Written by Tony Allen, this article has previously appeared on the ADLIB Blog.
As part of ADLIB’s series ‘Design for Change’ they caught up with Ken Day-Night, Founder & AI Creator at Create Studio AI.
This blog explores how AI is transforming creative workflows, featuring insights from a design leader who’s helping creators and small businesses harness emerging tools to scale storytelling, boost experimentation, and redefine the future of design.
I’ve spent most of my career in the creative industries. Starting in architectural visualisation, where I worked on high-profile developments, translating complex designs into compelling visual narratives. More recently, I’ve shifted into the world of AI, exploring how creative professionals can leverage technology to scale storytelling and content creation. My focus now is helping creators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses use AI to produce high-quality visuals, video, and copy without the need for huge teams or resources.
AI has reshaped how we approach almost every stage of the creative process. Where we used to spend hours on concepting, drafting, or rendering, AI now accelerates these steps, giving us more time to focus on strategy and refinement. We regularly use tools for image generation, video editing, voiceovers, and automated copywriting. One strategy that’s worked well is thinking of AI as a rapid prototyping partner, producing fast iterations so we can explore more creative directions before locking in decisions. It’s improved speed, quality, and creative experimentation across the board.
The biggest challenge is rethinking how we value creativity. It’s easy to fall into the trap of using AI to churn out generic work, but the real opportunity is using it to push creativity further. Generating more ideas, testing more directions, and reducing repetitive tasks. AI has made it possible to work leaner without sacrificing quality, which is a huge advantage in today’s fast-moving creative landscape. The key challenge remains balance: ensuring that AI enhances creative thinking, rather than replacing it.
Definitely. I look for curiosity over credentials. People who are willing to explore new tools, adapt quickly, and experiment fearlessly stand out. Traditional technical skills are still valuable, but mindset is becoming more important, especially comfort with ambiguity and an ability to guide AI tools toward creative goals. Prompting skills, a good design eye, and the ability to judge and refine AI output are crucial now. Essentially, creative thinking remains the superpower, but it’s paired with the ability to harness and direct AI effectively.
I’m always following the fast-moving creator economy, especially where it intersects with AI. Communities around Midjourney, Veo, Flux, and grassroots indie creators on X (Twitter) and even LinkedIn, are constant sources of fresh ideas and use cases. I’m particularly interested in multi-modal AI, where visuals, audio, and text are seamlessly integrated, causing an explosion of short-form content. It’s clear that AI is lowering the barriers for creators, making high-quality content achievable for almost anyone.
Experiment without fear. AI is moving so fast that the only way to stay relevant is to engage with it directly. Test tools, run projects, and see what works for you. Don’t wait for the perfect tool or workflow; the learning happens through use. But at the same time, keep your creative judgement sharp. The value you bring is in taste (knowing what’s good), what’s impactful, and how to guide AI to help achieve that.
Beyond AI creativity, the rise of no-code platforms has been game-changing. It’s given creative professionals the ability to launch products, build websites, and test business ideas without relying on developers. That shift from being solely a designer to becoming a creator or entrepreneur, has changed how I see design itself. It’s no longer just about visuals, but about using design thinking to solve problems end-to-end, from concept to execution, with AI and no-code unlocking speed and scale like never before.
saintnicks has been nominated for ‘Best Community Development’ at the Digital Impact Awards for their work across social media with POSCA UK.
The Digital Impact Awards set the benchmark in digital stakeholder engagement, celebrating the best digital communications from brands. This nomination recognises the creativity, strategy, and measurable impact of saintnicks’ partnership with the Mitsubishi Pencil UK team.
Inbound activity to POSCA’s social media channels has quadrupled, and the brand’s own response actions have increased more than tenfold. The brand was sent and tagged in over 10,000 pieces of social content in just the first four months of 2025.
Cath Eaton, Social Media Manager at saintnicks, said:
“In just a short time, our partnership with Mitsubishi Pencil has built a vibrant, engaged community on social media, that delivers real results. This nomination for the Digital Impact Awards is a fantastic recognition of the dedication and collaboration behind our work – something the whole team is incredibly proud of.”
If you’re looking for an agency that truly gets social media, content, and community management, explore saintnicks’ brand, campaigns, content and digital expertise here, or reach out to their Client Services Director, Francois d’Espagnac.
The total number of jobs in the UK’s creative industries fell in 2024 compared to the year before, new government figures has revealed.
Employment data from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) showed there were 2,409,000 creative sector jobs in the year to December 2024, down from 2,419,000 in 2023. In the 11 years prior to 2023, the sector saw successive annual job increases.
The decline in 2024 was driven by a fall in employed roles which fell to 1,713,000, down from 1,744,000 in 2023. In contrast, the number of roles for self-employed individuals and freelancers increased last year to 696,000, up from 675,000 the year before.
Within sub-sectors of the creative industries, music, performing, and visual arts experienced growth, with the total number of jobs increasing from 288,000 in 2023 to 312,000 in 2024.
The avertising and marketing sub-sector also saw a growth in total jobs, rising to 262,000 from 253,000 in 2023. Freelancers in that sector also rose, from 55,000 to 61,000.
Jobs in the film, TV and music sector increased from 208,000 in 2023 t0 214,000 in 2024, although freelancer roles fell from 80,000 to 75,000.
Publishing saw a sharp decline with total jobs falling to 166,000 in 2024, from 217,000 in 2023.
In the cultural sector, total jobs increased 666,000 from 700,000, although self-employed roles fell from 330,000 to 319,000.
Demographic data for the creative industries showed 17% jobs were disabled people, and 37.4% were female workers at 37.4%.
Ethnicity figures showed 82.7% of jobs were held by people from the white ethnic group, 9.9% from the Asian or Asian British ethnic group, 2.8% from the black, African, Caribbean or black British ethnic group, 2.3% from the mixed or multiple ethnic group and 2.3% from other ethnic groups.
In the cultural sector, the following applied:
Of the 2,409,000 jobs in the creative industries, 7.3% (178,000) were located in the South West. This is an increase on the 169,000 south west jobs in 2023.
London still dominates the sector though, with the capital home to 30.4% of creative industries jobs. The second biggest region was the South East with 16.4%.
See the full creative industries employment data here.
Freelancers have long been a significant proportion of the creative and cultural sectors, representing around a third of all workers and more than double that in the overall economy.
In the creative industries sector plan released in June, the government committed to appointing a “freelancer champion” to advocate for freelancers.
Earlier this month, Creative UK published a paper outlining a vision for the freelancer champion role.
The key ask was the launch of formal and structured inquiries into the major systemic barriers freelancers face, such as unfair pay, lack of employment protection and late payment. It also called for:
The creative industries are facing a rapidly shifting employment landscape driven by technological innovation and evolving generational expectations. Businesses that adapt to these changes will thrive; those that don’t risk falling behind.
At an event in the Bristol office of Bristol Creative Industries member RWK Goodman on 11 September, Alice Macleod, a specialist in human behaviour and social science, will deliver a dynamic and thought-provoking session on how shifting societal norms and AI are remoulding work environments and workflows.
Tailored specifically for professionals across creative disciplines, this session will unpack the latest workplace trends, explore how AI is reshaping roles and processes and offer concrete strategies to stay ahead.
You’ll also hear from Marissa Lewis-Peart, BCI board member and senior UX designer at Tesco, and Katie Green from Western Training Provider Network (WTPN) in an exciting fireside chat, where we will be exploring driving ambition and progression, from an employee and national business perspective.
Register for the event here.
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Landscape for freelancers in 2025
Bristol Creative Industries jobs board
Post a job on the Bristol Creative Industries jobs board
A groundbreaking new festival is set to transform Bristol into an international beacon for technology, creativity and culture this October.
Taking place from from 6-11 October 2025 in and around Bristol’s Old City, BTF+ will offer an accessible and impactful experience for founders, technologists, creatives, investors and culture-makers.
The festival, curated by techSPARK in collaboration with Bristol Creative Industries and MyWorld plus headline partner Ghyston, will feature bold keynotes and panels alongside breakthrough tech demonstrations in several venues. They range from the prestigious Bristol Beacon and Bristol Old Vic to more intimate locations.
Attendees will experience cutting-edge tech showcases, immersive performances, live music and future-facing learning opportunities. Businesses involved will be able to speak, raise their profile and connect with potential partners and investors.
Inspired by legendary festivals like South by Southwest in Austin, BTF+, an evolution of the much-loved Bristol Technology Festival, is designed for start-ups, scale-ups, creators, storytellers, founders, technologists and anyone with curiosity about what’s next.
Whether attendees work in film or fintech, programming or performance, strategy or software, the festival provides a platform to grow businesses, launch ideas, discover emerging trends and help shape the future of their industries.
All profits from the festival will be reinvested into supporting local talent, start-ups and communities. It has been created with inclusivity and accessibility at its heart, through low-cost tickets and many free events to ensure broad participation reflecting Bristol’s spirit.
BTF+ is being brought to the South West with the intention of further cementing the region’s reputation as one of the most exciting and innovative not just in the UK, but in Europe. The event will look to drive growth, investment, and job creation across the region, emulating the impact seen from SXSW in Austin, Texas.
The compact city setting allows people and ideas to move freely, encouraging discovery and purposeful connections. Days will feature talks and workshops from regional talent across tech, creativity and culture, alongside national-level speakers sharing inspiration and insights. As evening falls, music and networking events will provide opportunities for attendees to connect, share experiences and celebrate together.
Confirmed speakers so far include:
Ben Shorrock, co-founder of BTF+, said:
“BTF+ represents an exciting evolution for Bristol’s tech and creative communities. This festival embodies everything that makes our city and wider region special – the collision of technology, creativity and culture in a place that excels at all three.
“The event will be a platform where breakthrough innovations meet artistic expression, where established corporations can connect with emerging talent, and where the brightest minds come together to build the future.”
For our involvement in BTF+, we’ll be running an exciting two days of events on 7 and 8 October, with some high profile and inspiring speakers from across the creative industries. Look out for announcements over the coming weeks.
Early bird tickets for the BFT+ Summit which takes place on 6-10 October, and tickets to free events during the festival are available now. Find out more here.
saintnicks has been shortlisted for the second year running in two categories at the Sports Business Awards 2025, recognising the agency’s standout work with Ascot Racecourse:
Outstanding Social Media Strategy
Excellence in Content Marketing
The Sports Business Awards celebrate and reward the achievements of the teams working behind the scenes to enable sporting excellence through sports marketing – championing creativity, resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness.
Callum Joynes, Head of Content at saintnicks, said:
“We’re incredibly proud to be shortlisted at the Sports Business Awards among the best names in the sports industry. These nominations are a recognition of the strategy, creativity, and collaboration behind our work across brand and social media with the team through Royal Ascot and beyond. Proof that incredible results can be achieved when a brand and agency share the same vision.”
Delivering a project on time can be a rewarding experience but often than not, it can be very stressful if deadlines are missed or delays occur. Fortunately, with the right project planning and management tools available, you can get your projects over the line without the late nights and last-minute panics.
Here are five easy ways to help ensure clarity, structure and support to your projects:
Before you start your project, define exactly the ins (and outs) of your project scope, including any deliverables that need to be included and a timeline indicating when each deliverable or phase will be completed. This helps to ensure and avoid any “additional requests” that could eat into your delivery time.
A clear project scope provides clear focus which leads to on-time project completion.
A larger-scoped project lasting 10-12 weeks for example can feel overwhelming if you only see the finish line. Break down your project plan into smaller milestones and deadlines so your team is aware and knows what’s coming next and that progress throughout the project cycle feels tangible.
Whether it’s an in-person catch-up at the start or end of the week, a shared project tracker, or a quick Teams call; consistent updates throughout your project, especially with multiple stakeholders involved will keep everyone aligned and prevent last-minute surprises. No news is not good news in project management!
There are multiple project management tools that are easily accessible at little to no cost. The likes of Trello, Jira, and Notion are great for tracking your progress with very simple features to keep your tasks, files, timelines and feedback all in one place. A clear view of what’s completed, what’s outstanding and identifying blockers means you can act before things slip behind or delay your project’s delivery time.
Things will change during the project cycle, that is inevitable. Whether that’s receiving feedback later than planned, various teams being away on annual leave or sudden shifts in resource planning. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead and factor in extra buffer time during key stages of your project to allow for such circumstances when they occur.
By doing this, even with the hiccups, your project will cross the finish line on-time and within schedule.Delivering a project on time is more than just ticking boxes, it’s about building trust, providing direction and letting your best work shine.
Need help getting your projects over the line? Let’s have a chat and we can talk through what you need and how we can support you.
We also have Tell ‘em Fridays, our free 30-min project check-ins every Friday to help identify any blockers, prioritise next steps or just get a fresh pair of eyes on any projects you may be working on at the moment. Limited to just four slots so secure your spot.
Introducing Eden Sinclair, UX Designer & Research Lead at the RSPCA! Eden ensures intuitive digital experiences for animal lovers, crafting impactful solutions that inspire action and promote animal welfare. Eden’s dedication shines through, leveraging the support of over 200 volunteers to conduct user research. ‘Designing for good’ has exposed Eden to the immense passion and drive in the charity sector, enriching design with inclusivity for all users.
The purpose of our ‘Design For Good’ content series is to shine a light on how creative innovation can be a driver for positive change. We feature those that are making it happen, those with grand potential. Businesses and individuals that are shaking up their sector and finding ways to do things better, for social or environmental good.
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us what your role is at your organisation?
My name is Eden, and I’m a UX Designer and UX Research Lead at the RSPCA. In my work life, I’m responsible for ensuring that all of our digital platforms, including websites and mobile applications, are intuitive, user-friendly, and meet all of the needs of our very diverse audience base! I work hard to create digital experiences that inspire action and promote animal welfare.
My work involves understanding user behaviours and needs through research and analysis, using wireframing and prototyping to create impactful solutions that encourage really meaningful and lasting engagement with our charity. I also spend a lot of time collaborating with teams across the RSPCA as a whole to ensure our digital platforms are not only user-friendly but also promote empathy, education, and action for creating a better world for animals.
Can you tell us a bit more about the work your organisation does, and how the UX teams support this?
The RSPCA is the world’s oldest and largest animal welfare charity, and we focus on rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming or releasing animals across England and Wales. We’re also campaigning around animal welfare laws, effecting change for animals in laboratories, improving farm animal welfare, educating young people and adults, and providing scientifically backed advice and information to support this.
The UX team, comprising three designers (including myself) and a UX manager, focuses on improving our digital offerings: the main RSPCA website, the RSPCA Education site, the politics site, and new and exciting projects. As a unit, we work closely with the public to ensure that our designs are user-centric and that our UX is tailored to not only encourage people to donate to support us, but also improve animal welfare themselves.
Can you share some challenges or barriers you had to overcome whilst working in a charity and ‘designing for good’?
I’d say that resource is the biggest challenge that I’ve faced. My last company was in the Technology sector, and so resource was never an issue due to very large budgets. However, working at the RSPCA, it’s imperative that we keep costs as low as possible to maximise the number of animals we can help. This is especially evident when attempting to complete user research, as usually a company would pay for research participants, but we have to rely on the generosity of the public.
Thankfully, the public are incredibly generous, and we have over 200 wonderful volunteers who help us test our designs every week. We couldn’t do it without them, and it’s heartwarming to see the commitment to animal welfare.
What has been the key thing you’ve learned about ‘designing for good’ and your target audience specifically?
I think the key thing that I’ve taken away from designing for good has been the incredible passion and drive in the charity sector, not only from the target audience, but also my colleagues at the RSPCA. It’s a fantastic and rewarding place to work.
My target audience is incredibly diverse, but they all share a common love and concern for animals. Whether they are long-time supporters of the RSPCA, or children being introduced to animal welfare for the first time, the passion for animals and kindness is clear.
One of the most rewarding things about working in the charity sector is getting to experience this first-hand. I get to work rather closely with our audience, through research, testing and interviews, and it is incredible to see how deeply people care, and how our supporters are making such a positive impact.
What’s more, the diversity in our target audience really enriches the work that we do for the RSPCA and challenges us to make our designs accessible and inclusive for all. Irrespective of physical or cognitive abilities, embracing the diverse nature of our users allows us to create a more meaningful experience for everyone.
I think the passion and commitment of our audience really drives us to continuously innovate, iterate and improve our designs. It’s amazing to work alongside and for people that are making such a tangible difference to the lives of animals.
This article originally appeared on the ADLIB Blog.
AI and copyright of content is a controversial issue in the creative industries, with the government receiving 11,500 responses to its consultation on the UK’s legal framework for copyright. Ministers say they are reviewing all the responses and technology secretary Peter Kyle said:
“I am determined to harness expert insights from across the debate as we work together to deliver a solution that brings the legal clarity our creative industries and AI sector badly need in the digital age.”
We asked some Bristol Creative Industries members what they think the government should do. See below for their responses.
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Russell Jones, JonesMillbank (see JonesMillbank’s BCI profile here):
“Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022), a pioneer in filmmaking, said “It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to”. Had he lived three more years, would he be saying the same thing about the generative imagery we’re seeing today?
“When nothing is original, and humans have copied and been inspired by others since the dawn of time, where do we draw the line between human inspiration and en-mass machine learning?
“Nobody has the answer yet, but any regulation must be worldwide – human-wide – to avoid creating an AI-divide.”
Phil Robinson, Proctor + Stevenson (see Proctor + Stevenson’s BCI profile here):
“I believe clarity and fairness are the two critical factors here. AI offers exciting creative opportunities, but we need a legal framework that respects the rights of artists while helping us explore new tools. Creators should know if their work is used to train AI, and there must be proper consent and fair compensation.
“I’d like to see rules that protect originality but also empower creatives to be ambitious and produce incredible work. If the government gets that balance right, AI could become a genuine asset to the creative industries, not a threat to them.”
Catherine Frankpitt, Strike Communications (see Strike Communications’ BCI profile here):
“Creative professionals are natural early adopters, so we must balance protecting our intellectual property with harnessing AI’s potential through proper legal safeguards.
“The government must work urgently with creative and tech sectors to establish a legally enforceable framework requiring clear disclosure of AI training data sources and mandatory opt-in licensing. We need a distinction between AI as a creative tool versus unauthorised training on copyrighted works. Creators must retain ownership and receive fair compensation for any AI usage of their work. Given AI’s global reach, this framework needs both robust UK legislation and international coordination.
“Finally, we must move at pace with regular legal reviews to ensure our protections evolve alongside the technology, preventing creators from being left behind.”
Mark Shand, UWE Bristol (see UWE Bristol’s BCI profile here):
“The proposals in the government consultation reflect an inconsistent approach to intellectual property, favouring undisclosed AI companies (other industries compensate creators), while disadvantaging university copyright holders across culture, research, education, business, science, and health. It places an unfair burden on creators, remains vague, appears technically unfeasible, and perpetuates business practices that undermine creators’ control and compensation.
“We are also concerned by the accompanying narrative, which frames creators as being at odds with ‘innovators’. In reality, our students and staff are innovators – they are also current and future income generators, market disruptors, and employers.”
Tim Shapcott, Tiki Media (see Tim Shapcott’s BCI profile here):
“Painful as it is to consider, it may be unrealistic to hold AI companies accountable for what’s already been done. Rather than close our borders to the world as other countries take advantage of the up-side, a more pragmatic path may be to focus on future solutions.
“Applying pressure to the AI industry to establish clear checks and balances could ensure that original creators receive fair recognition and compensation as AI evolves. This balanced approach may allow us to embrace the benefits of AI while still supporting our creative talent. If ‘back pay’ is possible as a part of that, then awesome!”
Claire Snook, AMBITIOUS (see AMBITIOUS’ BCI profile here):
“For the last 20 years, AI has helped our work and operations through programmatic ads, content development, chatbots, virtual assistants and more.
“But it’s undermining our creativity. Copyright is essential to protect our work. Our government has a responsibility to provide clarity for how AI is used in conjunction with creative work; we need clear and defined safeguards for creators. This should have been in the works decades ago.
“Companies are taking measures to protect our content. Cloudflare, one of the biggest architect providers, now prevents AI crawlers from scraping content without the creators’ permission meaning websites will be able to charge AI companies for accessing their content.
“We need a practical approach that protects and ensures our creative labour isn’t stolen, while making sure people can responsibly use AI for their needs and wants.”
Susan Pearson, Wordways (see Susan Pearson’s BCI profile here):
“The copyright for anything I write is 100% mine or my client’s. No-one or no ‘thing’ should ever have the right to reproduce the words of writers exactly unless these words are expressed within quote marks with the source of the quote acknowledged – unless they have specific permission. Anything else would be creative theft.
“Weakening of copyright law in any way will have a profound effect on the livelihood of writers and others in the creative industries. Even the suggestion that AI software can re-hash original material from creatives is a suggestion that theft should be legalised!”
Jessica Morgan, Carnsight Communications (see Carnsight Communications’ BCI profile here):
“AI is rarely out of the spotlight – particularly in the creative industries. It’s also a growth opportunity identified by the government, so it’s likely to remain there. This feels like a pivotal moment. Will we be left behind if we don’t evolve our regulations, or do we risk completely exploiting creativity if we do?
“Holding the consultation is a good first step, and those thousands of views given will have to be considered and taken into account (AI may prove useful here!) The key thing is, creative work is important and should be valued. Copyright exists for a reason and we’ve been abiding by it for decades. Any path forward needs to acknowledge that.”
Sandra Mouton, French translator (see Sandra Mouton’s BCI profile here):
“Copyrighted works available for reading online are routinely used to train the LLMs AI runs on. In my field of translation, that’s translated books, but also magazine articles, white papers from businesses or NGOs, video game content, etc. All this IP was created within the framework of copyright law and the protection it’s meant to provide for authors’ and copyright-holders’ rights.
“The government needs to ensure that protection is real and that the work of creatives like translators cannot be exploited for money without our express consent (with a default opt-in rather than opt-out system) and adequate compensation through royalties.”
Alex Murrell, Epoch (see Epoch’s BCI profile here):
“Human creativity thrives on curious minds and their insatiable appetite for inspiration. Film, fashion, art and architecture; it all gets devoured, connected and remixed into new and novel ideas. Copyright laws protect this process: copy too closely, and you risk infringement.
“But now, generative AI is rewriting the rules. If a machine uses your work to train a model, is that theft or fair use? Is it ethically different from a human remixing their inspiration? Should copyright continue to cover one’s output, or should it cover the input as well? That’s the question governments must answer—and fast.”
Emma Barraclough, Epoch
“AI is reshaping the creative landscape; enabling highly personalised, efficient design at scale. And as it becomes mainstream, using it has become essential to staying competitive in a fast-moving industry. But there are concerns we can’t ignore. Ambiguity around the ownership of AI-generated content presents legal challenges.
“For brand assets to be valuable, they must be protectable. And yet without clear rules AI generated assets are at risk of being copied and compromised by others. For AI to become a truly powerful tool for creatives, we need laws that make its output safe, ownable, and enforceable.”
Penny Beeston, Beeston Media (see Beeston Media’s BCI profile here):
“As an SME in the creative sector we embrace AI where it improves the efficiency of our craft. The red flags are where AI stifles or steals creative human endeavour. The horse may well have bolted in terms of past copyright theft, but the government has an important role to play in regulation going forward.
“Original assets used in generative AI should be traceable, accredited or paid for by third parties. The government’s commitment to investing in AI research and innovation with projects such as the Isambard-AI supercomputer is impressive. Let’s use that sovereign capacity for good by creating AI tools to shift the balance of power from poachers to gamekeepers.”
Chas Rowe, voiceover artist (see Chas Rowe’s BCI profile here):
“First, AI steals from creators. Then, AI steals from creators. Two wrongs don’t make a right. The government should stop providing shovels for the gravediggers of the creative industries.”
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The creative industries are a vital component of the local economy and here at Bristol Creative Industries, we encourage young people to look to the sector for a rewarding and inspiring career. As modern technologies like gaming, VR and AI continue to develop, we need a new generation to take on the jobs of the future that the local economy needs if it is to thrive.
See below for our updated guide to creative industries-related further and higher education in Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-mare and beyond.
A selection of the creative post-16 courses offered by sixth form departments at Bristol schools and academies:
Among the A-levels at Bath Academy are art and media studies.
A-levels on offer at this Bath sixth form for boys include creative design and music.
Bristol Cathedral Choir School
Founded in 1140 as part of what was then Bristol Abbey, Bristol Cathedral Choir School is one of the city’s most popular sixth forms. Among the A-levels offered by the school are art, drama and music.
The sixth form at Bristol Creative Industries member Bristol Grammar School offers creative IB Diploma and A-level courses including art, dance, drama and theatre studies, design technology, music and music technology.
The IB Diploma is an alternative to A-levels which the school describes as “offering breadth of learning as well as academic rigour”.
Opened in 2016, Bristol Free School offers A-levels alongside selected BTEC Level 3 courses. Creative courses include art, drama and theatre, music and music technology and photography.
Cabot Learning Federation Post 16
The Cabot Learning Federation Post 16 is an independent provision located in two of CLF’s 20 secondary academies; Bristol Brunel and John Cabot. Among the A-levels on offer are art and design, dance, music and photography.
The sixth form at this school offers A-levels in subjects including art and photography, drama and theatre studies and music.
The sixth form at this school offers A-levels including art, design and technology and drama and theatre.
The North Bristol Post 16 Centre is a collaboration between Cotham and Redland Green Schools. Creative A-levels include art, photography, film studies, and media studies.
St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School
Located near Bristol Temple Meads, creative A-levels offered by this school are art, film studies, media studies, music, music technology and theatre studies.
Providing education to 10,000 learners across two campuses, Bath College offers a wide range of courses including post-16, apprenticeships, part-time courses, traineeships and degree-level education.
Subjects include art and design, fashion and textiles, fashion business and retail, photography, graphic design, digital production, and performing arts.
As one of the South West’s largest further and higher education colleges, Bristol Creative Industries member City of Bristol College operates from seven centres across the city. It offers a range of post-16 qualifications including A-levels, Level 2 Diplomas and BTEC Nationals.
For school leavers, several courses relevant to the creative industries are on offer. They include specialist subjects include visual arts and design, photography, fashion, performing arts and creative digital technologies (film and TV production, games design, computer graphics and animation).
The college also offers university-level creative arts and media courses in subjects including games design, animation and VFX, graphic design and photographic practices.
Abbeywood Community Schools is part of Olympus Post 16 with Bradley Stoke Community School and Winterbourne Academy.
Courses include art, design and technology, digital media, drama and theatre studies, film studies, music performance, music technology, photography and textile design.
Digitech delivers a specialised curriculum for progression into the creative digital and high tech sectors. Studio schools are small by design and only take 90 students into each year group. The school opened in 2015 and moved into a new purpose-built building in Warmley in November 2016.
For years 12 and 13, Digitech offers courses in partnership with boomsatsuma (see below), Bristol School of Acting and Robins Foundation. They include digital media, e-sports, film and television, music, and photography.
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College
This college has six campuses.
The college has a very extensive programme of Level 2 and 3 courses including computer games design, film and TV production, music production and musical and technical theatre.
At university level, the college offers a range of courses at foundation degrees, many of which also offer the opportunity to top up to a full Bachelor’s degree by adding a year. Subjects include fine art, game art, media production and computer games design and production.
Since September 2022, the college has offered the new vocational skills focused T-levels. The two-year technical courses are equivalent to three A-Levels and include a 45-day work placement. Courses include digital production, design and development.
St Brendan’s Sixth Form College
This college provides a diverse range of over 60 different A-level and Level 3 Applied General courses to 16 – 18 year olds. Courses include media studies, music, music performance, music technology, textile design and graphic communication.
Bristol Creative Industries member Weston College has several creative industries-related diploma and extended diploma courses for 16-19 year-olds as part of Creative Arts Weston.
The departments are art, design, graphics and fashion; film and tv, media production, photography, game and animation; performing and production arts, and music.
Creative courses at Cirencester College include craft and design (T-level), 3D design (A-level), digital foundation, digital media certificate, graphic communication (A-level), and photogrraphy (A-level).
Boasting ex-students including Ed Sheeran, Jess Glynne, Rita Ora and JP Cooper, Bristol Creative Industries member Access Creative College is a national college for young people looking for a career in the creative industries. It offers courses at various levels in subjects including games, animation and video effects, graphic and digital design, film, software development, video and photography and music technology.
In summer 2021, Access Creative College opened a new £5m games and media campus in Bristol city centre. It’s on the site of the former Bristol Bierkeller, host to Nirvana’s first ever UK gig, Slipknot, The Stone Roses and Arctic Monkeys. Facilities include a games lab, green screen studio, music tech suites, digital recording studio and band rehearsal studio.
Access runs degree courses in Bristol covering audio and music technology and music performance at dBS Institute, which it acquired in 2021.
Bristol Creative Industries member boomsatsuma is a specialist creative industries training provider. Courses take place in relevant professional environments in the city such as Leadworks, Ashton Gate Stadium, Bottle Yard Studios and Tobacco Factory.
boomsatsuma provides Level 3 Extended Diplomas, that are equivalent to 3 A-levels, as well as BA (Hons) and BSC (Hons) degrees. Courses include creative and digital media, film and television, games, VR and VFX and photography.
As a registered charity, Creative Youth Network supports young people to reach their potential and enjoy fulfilling lives. It offers free courses in youth clubs and other venues in Bristol. Subjects include music, photography and song writing.
Creative Youth Network has opened The Courts in central Bristol. It is an enterprise hub, located in Bristol’s Old Magistrates’ Courts, where young people can explore their creative potential, receive support, access mentoring, and find meaningful work.
dBs Institute of Sound & Digital Technologies
Based in the centre of Bristol, dBs is a specialist educational institute that offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in music production, sound engineering, live sound, and game development.
It is a registered Avid Learning Partner (ALP) and Ableton Certified Training Centre that works with a wide range of creative industry organisations.
Students at dBs Institute can gain real-world experience alongside their studies thanks to dBs Pro, an in-house creative audio company. Students provide sound and music for film, television, video games, art installations and more.
University of the West of England (UWE Bristol)
The School of Arts at Bristol Creative Industries member UWE Bristol offers courses in subjects including drama, filmmaking, animation, photography, media production, journalism, creative and professional writing, film studies and media communications. There are also several fashion and design courses.
Facilities include film, photography and animation studios as well as drama, acting and music facilities.
Many graduates also enter the creatives industries after studying marketing courses at the UWE Business School. It includes the MSc in digital marketing, and MSc/postgraduate diploma/postgraduate certificate in marketing communications.
UoB offers undergraduate degrees in film and television, music and theatre. Facilities include Wickham Theatre, a 24-hour rehearsal space, sound and design studios, carpentry and costume workshops, 214-seat cinema, 39-seat screening room, digital filmmaking equipment, production studios, animation and edit suites and sound rooms.
The University of Bath does not have specific creative industries courses as it focuses on engineering, humanities, management, science, and social science. However, its degree courses include management with marketing featuring a work placement.
Bath Spa offers courses in subjects including film, design, media communications, art and drama. Facilities include a theatre and TV studios.
The university also has the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries (CCCI) which “aims to magnify research, engagement and discourse surrounding the theoretical, practical and commercial frameworks that embody the arts, media, or creative industries”.
UCW offers higher apprenticeships, full-time degrees and higher technical qualifications (HTQs) in partnership with UWE Bristol and Bath Spa University.
Courses cover subjects including art, film, game, graphic design, digital technologies, performance, production arts and music.
Bristol Creative Industries jobs board
Members of Bristol Creative Industries sometimes post apprenticeship opportunities on the BCI jobs board. See the latest vacancies here.
National College Creative Industries
The National College Creative Industries (NCCI) offers specialist technical production and business support apprenticeships via Access Creative College. You can find the latest details on the NCCI website.
Channel 4, which has a Bristol office, offers apprenticeships. Find out more.
The BBC offers various TV production apprenticeship schemes, some of which are based in Bristol. See the latest opportunities here.
ITV Academy provides traineeships and entry-level pathways into one of the world’s largest commercial production companies. See the latest opportunities here.
Babbasa offers many training and employment opportunities for young people. See the latest opportunities here.
Government apprenticeships website
Creative and design and digital apprenticeships are regularly listed on the government’s apprenticeships website. Search here.
Circencester College offers apprenticeships in creative areas covering digital and IT, media broadcast and production, sales and marketing, and creative and digital.
The college provides intermediate, advanced, higher and degree apprenticeships.
Bristol Creative Industries member Professional Apprenticeships is a government-funded apprenticeship training provider specialising in marketing, IT, business and management. The latest apprenticeships are here.
UCAS has a guide to creative and design apprenticeships here including a directory of relevant employers.
Discover Creative Careers has a guide to apprenticeship routes into the creative industries here.
This list is not exhaustive. Email Dan with suggestions of other educational institutions and companies we can add.
A key focus at Bristol Creative Industries is boosting workforce diversity in creative businesses and helping to grow the talent pipeline for our members. Find out more about our intiatives here.
In summer 2021 we ran an event discussing funding for creative businesses with the south west team at Innovate UK EDGE and a group of Bristol Creative Industries members.
During the discussion, attendees said it would be useful if we could provide regular updates on the finance schemes that are available for creative companies in the south west and beyond. This guide is our response.
The guide is one of Bristol Creative Industries’ most popular ever blog posts. We keep it updated with the latest funding schemes for creative businesses so check it regularly. We also include the post in our monthy email newsletter, BCI Bulletin. To sign up, go here.
Funding news:
The government has announced that the West of England is one of its priority areas for the creative industries and the West of England Combined Mayoral Authority will receive a share of £150m in funding to “design interventions that work for the creative businesses and freelancers in their region”.
The British Business Bank, the government-owned business development bank, has launched the £200m South West Investment Fund (SWIF) “to help address market failures by increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for UK smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment”.
Aimed at businesses in Bristol, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire, the fund provides:
SWIF is managed by four fund managers:
The region is split as follows:
North of the region:
South of the region:
The funding is split as follows:
Businesses can apply for funding directly to the relevant fund managers here.
Grants of £2,500 to £10,000 are available to help small businesses, sole traders, charities, community interest companies (CICs), community organisations and creative and cultural groups open new premises.
The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on Friday 14 November 2025. If all available funding is allocated before the deadline, the scheme may close early.
Successful applicants must start trading from the funded property by Friday 30 January 2026.
UK registered organisations can apply for the Pioneers Prize to develop Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) solutions tackling sector challenges.
Compete for a share of a £1 million prize pot and receive expert mentorship from the Catapult Network.
The expression of interest phase of the competition assesses eligibility for the fund. It closes at 11am on 19 November.
This £35m Creative UK and Triodos Bank investment fund provides loans of £100,000 to £1m.
Finance is directed to post-revenue creative businesses presenting promising growth potential and who:
This scheme from West of England Combined Authority is designed to help small and medium businesses and organisations purchase and install new products and equipment that reduce carbon emissions, cut utility costs and improve energy efficiency.
Grants of up to £15,000 are available on a first come, first served basis. A total of £2m is available. The scheme will officially close for applications on 24 October 2025, but it might close earlier if all funds are awarded.
BFI Doc Society Funds support and nurture independent non-fiction films and immersive projects by UK filmmakers: prioritising expansive, director-led storytelling.
Applications close on 5 December.
The Black Artists Grant, offered by Creative Debuts, is £500 no-strings attached financial support to help Black artists.
Early Career Promoter Fund
This fund recognises the vital role independent music promoters play in supporting the talent pipeline across England, and offers grant funding and capacity building support, with the aim of bolstering the local, regional and national ecosystems.
Grants of up to £3,500 are available. Deadlines are as follows:
With support from South Gloucestershire Council and funding from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, small and medium sized digital technology businesses can apply for a share of £70,000 in grants.
The fund is an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects.
Funding of between £1,000 and £100,000 is available.
This fund from Arts Council England supports individual cultural and creative practitioners in England thinking of taking their practice to the next stage through things such as: research, time to create new work, travel, training, developing ideas, networking or mentoring.
Grants of between £2,000 and £12,000 are available.
Applications are currently closed but future rounds will be announced later this year.
The £5m Supporting Grassroots Music fund supports rehearsal and recording studios, promoters, festivals, and venues for live and electronic music performance.
Travelwest provides match-funded grants for initiatives that improve sustainable travel provision in a business.
The aim is to provide financial support and incentives to employers to enable them to encourage sustainable modes of commuting or in-work travel (including site visits and meetings) amongst their staff.
The grants can be used for the implementation of physical measures, promotional events or any other measure that will encourage mode change amongst staff.
Grants are currently availables for businesses in Bristol and North Somerset.
Innovate UK’s £100m BridgeAI programme aims “to help businesses in high growth potential sectors such as creative industries, agriculture, construction, and transport to harness the power of AI and unlock their full potential”.
The programme offers funding and support to help innovators assess and implement trusted AI solutions, connect with AI experts, and elevate their AI leadership skills.
This fund supports organisations who work at the intersection of art and social change. It offers grants between £90,000 and £300,000 over three years.
Applications are currently closed but details of the next round will be announced soon.
This new £23m social impact investment fund is for socially driven arts, culture and heritage organisations registered and operating in the UK. It offers loans between £150,000 and £1m repayable until May 2030.
The Elephant Trust says its mission is to “make it possible for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when frustrated by lack of funds. It is committed to helping artists and art institutions/galleries that depart from the routine and signal new, distinct and imaginative sets of possibilities.”
Grants of up to £5,000 are available. Applications are currently closed but expected to reopen soon.
Grants of up to £100,000 are available for arts, libraries and museums projects.
The grants support a broad range of creative and cultural projects that benefit people living in England. Projects can range from directly creating and delivering creative and cultural activity to projects which have a longer term positive impact, such as organisational development, research and development, and sector support and development.
This fund aims to grow exports and global demand for UK independent film by supporting the UK film industry to achieve measurable results which would not have been achievable without the support.
Applications close on at 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
This scheme supports the festival launch of UK films in order to enhance their promotion, reach and value internationally.
Applications close on at 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
This scheme supports UK sales agents to increase their international promotion and sales of UK feature film projects.
Applications close on at 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
A Start Up Loan is a government-backed unsecured personal loan for individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK. Successful applicants also receive 12 months of free mentoring and exclusive business offers.
All owners or partners in a business can individually apply for up to £25,000 each, with a maximum of £100,000 per business.
The loans have a fixed interest rate of 6% p.a. and a one to five year repayment term. Entrepreneurs starting a business or running one that has been trading for up to three years can apply. Businesses trading for between three and five years can apply for a second loan.
If you’re running a creative social enterprise you may be able to access funding from UnLtd.
Finance of up to £5,000 is available for starting a social enterprise and up to £15,000 for growing a social enterprise.
Successful applicants also get up to 12 tailored business support plus access to access to expert mentors and workshops.
Businesses can apply for up to £3,500 to cover the costs of installing gigabit broadband.
Check if the scheme is available in your area here.
Grants to provide support towards the costs of the purchase, installation and infrastructure of electric vehicle chargepoints at eligible places of work.
The scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (including VAT), capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.
The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
This grant supports the uptake of electric vans and trucks. It currently offers discounts up to £2,500 for small vans, £5,000 for large vans, £16,000 for small trucks, and £25,000 for large trucks.
On 18 August 2025 the government announced the plug-in van and truck grant has been extended until 2027.
If you know of another scheme that we haven’t listed and you’d like to share it with other creative businesses, email Dan to let us know.
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