins:
– **2021**: Best Use of Media on behalf of thortful (DTC / Brand Response)
– **2023**: Best Use of Media on behalf of Cawston Press | B-Corp™ (FMCG / Brand)
– **2024**: Best Use of Media on behalf of Crohn’s & Colitis UK (Charity / Performance)
– **2024**: Freedom award for Client Service on behalf of Crohn’s & Colitis UK (Charity / Performance)
About Mostly Media
Based in Bath, Mostly Media is an award-winning top-20 independent media planning & buying agency that prides itself on scaling businesses at pace through media strategy.
Founded on the principles of creativity, agility, and client-focused service, Mostly Media has a proven track record of achieving exceptional results for a diverse range of clients.
With the 2024 general election taking place on 4 July, members of Bristol Creative Industries share what they would like to see for the sector from the next government.
We also outline the specific promises for the creative industries included in political parties’ general election manifestos.
“Everyone is quick to support the creative industries and our contribution in theory, but it’s the delivery of that support in practice that matters. Support means access to funding – proper grants, that actually give companies what’s needed to innovate and accelerate. It’s also about making that funding fully accessible to all.
“It’s been interesting to read the different parties’ approaches to small business in their manifestos (and the lack of focus on it, in some). I like the idea of the FSB’s Small Business Act, particularly measures like making HMRC as helpful as possible, and penalising late paying companies, which can have a devastating impact on smaller firms. Overall, I’m optimistic for change.”
Jessica Morgan, Carnsight Communications
“We’d like to see greater collaboration between the government and educational institutions to develop curriculums tailored to the evolving needs of the PR industry, especially around adopting AI in PR practices.
“We see a real commitment from UK businesses in ESG initiatives and we think the next government should encourage sustainable practices further through incentives for green initiatives and sustainable business operations.
“Lastly, we’d like to see the implementation of economic policies that foster a stable and growing economy, open financial markets, and provide capital to drive innovation after a prolonged period of uncertainty and upheaval.”
Laura Lear, AMBITIOUS
“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
“Creative businesses are heavily dependent on eduction. Recruitment is not easy and neither is it easy for freelancers and employees to keep their skills current. We need really solid education right from pre-school to continuing professional development.
“The National Education Service proposal in the Labour manifestos of 2017 and 2019 would have worked very well for creative businesses. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear in the 2024 manifesto.”
Adam Nieman, Real World Visuals
“There is a huge gap or opportunity to support creative business owners with better business management training, e.g. mini MBAs for small creative service firms. Most agencies are lead by creatives or technicians, without a grounding in leadership, management, finance, business strategy, marketing etc. and most “get stuck”. Mini MBA type programs, similar to the Goldman Sachs offer and perhaps provided through university business schools would help agency founders to get basics right, to save years of plateauing and enable them to focus on growth rather fire fighting.”
Janusz Stabik, digital agency mentor
“The arts have recently been diminished within education and the national curriculum, so support should be focused around embracing and building back creativity and arts within schools for the next generation of designers and creatives.”
Paul Ellis, Oakwood
“When will any government make 30 day payment terms mandatory across businesses? It would bring a level of certainty of cash flow for creatives across the sector and reduce the amount of wasted time chasing paperwork.”
Neil Sims, Oakwood
“I would like to see a change in pay reporting from businesses to help tackle the gender pay gap. The government states that businesses over 250 people must publish their pay scales, but 98% of the design industry employ less than 50 people. Changing this pay reporting to include smaller businesses will help close the gap, along with other incentives that can help tackle gender pay inequality.”
Alison Harvey, Oakwood
“It was disheartening to read in The Guardian that design and technology could potentially be removed from the national curriculum within four years. This stark possibility underscores the urgent need for immediate government action to support and promote the creative industries.
“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
“As a specialist SEO agency, we are seeing such transformation with AI powered search and recognise the impact this will have on our clients. We are focused on building our AI innovation expertise and investing in our agency team and talent, so that we are constantly ahead of the curve.
“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
“The next government’s priorities should be on building confidence in the economy to support stability and growth, holding businesses to higher social and environmental standards, and supporting arts and creative education to nurture future talent and innovation.
“I also can’t help but mention that being more collaborative, open and friendly with Europe will bring in more opportunities for work and market access, which would be a big win for the creative sector.”
Ed Garrett, The Discourse
“We would like to see an updated approach to skills and training, that includes apprenticeships and skills bootcamps which are better suited to industry’s needs and the types of (self/contract) employment that make up so much of our workforce.
“The current inability of freelancers to access quality extended CPD through apprenticeships is a big barrier to those wishing to upskill and take on new clients & responsibilities.
“We also feel that there is a space for new training solutions that support people with some experience to gain enough skills to be be fully employable. Skills bootcamps are a partial solution but there is a big gap between 60 hours worth of skills training and 12-24 months of an apprenticeship. A mid-way offer that facilitates, for example, a graduate in one discipline to move into another related (e.g. music tech to events technician) one would unlock a huge amount of potential.”
Nick Young-Wolfe, MUTI Live
“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
“The critical area where creative businesses, specifically SMEs, are likely to fall down in the next few years is around developing the digital and emerging tech skills to remain competitive and current. I’m hoping that the new government not only extends its investment of funding for the SME creative community to upskill their teams, but also facilitates better collaborations between business and academia to ensure future training options are both fit for purpose and accessible to businesses of all sizes.”
Lucy McKerron, Purplefish
“Businesses have faced so much disruption and uncertainty in recent years that stability wouldn’t go amiss.
“That’s why, above all else, I’d like to see focus from the next government. I hope this fosters sustainable growth and effective planning, instead of short-term fixes.
“Establishing a supportive environment for green technology, renewable energy, affordable housing, education, and skills is crucial. Running across this is an urgent need to provide sustainable funding for local authorities which stand on the brink of financial collapse.
“These are not ethereal things distant from people’s lives, even if they may not be headline grabbers in themselves. They affect how we live, work and learn.
“Addressing them takes long-term planning. That’s why focus, and purpose, matters. Without it, progress becomes more difficult.”
Ben Lowndes, Distinctive Communications
“Recognise and recompense the creative industries for the contribution to the UK economy and wellbeing. Appoint a secretary of state for culture, media and sport who has worked in business. Provide vital finance for the running of smaller galleries, theatres, museums and music venues. Explore innovative funding models for reducing ticket prices, i.e. an ‘entertainment tax’ for Google, Netflix, energy suppliers etc.
“Reduce bureaucracy for funding applications and encourage collaboration versus competition for industry bodies. Urgently work with business and implement policy to critically improve career access for under-represented groups. Acknowledge that the foundation of the industry is freelancers and review their tax treatment.”
Rachel Lane, Ladbroke Gnomes
“Making Tax Digital (MTD) has been a massive cloud over our heads for about a decade now and we are still not ready for it. I’d like to see more understanding for the creative industries in regards to keeping the threshold at £50,000 turnover before MTD for income tax is compulsory. Creative business owners are not ready, and some don’t even know about it enough to apply everything that comes with it successfully. If it is voluntary, more will come on board without any major issues. It is all about how it is handled rather than enforcing. Make it voluntary or give them more time to provide funded training.”
Yarka Krajickova, Action Your Accounts
Andy Clarke, Huho Consulting
Here are policies specific to the creative industries included in political parties’ general election manifestos:
– “deliver a dedicated flexible coordination service so that everyone who wants to work in the film, TV, gaming and music sectors can work on live productions whilst benefiting from at least 12 months of secure training”.
– ensure creative sector tax incentives “remain competitive”.
– ensure creators are “properly protected and remunerated for their work, whilst also making the most of the opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications for creativity in the future”.
– launch a review of England’s nighttime economy, “looking at how to reverse the decline in pubs and clubs and how to make our towns and cities great places to go out”.
– the Conservative Party says “the BBC should represent the perspectives of the entire nation with diversity of thought, accuracy and impartiality as its guiding principles. The party says it “will carefully consider the findings of the Funding Review ahead of the next Royal Charter and ensure it upholds these principles”, and also “introduce a new complaints process for the BBC so the BBC does not mark its own homework”.
Labour’s general election manifesto refers to its ‘plan for the arts, culture and creative industries‘ which it published in March 2024:
– “find the right balance between fostering innovation in AI while ensuring protection for creators and the ongoing viability of the creative industries”.
– make sure that a freelance career in the arts remains a viable prospect through a “New Deal for Working People”.
– seek arrangements with the EU to facilitate easier touring and cultural exchange
– support creative SMEs, and prevent the loss of local cultural spaces through “Space to Create”, “the first national cultural infrastructure map”.
– support arts and cultural organisations “which will enable growth in the wider creative industries by making sure there are pathways from grassroots art and culture to creative careers and support the broadening of audiences”.
– collaborate with the sector, the Creative Industries Council, Arts Councils and other public funders to “create a finance models to attract more funding from different sources into arts organisations”.
– “work constructively to make sure the BBC and our other public service broadcasters can carry on investing in the companies that create distinctive creative output which is exported across the world; and to continue informing, educating and entertaining people across the country for generations to come.”
– launch a review of Arts Council England to consider how best to position the organisation for the next decade.
– introduce the National Music Education Network as a ‘landing point’ for parents, carers and teachers.
– support the museums and galleries sector to make more, high-quality images available for free, and “to bring incredible art and artefacts into communities”.
– tackle ticket touting by capping resale prices and giving the Competition and Markets Authority powers to regulate resale platforms.
– create a National Data Library “to bring together existing research programmes and help deliver data-driven public services…whilst maintaining strong safeguards and ensuring all of the public benefit”.
– support the development of the artificial intelligence sector and remove planning barriers to new datacentres.
– “protect the BBC, S4C, BBC Alba and Channel 4 as independent, publicly owned, public service broadcasters.”
– “promote creative skills, address the barriers to finance faced by small businesses, and support modern and flexible patent, copyright and licensing rules.”
– “negotiate free and simple short-term travel arrangements for UK artists to perform in the EU, and European artists to perform in the UK.”
– establish creative enterprise zones across the UK to grow and regenerate cultural output.
– appoint a dedicated minister of state for tourism and hospitality.
– maintain free access to national museums and galleries.
– apply to participate fully in Creative Europe to improve funding.
– require at least 80% of on-demand TV content to be subtitled, 10% audiodescribed and 5% signed.
– “support independent, Leveson-compliant regulation to ensure privacy, quality, diversity and choice in both print and online media, and proceed with part two of the Leveson Inquiry.”
– pass a “anti-SLAPP law” to “provide robust protection for free speech, whistleblowers and media scrutiny against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP).
– “support the BBC both to provide impartial news and information, and to take a leading role in increasing media literacy and educating all generations in tackling” the impact of fake news.
– implementing the Competition and Markets Authority’s recommendations to crack down on illegal ticket resale.
– “create a clear, workable and well-resourced cross-sectoral regulatory framework for artificial intelligence that promotes innovation while creating certainty for AI users, developers and investors”.
– negotiate the UK’s participation in the Trade and Technology Council with the US and the EU “so we can play a leading role in global AI regulation”.
– invest an extra £5bn over five years for local government spending on arts and culture.
– VAT axed on tickets for local theatre, cultural events and hospitality.
– visa-free access to the EU for UK musicians.
– “implement the 2012 Leveson Report recommendations on cleaning up the media and reinstate the second part of the review.”
– help the night-time economy through a review of planning regulations and giving local authorities the powers to ensure there is space for cultural life.
– push for rules on media to be tightened so that no individual or company owns more than 20% of a media market.
– new grants to encourage the growth of local news publishers.
– introduce a Digital Bill of Rights that “establishes the UK as a leading voice on standards for the rule of law and democracy in digital spaces”.
“push for a precautionary regulatory approach to the harms and risk of artificial intelligence”, and “align the UK approach with European countries, UNESCO and global efforts to support a coordinated response to future risks of AI”.
– “insist on the protection of the intellectual property of artists, writers and musicians and other creators, ensure that AI does not erode the value of human creativity and ensure workers’ rights and interests are respected when AI leads to significant changes in working conditions”
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 from only £4.95 a month.
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 20 most popular posts by members in 2022.
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. As part of your membership, you 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. They are a mix of in person and virtual events. The in person sessions are 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 presentation on social media trends delivered in March 2024 by Drew Benvie, founder of global social media consultancy Battenhall.
Some events, such as our regular freelancer networking drinks, are free for members.
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 liked to deliver a presentation on a topic of your choice during Wake Up Call, email Sian Pitman.
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 have to start engagement at school by raising the profile of the creative sector to a wider and more diverse audience. To do this, we’re developing ways to bring together creative business members and future talent through mentoring.
We are thrilled to have launched a partnership with The Early Careers Foundation (ECF), a social mobility charity that works with young people from low-income backgrounds to ensure that talent and hard work are what determine their career success, not background.
Through its mentoring programme, ECF pairs employees from partner organisations with 16-18-year-olds for monthly hour-long mentoring sessions.
Thanks to our new partnership, BCI members can now become a mentor and support a young person in building their confidence, developing their employability skills and offering invaluable professional guidance.
Applications to become a mentor close on 1 August 2024.
To find out more about how you can get involved, read this post.
The regular BCI Walk & Talk networking sessions are for a group of 12 BCI members who don their walking boots and explore the stunning countryside around Bristol and Bath.
It’s a great opportunity for members to make some new connections whilst getting some much needed fresh air!
Keen an eye on the events section for details of the next outdoor networking event. You can also sign up to the monthly BCI Bulletin to be notified of events.
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 Sian Pitman.
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.
We regularly deliver other benefits. To stay updated on the latest member benefits, sign up to the monthly BCI Bulletin.
Join Bristol Creative Industries from only £4.95 a month.
If you have any questions about membership, email Alli Nicholas
All About the Cooks, a website launched in Bristol to enable people to make money cooking from home, has announced that it will close at the end of May. Despite being a runner-up in the BBC Food & Farming Award in 2023 that led to a successful nationwide expansion earlier this year, the company has been unable to find investors to fund the future of the company.
As the company grew, its founder – Claire Ladkin – and her team acknowledged the need for more advanced technology to support the increasing number of cooks joining the platform. A major development that could only be achieved through significant investment.
Over the past few months, Claire reached out to hundreds of potential investors but could not find the right partners to support her vision. She said: “Despite continuous growth in sales and an increasing number of cooks joining the platform, we have found it impossible to secure the money needed to reach our full potential. The current economic climate makes it extremely challenging for companies that focus on consumer-facing products to raise investment.”
On Tuesday, the team of four behind All About The Cooks shared on social media: “We are heartbroken to announce the closure of All About The Cooks. We had big ambitions to make it possible for more home-cooks to make money from their talent and to revolutionise the way we eat at home. Over the past three years, we’ve had the privilege of working with so many incredible people, and we want to say thank you to all our supporters for being part of this journey.”
All About the Cooks will officially shut down its website on the 31st of May 2024. As we continue to witness the weekly closure of Bristol businesses, this adds to the growing list of recent disheartening news.
If you’d like to reach out to the team to show your support, you can contact them at [email protected].
We are delighted to announce that new directors have been appointed to the Bristol Creative Industries board.
The five individuals will deliver additional strength and depth to the board which will hugely benefit Bristol Creative Industries, our members and the wider creative sector in the south west.
They bring a host of skills and experience including digital marketing, film production, CRM, data analysis, website marketing and creative industry education.
As we said in our new year message at the start of 2024, driving value for Bristol Creative Industries members is our top priority, and we remain committed to creating opportunities for our community to learn, connect and grow their businesses.
To continue with this mission, we have key focuses that the new board directors will help us deliver thanks to their excellent expertise and contacts. They will contribute directly to:
Our priorities also include the BCI Talent Programme which supports the next generation of diverse talent in the creative industries and is currently open for sponsorship opportunities.
The appointment of the five new board directors follows Lis Anderson and Heather Wright becoming co-chairs of BCI.
Heather Wright, co-chair of Bristol Creative Industries, said:
“We are delighted to welcome these uniquely talented, inspirational and hardworking industry leaders who have stepped up for BCI and for our sector. They will strengthen our team and make it possible for us to achieve our ambitions for members.”
Joining Lis Anderson, Heather Wright, Gail Caig, Marissa Lewis-Peart, Julian Davis and Steven Coombe on the Bristol Creative Industries board are:
Adam Millbank brings over 16 years of commercial film production experience, serving as a founding director of B Corp registered companies JonesMillbank and Nine Tree Studios.
With his roots in documentary filmmaking, Adam has honed a talent for uncovering the essence of stories, establishing profound connections with his subjects. While he remains a practitioner, he also dedicates significant time to nurturing relationships with agencies and brands, earning him a reputation as a trusted partner in the industry.
Adam now collaborates with globally recognised brands, leveraging his expertise to drive innovative projects.
He maintains a keen interest in the intersection of education and creativity, aiming to foster greater connectivity within the Bristol creative industries around film and video and create a space for collaboration through Nine Tree Studios.
Tom Harber is an experienced creative agency leader specialising in digital experiences and creative technology solutions.
Tom has held leadership positions in industry leading creative agencies across both the UK and Australia that have be recognised at prestigious awards including Cannes Lions, BIMA and The Effies. Tom eventually landed back in the South West to head up creative technology studio, Aer Studios.
Proudly B Corp Certified, Tom and his team have been ranked in the top 100 best workplaces in the UK and have recently been appointed to the BBC UX Design roster as the only agency representing the South West region.
Tom’s passion is in creating meaningful digital experiences that have a positive impact on people and planet. He believes that bringing the creative and technology sectors closer together can have a huge benefit to the South West.
Tom Bowden-Green‘s experience combines senior consultancy (10+ years) and academic leadership (10+ years), designing and delivering training to support business development and career growth in marketing. His current focus is on bringing together regional and academic expertise to support business growth within the creative industries.
Tom studied his PhD at the Digital Behaviour Lab at University of Bath School of Management. His research and teaching now focuses on applying psychology to creative processes.
His recent work at Bristol Business School includes investigating behaviour change with Bristol City Council, researching the Bristol brand with Visit West, and understanding the effectiveness of social media advertising.
Tom created and led the MSc Digital Marketing at UWE Bristol and led several successful Digital Marketing Bootcamps. He co-hosts the The Digital Behaviour Podcast.
David Darke is the co-founder and operations director of Atomic Smash, a website performance agency based in Bristol, specialising in optimising WordPress, WooCommerce and Shopify.
Since its inception in 2010, Atomic Smash has prided itself on a caring team culture, emphasising continuous learning, creativity, and problem-solving. In this role, he has been recognised for kindness in leadership by being nominated as a Kindness Leadership Leading Light.
David’s approach to business reflects a deep understanding of the web’s potential to transform how companies and individuals communicate and conduct business.
Kate Sikora is the co-founder and managing partner of Noble Performs, a digital performance marketing agency based in Bristol renowned for helping organisations achieve remarkable results.
Highly commended as the IOD Director of the Year 2023 and serving as a Taan European Governor, Kate is committed to driving excellence and innovation in the digital marketing landscape.
Beyond her professional endeavours, Kate finds joy in family life, practicing yoga, and exploring new culinary creations in the kitchen.