The Creative Catalyst: Export Programme
We will soon be announcing our delivery partner to support international trade for businesses in the creative industries.
The Creative Catalyst
Our commitment to the creative industries is demonstrated by The Creative Catalyst programme, a £1.5m scheme designed to support the growth of the creative sector across West Yorkshire.
register your interestThe Creative Catalyst is an initiative developed by West Yorkshire Combined Authority to help drive growth and establish an ecosystem for creative businesses.
The programme funded the Leeds City Region Indie TV and Film Development Fund, which was delivered in partnership with Screen Yorkshire. This supported independent TV and film production companies to help develop new content through the COVID-19 crisis.
Our partnership with Indielab to deliver The Creative Catalyst Accelerator.
This scheme represents West Yorkshire Combined Authority's desire to help the region’s content producers attract higher volumes of higher value work and will provide invaluable support to the screen production industry and boost growth across West Yorkshire.
Working with 26 TV production and gaming businesses.
The 15 production companies are:
Art of Truth, Beyond Productions, British Muslim TV, Button Down, Candour Productions, Clockwork Films, Curley Vision, Fettle Animation, Hellfire, New Northern, Northern Imposters, Rollem Productions, Screenhouse, The City Talking, and True North.
Between them, they have already delivered numerous popular TV shows, including drama series such as The Syndicate for BBC One and factual shows such as More4’s The Yorkshire Dales and The Lakes and a recent BBC Panorama special: Stacey Dooley and the Lockdown Babies.
The 11 gaming studios are:
Archway Interactive, BetaJester, Cooperative Innovations, Lovewish, HALCYON Palace, Isokron, Kettu Studios, Kwizzbit, Thunkd, Weaseltron Entertainment and Vital Culture.
Who have worked on a range of titles including Raiders of Erda, Robo Basho, The Magnificent Trufflepigs and 90 Minute Fever.
Creative Catalyst stories
Creative Director of Wise Owl Films
Mark Robinson
"There are not many companies pitching documentaries and series that reflect life, in a non-stereotypical way, in the North of England. We want to challenge national perceptions of the region."
MD, Creative Producer and Executive of CanCan Productions
Rebecca Papworth
"We are proud of our location in the North and represent an indigenous company invested in success in the regions, that’s a USP we bring to all our conversations with broadcasters and commissioners."
Indie TV and Film Development Fund
Our key outcomes:
- 22 projects supported across 13 businesses located in West Yorkshire
- The creation of significant opportunities for freelancers working in the region’s TV and film industry
- Allowing the region’s indie production companies to continue producing content to pitch for commissions
The Indie TV and Film Development Fund was launched in May to support businesses in our region and the wider industry during a difficult time.
Recipients of the fund include Rollem Productions in Leeds and Meridian Line Films based in York.
Kay Mellor OBE, Managing Director of Rollem Productions
“The funding has been a huge help in boosting and maintaining our content development during these difficult times.
In particular, we’ve been able to support upcoming writers to ensure their work can continue and they don’t miss out on any career opportunities.”
Nacressa Swan, Executive Producer at Meridian Line Films
“Over the last five years, Meridian Line Films have built a strong track record in producing high quality documentary series for broadcasters across the world. But as a diverse, northern indie, we’re also passionate about telling stories and creating formats, from our region and beyond, that reflect modern Britain.
This support has helped us to progress those projects with UK broadcasters.”
Further aspects of The Creative Catalyst will be launched in the upcoming months.
Other production and broadcast news
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Read more about The LEP launches Indielab West Yorks: The Creative Catalyst AcceleratorThe LEP launches Indielab West Yorks: The Creative Catalyst Accelerator
A programme to drive growth and resilience in the creative industries.
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Our region is a breeding ground for creativity, says Roger Marsh OBE DL Chair, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and NP11, in his latest column for the Yorkshire Post
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Read more about Sinead Rocks, Managing Director, Nations & Regions for Channel 4Sinead Rocks, Managing Director, Nations & Regions for Channel 4
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Read more about #Grow#Grow
If you’re a digital business based in Leeds City Region, then you could qualify for grant funding of £10,000 to £50,000 through the LEP’s City Region Digital Investment Fund.