Movin’ on Up: Creative Business Growth Course

Movin’ On Up is a free, four-part course for those working in the creative industries in Yorkshire and the Humber to develop new inclusive business growth. Supporting access to knowledge, thinking and skills is essential for diverse talent to ensure more diverse content is being created to pluralise the voices being heard.

In this course, you will:

• Discover how to consider diversity and representation of all in your storytelling
• Learn practical ways to scale up and make your creative projects commercially viable: from infrastructure and supply chains, skills, diversity as a driver for creative growth, sector knowledge and industry insight
• Develop a business proposition and confidently plan for scale up using knowledge you have gained
• Build peer networks within the creative industries
• Understand how to develop your value proposition
• Learn how to communicate your vision and values

When does the programme run? 

Sessions will take place once a month between March and June 2023 at the University of York.

• Wednesday 22 March, 9.30am – 5pm
• Wednesday 19 April, 9.30am – 5pm
• Wednesday 17 May, 9.30am – 5pm
• Wednesday 28 June, 9.30am – 5pm

Who can apply?

SIGN’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion underpins everything we do and we aim to increase opportunities for people presently excluded from the creative industries in general and specifically across Yorkshire and the Humber. This includes disabled people, those from ethnically underrepresented backgrounds, those who identify as LGBTQ+, people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, women and those entering the sector over the age of 35.

To apply you must:

• Currently be working in the creative industries, ideally at decision making level (employed, freelance or part time)
• Be a UK resident, or be eligible to work in the UK, have a personal UK bank account and a UK postal address
• Have a connection to Yorkshire and the Humber (for example, you could live in the region, work here, or have been educated at a Yorkshire and Humber based institution)

We are particularly keen to hear from applicants who are currently underrepresented in the creative industries.

Places are limited to eight participants. Please only apply if you can commit to attending all four sessions.

Meet the trainers 

Lara Ratnaraja is a freelance cultural consultant specialising in diversity, innovation, leadership, collaboration and cultural policy implementation within the HE, cultural and digital sector.

Shirley Benson is a freelance events producer, content curator and consultant, with a passion for digital storytelling, mental health awareness and developing the next generation of content creators. She brings with her a wealth of experience developed over a 25-year career at the BBC covering Entertainment, Children’s, BBC Learning and The Academy.

Application Info

For more information please download our Guidance Document.

In order to apply for the course, please complete an application form (this should take approximately 30 minutes to complete).

Application deadline: Monday 13 March, 5pm
Application outcomes: Wednesday 15 March, 5pm
Programme starts: Wednesday 22 March

Booking info

Cost: FREE