SUPPORTING, SHOWCASING AND RETAINING BLACK AND MINORITISED ARTS AND CULTURE CREATIVE TALENT

Following the launch of Culture West, a £3 million collaboration to reimagine and transform access to the arts and culture in the region, we are delighted to be launching the CultureBiz Connect programme!

This programme aims to understand and respond to the needs of artists and cultural producers in the West of England through a three-pronged approach of understanding the needs and barriers present in the sector, crafting development programmes for creative businesses, and distributing a small grants programme to support growth and ambition in the sector.

At the heart of this collaboration is the effort to address the unique challenges that prevent underrepresented artists and cultural producers from thriving in the sector, particularly when it comes to making sustainable futures and gaining wider recognition for creative output. As a consortium, we have a unique understanding and collaborative skill set to build different futures for Black and Minoritised artists in the sector. There are many ways to take part in the programme, find out more below!

CultureBiz Connect Incubator programme

The CultureBiz Connect Incubator Programme is a 6-week funded initiative that  offers tools, structure, guidance, and insights to support artists and cultural producers with the essentials of their freelance or business practice including legal knowledge, building a brand and networks, and making the most of grants and access to funding.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAMME FOR?

Black & Minoritised artists, dancers, writers, performers, and other cultural producers from across the West of England who are looking to access support with their freelance or business practice. Whether you are just starting on your artist journey or running an established practice: you are welcome to join!

WHAT WILL I GET FROM THIS PROGRAMME?

• Access to new skills and learning sessions

• Networking opportunities with local institutions and colleagues from the sector

• 1-1 support and mentoring to support you in implementing your learning

• An opportunity to showcase your work to new audiences

We understand that taking time to work on your skills and putting learning into practice takes resources. This programme is therefore funded to support your participation and travel across the region to network and connect with new opportunities.

Each artist taking part will therefore get a grant of £2,500 to cover participation costs and an additional £2,500 to produce a new piece that will be showcased in September as part of our showcasing events. 

WHEN DOES THE PROGRAMME RUN?

The core programme sessions will run over 6 weeks between April and May 2025:

• 8th April: Mindset and developing new relationships for your practice 

• 15th April: Finding and growing your audience 

• 22nd April: The business of art practice

• 29th April: The money talk: building sustainability

• 6th May: Know your rights: Legal basics and Intellectual property 

• 13th May: Reflecting on growth and celebrating your success

There will also be a chance to join networking sessions across the West of England region during this time.

Between June and September 2025, you will have the time to work on your commissioned piece of work for a showcase event in September 2025 where we can get together to celebrate your growth and showcase your work to new networks!

In order to be eligible for the programme, you will need to be able to commit to attend a minimum of 5 sessions out of the 6 sessions of the programme.

HOW DO I APPLY? 

Please fill in the below Expression of interest form with as much detail as possible. We have 15 spaces on the programme so make sure to make your application as soon as possible!

If you’re struggling to fill in the form, please contact our team on enterprise.manager@bswn.org.uk and we will be happy to take a call to support you in applying.

We will be selecting applications through a shortlisting process that will take into consideration all applicants’ challenges and barriers to growth, access needs and geographical location to ensure we have a cohort that is representative of the region.