Applications for MyWorld’s Creative Organisation Change Lab are open until Monday 14th October 2024. The scheme provides a grant of up to £4000 to people working in the creative sector, with a desire to change the way they work.

 

As the creative industries continue to evolve, the need for a more inclusive, democratic and low-carbon future is at the forefront of many conversations. MyWorld’s Fair Creative Economies (FaCE) research project is exploring how we organise work in the creative industries.

We’ve been with working creatives across Bristol and Bath to find out what creative freelancers, businesses, collectives and groups need to change, what’s standing in their way, and what kind of scheme might help them move forward with their ambitions. We know that many creatives want to change the way they work. They want to move away from models motivated by profit and towards structures and processes that put people and planet first. The problem is, it’s hard to know where to start.

The Creative Organisation Change Lab is a pilot scheme, designed to offer creatives money, time and space to learn about different approaches to creative work and business, and explore how they can make the creative sector a fairer place to work.

The Lab is structured around a three-month scheme of collective learning, workshops, networking, and peer-support, coupled with a grant of up to £4k. You’ll hear from experts in alternative business practices, social action, and creative work. You’ll have a chance to meet others on a similar journey of change, and have time and space to explore your own questions. The process is designed to equip you with the frameworks and questions to ask yourself as you continue your creative work beyond the workshops.

 

 Participants will benefit from:

  • Up to £4000 provided by UWE Bristol to take part in the scheme and to resource your time and the exploration of your question
  • 3 workshops with all participants, experts, the FaCE team and others
  • Opportunities to network, meet experts and connect with others pursuing similar goals
  • A friendly, open, and adaptive approach
  • Additional funding to support any accessibility and childcare needs you may have to assist participation in the programme

 

What we’re looking for

We’re inviting applications from people working in the creative sector and based in the West of England. You could be a sole trader, freelancer, part of a collective, co-operative or partnership, an employee, or an employer in an SME or microbusiness, working in the creative sector.

You’ll have a demonstrable desire to change the way you work, learn about alternative approaches to business, and have burning questions about your own work that you need support to explore. These might be questions about how to structure your business in a way that benefits employees, as well as owners. They might be questions about workplace policies that are fair and inclusive, about how to put social impact at the heart of your work, or about becoming more sustainable in the face of a climate crisis.

 

Visit our Creative Organisation Change Lab page to find out more, see application details, or book a slot to discuss your application.