£1m skills and business support for cultural and creative industries

A new plan to capitalise on the potential of the region’s cultural and creative industries to help grow the economy has been launched by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Over the next two years the WMCA will invest in the arts, heritage and culture to support the ambition and capacity of the sectors, recognising their significant economic and social value to the region.

As part of this latest investment, the WMCA will use £1million of funds to offer a package of sector specific skills and business support that early and mid-career freelancers, small cultural organisations and creative businesses say they need to help them develop and prosper.

The launch of WMCA's Activate programme at St Mary's Guild Hall in Coventry included a panel discussion featuring Nyasha Daley and Amy Dalton-Hardy, who are members of the West Midlands Cultural Leadership Board, and fellow freelancers Jamie Wright and Navkiran Mann.

Applications are now open to join the Activate programme, which will provide up to 100 individuals and small organisations with tailored workshops, mentoring, masterclasses, networking opportunities, and wellbeing support.

The programme will also include internships to get the next generation of talent into work within the cultural and creative sectors, helping to support  the Mayor’s new flagship plan to tackle high levels of youth unemployment,

Additionally, the Future Boards Accelerator will support future leaders to develop the skills and confidence they need to take up positions on governing boards.

Later this year, small grants will be made available to pay for even more targeted learning and personal development opportunities.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, said: “The West Midlands’ cultural and creative sector is one of the biggest in the country – and the people at its heart make a remarkable social and economic contribution to our region.

“They must be able to look to the public sector for our support and they have already told us that one of the biggest barriers to success is the lack of sector specific support to sustain and grow their businesses.

“That’s why we’re stepping in to launch this new Activate programme to unlock the potential of talented and creative entrepreneurs by helping them to gain new skills, make new connections, and access much needed grants.

“Tackling youth unemployment is key to my mission as West Midlands Mayor so I’m delighted we’re supporting young people taking those important first or early steps in their careers and also offering internships to support the next generation of talent coming through.”

Skinder Hundal, chair of the West Midlands Cultural Leadership Board, said: “Our sector is resilient, evolving and focused on a future in which our exceptional talent, with the right support, will continue to thrive in a region which is home to the world’s most exciting innovators and storytellers.

“This continued support from the WMCA will help to ensure the arts and the creative industries flourish in the region, and I’m looking forward to seeing our artists and creatives develop sustainably and collaboratively.”

The Activate programme is the latest in a series of investments in the West Midlands’ creative and cultural sector by the WMCA aimed at unlocking further growth.

The sector already has an economic footprint estimated to be £1.1billion and provides jobs for nearly 100,000 people while attracting tens of thousands more visitors to our region from across the UK and beyond.

In addition to the economic value, arts, culture and heritage deliver a number of other benefits linked to health and wellbeing, skills development, volunteering, pride of place, inward investment, and community cohesion.

Support for the sector is also being strengthened thanks to the region’s ground-breaking devolution deal, agreed between the WMCA and UK Government last year. This has paved the way for new direct partnerships with Arts Council England, Historic England, Sport England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Lottery Community Fund and Visit Britain to ensure more people have opportunities to take part in arts and heritage activities.

The deadline for applications to the join the WMCA’s Activate programme is noon on 12 August. Find out how to apply at https://www.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/culture-and-digital/culture/activate