5 Positive Action scheme Opportunities

Are financial barriers preventing you from progressing your career in the creative industries?

Do you need support to make a purchase which will contribute to your career development?

If the answer to either question is ‘yes’ then apply for our Career Development Bursary, which aims to remove some of the cost barriers to entering or progressing your career in the creative economy.

For the second year, we are thrilled to be offering the Creative Access Career Development Bursary, a fund aimed at talent from under-represented communities who have aspirations to work in or develop their career in the creative economy.

The bursary - which McLaren Racing have generously contributed towards - will support people with financial grants as a means to overcome some of the cost barriers to entering or progressing within the industry.

How does the programme work?

We have a small number of bursaries available, and you can apply for a bursary of any amount up to £1000 to help you get to the next stage of your career.

Bursaries are open to individuals over the age of 18 from communities that are under-represented in the creative industries. In 2021-2022 we were able to support 25 people with bursaries ranging from £250-£1000. Funded items included driving lessons, working from home equipment, software subscriptions (Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office), laptops, camera equipment, art equipment, training courses, relocation costs, film festival submission costs and mentoring.

What we’ll fund

Training courses (including driving lessons), equipment or software purchase (at an appropriate specification for your career stage), equipment or venue hire, relocation costs (e.g. deposit or rent support), contribution to living costs whilst working or training (e.g. travel and accommodation) disability access support, care costs, bespoke coaching or mentoring.

Please note that we cannot fund the following: academic courses, debts, costs that should be paid for by an employer, expenses for activities that have already occurred.

The maximum amount you can apply for is £1000 and you must provide evidence about your costs (e.g. if you’re applying for equipment you must specify the exact make and model required and be able to justify why it’s appropriate for your needs).

We can only consider one application per person. If you’re applying for several related costs you should make one bursary application and itemise the different elements, including the grand total.

What do you need to apply?

• An aspiration to work in or to develop your career in the creative economy (this encompasses any role in the creative industries, or creative roles in other sectors e.g. design, marketing, branding)
• A clear idea of what you would spend the bursary on and the ability to demonstrate how it would contribute to your career development
• Evidence of your expected cost(s) e.g. website link(s), itemised breakdown of costs

Plus you’ll need to...

• Be over the age of 18 and eligible to work in the UK (we’re happy to accept applications from those still in education or training)
• Identify as being from an under-represented group in the creative industries. This includes, but is not limited to, Black, Asian and ethnically diverse and lower socio-economic backgrounds and of D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people, as well as those with mental health problems
• Be able to demonstrate financial need (please do not apply if you are not in need of financial relief/support, or have savings of over £5000)
• Be able to use the bursary funding by 31 August 2023

To apply

Log into your Creative Access account or register today to apply for this opportunity

• Click the ‘apply’ button to complete our online application form, which will ask you to provide the following information:
• Confirmation of your eligibility for the bursary
• The total bursary amount you would like to apply for, and evidence of costs
• A personal statement explaining what your bursary application is for, how it will be used, why it is not available by other means and how the funded item(s) will help develop your career in the creative economy. Please ensure you cover the following:
  • A brief overview of your career to date and aspirations for the future
  • What you would use the bursary for and how the funded item(s) would support you in your career development
  • Why you need financial support at this particular point in time
  • What your next steps would be if you secured our financial support, and when you would plan to spend the bursary by
• Once submitted, you can no longer amend your application so please review carefully.

If you require any access support while completing the application form, or would prefer to submit your application in an alternative format (e.g. video or audio recording), please email yasmin@creativeaccess.org.uk to discuss further.

Assessment criteria

A clear and focused personal statement with a strong rationale for why you need bursary support is key to a successful application, so please ensure that your statement addresses all the requested points.

We will also take into consideration the following when assessing applications:

• The evidence you’ve provided about what the bursary would be used to fund, and itemisation of expected costs including grand total.
• Suitability of the item(s) you’ve applied for, relevant to your career stage
• Long term sustainability of the item(s) you’ve applied for

What happens after I’ve applied?

We’ll aim to notify you of the outcome of your application within six weeks of the application deadline on Monday 7th November at 5pm.

You will receive a confirmation email once you submit your application – if you haven’t received this then please get in touch at yasmin@creativeaccess.org.uk who can check for you. Please also email if something has changed in your plans after having submitted your application.

If your application is successful you’ll receive a bursary offer from us. When you’ve met all the conditions outlined in your offer and provided any additional information requested, we will pay 80% of the agreed bursary amount into your bank account. The remainder of the funding will be reserved until you’ve completed the activity or purchase supported by the bursary funding and submitted relevant documentation to prove the spend (e.g. receipts of purchase, bank statements).

Questions?

For any queries or for further information, please email Yasmin Hemmings, Programmes Manager at yasmin@creativeaccess.org.uk.