Activate supported creative freelancers and small organisations by providing business development opportunities, access to funding, and connections to create resilient, thriving practitioners in the West Midlands ecosystem of creativity.
The ACTIVATE launch and information session took place at St Mary's Guildhall in Coventry which included guest speakers, Q&A's and a panellist, welcoming a number of attendees to learn more about the programme and network. You can view the Activate launch video below, created by Run Home Productions.
View the images from the launch taken by Kate Hollingsworth photography.
Please credit Kate Hollingsworth Photography or/and tag @katehollingsworthphotography for social media content.
West Midlands Combined Authority delivered ACTIVATE, a programme of support for the cultural and creative sector, a development initiative that formed part of the Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund.
Activate provided access and increased opportunities for professional development and enhancement, with the aim to build a more equitable and collaborative sector that fully reflects and represents communities within the West Midlands.
ACTIVATE Legacy Video
Showcasing the impact of the Activate programme, created by Studio 77
ACTIVATE Programme
Activate was a programme to grow the cultural and creative ecosystem of the West Midlands to empower freelancers and small organisations to help advance their career through a series of tailored workshops, mentoring, masterclasses, networking opportunities, and wellbeing support. Interventions under the Activate programme focused on regional level skills development and bespoke business support which included:
- Internship Programme to open access to culture and the creative industries, supporting the next generation of talent to enter the sector.
- Future Boards Accelerator Programme to support people from the global majority to develop skills and confidence to take on board memberships within the cultural sector as well as train organisations to better support board members.
In addition, Activate Grants were provided to creatives to unlock learning and development opportunities.
Read more on our work with Solihull College of how a Venue Technician Bootcamp has helped to fill skills gaps in creative industries.