Tracy Brabin launches new masterclasses for creative freelancers in West Yorkshire

New masterclasses for creative freelancers and microbusinesses to “unleash their full potential” have been announced by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin today (27 September).

The “WYCreate” platform will offer a bespoke programme of skills masterclasses and business support sessions, all tailored for those working in the creative industries.

Delivered by leading creative industries consultancy The Fifth Sector, the masterclasses will help creatives gain the skills they need to succeed. Freelancers will be supported to progress in their careers and diversify their revenue streams, while microbusinesses will be supported to upskill their employees and scale-up their operations.

WYCreate will also provide grant funding to existing freelancer networks in each of the region’s five local authority areas. The funding will be targeted to help creatives from disadvantaged communities take part, develop pipelines of local creative talent, and support creative businesses as they start-up and scale.

The programme cements Mayor Tracy Brabin’s commitment to support creative freelancers, who were disproportionately excluded from national Government support schemes during the COVID pandemic. The scheme is funded through the Mayor’s £2.3 million “You Can Make It Here” initiative, designed to drive the growth of the creative industries across the region.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“There’s so much creative talent just waiting to be unleashed in West Yorkshire, as well as hundreds of small creative businesses that just need that extra boost to grow and succeed.

“That’s why we’re investing in this new support for freelancers to unleash their full potential, as we harness our creative industries to build vibrant communities, drive economic growth, and enrich our lives even further.

“We’re equipping our creatives and microbusinesses with the skills, training and opportunities they need to survive and thrive in a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.”

Iain Bennett, Director of The Fifth Sector, said:

“This is a really exciting opportunity for us to deliver a programme which responds directly to what creative freelances and microbusinesses have told us are the skills that they need.

“We’ve worked closely with creative sector networks and partners across West Yorkshire to design a mix of online and in-person training, delivered in venues across West Yorkshire, which is both innovative and accessible.

“We have also designed in additional financial support to ensure that creatives from a wide range of backgrounds are better able to benefit from the training on offer.”

WYCreate is the latest You Can Make It Here programme to be rolled out in recent months, following the launch of a new Music Network for the region, and investment for cultural venues to become more accessible for disabled artists and audiences.

Further initiatives in the pipeline include opportunities for young people to boost their skills and progress into creative roles through the Mayor’s Screen Diversity Scheme, and the return of the West Yorkshire Young Poets Laureate competition, following last year’s success.

Mayor Tracy Brabin, who enjoyed a thirty-year career as an actor and writer before entering politics, has pledged to offer the same opportunities she had to young people across West Yorkshire, by building a “region of learning and creativity”.

She will also collaborate with other Northern Mayors on a new partnership called One Creative North, with plans for a £50 million investment bank to support high-growth creative businesses.

And she is expected to put the creative industries centre stage of West Yorkshire’s “Local Growth Plan”, after 50,000 creative, cultural and sport roles were advertised in the region from 2022 to 2023 – a 17% rise on the previous year, and three times more than the national increase of 6%.