West Yorkshire

About the region

Research by Data City has found that West Yorkshire is second only to London in terms of how fast its creative industries are growing.

Countless TV hits have come out of the region, including Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack, and Marvel has filmed there. What’s more, West Yorkshire has a thriving music scene and became the home of EMI North last year.

Despite all these accolades, the region falls well behind the national average in terms of the amount of investment that it secures, according to Data City’s research. This is something the team are excited to tackle with the programme.

Paddy Buggy, Lead Programme Performance Officer for Creative Industries, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, says. “West Yorkshire creative businesses have had to do a lot without a huge amount of investment, but still represent themselves nationally and internationally. With a little bit more support, we could secure so many more opportunities.”

The research also looked into where the highgrowth businesses were and what sectors would be best served by the programme. It revealed that the region’s specialist sectors were film and TV, convergent screen technologies, fashion and textiles, gaming, and music – and these are the main areas of focus for the team.

The West Yorkshire programme comprises 40 companies. The first cohort includes businesses at a more advanced stage who are ready for investment. Meanwhile, the second cohort is a “lighter touch” for businesses at an earlier stage. Creative UK has found that dividing the cohorts is most beneficial for participants, based on previous programmes.

Half the applications received are from businesses owned by women and 20% are owned by people who identify as having a disability. We’ve got a really strong mix of ethnicity and diversity among the cohorts as well.

Paddy Buggy, Lead Programme Performance Officer for Creative Industries, West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Objectives and delivery

The team are setting an ambitious objective of at least 25% of businesses securing investment during the programme, a target they’ll be working hard to hit.

Equality and diversity are a really strong part of their agenda and the team are proud to have “smashed” their diversity objectives for both cohorts.

Paddy says, “Half the applications received are from businesses owned by women and 20% are owned by people who identify as having a disability. We’ve got a really strong mix of ethnicity and diversity among the cohorts as well.”

Both cohorts will receive in-person workshops and one-to-one mentoring. They also get diagnostic sessions to help with things like crafting their proposition, drawing up a business plan, and getting ready to scale once they secure investment. Networking events and peer networking are important aspects of the programme.

Creative UK’s pool of mentors is a crucial part of the delivery. With a highly established network of mentors in many creative sectors, both cohorts will be able to seek advice from people further along in their journey.”

Impact and response

The response to the Create Growth Programme has been exceptionally positive and the quality of applications has really shone through. With such potential in both cohorts, the team are excited to deliver a package of support that creates a lasting legacy.

They hope the programme will help to address the historic lack of investment in the region and create even more opportunities for West Yorkshire’s blossoming creative industries going forward.

Paddy says, “The Creative Industries in West Yorkshire is such a strength of our economy, but hasn’t had the same opportunities that other sectors have, despite the difficulties we’ve faced over the last couple of years.

“Had West Yorkshire businesses attracted the same number of deals as the UK generally over the last 10 years, that would have been another £261 million invested in our economy, which is a huge sum.”

The team are hoping that the Create Growth Programme will go some way towards addressing this shortfall.