Member Article

New creative businesses bag thousands in grants

Six new Teesside businesses have been helped on their way with funding aimed at encouraging creative businesses. The Middlesbrough-based DigitalCity programme helped the companies to get their cash injections.

The grants, worth thousands of pounds, have been awarded by Arts Council England, North East through the Cultural Business Venture scheme. The North East branch is the only Arts Council office in the country to award such grants which aim to establish new creative businesses, create jobs and encourage business development across the region.

The successful companies receiving grants were Attention Design, a graphic design and print company; Babel Digital, a serious games company developing educational tools; Construct Photographic, a photography studio specialising in fashion; Is-Design, a graphic design and print company; Light Lab Visualisation, 3-Dimensional designers; and Julie Wright Photography.

The majority of the businesses have taken part in DigitalCity’s mentoring programme and will use the funding to help with start-up costs, such as capital equipment, marketing and promotion and office fit-outs or improvements.

Scott Watson, enterprise co-ordinator for DigitalCity, said: “New businesses often struggle when it comes to investing in equipment and marketing themselves but the Cultural Business Venture grant enables these companies to do both. All of the successful businesses are investing in much-needed equipment which will help them compete on an even keel with more established competitors. The fact that this funding hasn’t been made available anywhere else in the country reflects the commitment from local agencies to support the growing creative industries in the region.”

Jonathan Martin, creative industries development officer for Arts Council England, North East said: “The Cultural Business Venture scheme has had a long, high quality history engaging with equally high quality support from DigitalCity. It has been a pleasure to assist so many successful creative businesses across the region. I wish all applicants the greatest success in the future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .