New £30,000 grants available to support creative industry careers in Exeter
Amazon has launched the Regional Creatives Fund, offering grants of up to £30,000 to UK charities that develop creative industry career pathways. The Regional Creatives Fund is open to organisations in Exeter and across the UK that help underserved communities access careers in publishing, music, gaming, film, TV, fashion, advertising, and more. Applications are open now here.
The aim of the Regional Creatives Fund, which aligns with the Government’s recently announced Creative Places Growth Fund[1], is to increase access to careers in the creative industries for people from underserved communities. The fund is open for applications from single charitable organisations and consortiums based in the same region that are currently running impactful skills projects and are seeking additional funding to scale, sustain, or innovate their efforts. Applications for up to £30,000 can be made by individual organisations that meet eligibility criteria, while consortium applications for up to £100,000 are also available. Regional Creatives Fund grants will give charities with existing creative upskilling programmes the flexibility to address their most pressing needs.
Applications are open for small to mid-size organisations who are registered charities in the UK[2]. Applicants must currently be running a programme that focuses on upskilling people from underserved communities for careers in creative industries.
Increasing access to creative industries
Creative Access, the UK’s leading inclusivity organisation in the creative industries, defines underserved communities as a population proven to be under-represented[3] in the sector. A study from The Sutton Trust, the UK’s leading social mobility charity, shows that many people, particularly those who identify as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, neurodivergent individuals, and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, continue to face significant barriers to entering and progressing in the UK’s creative industries.
Research[4] released by The Sutton Trust found that younger adults from working-class backgrounds are four times less likely to work in the creative industries compared to their middle-class peers. [5]Data from Arts Council England shows only 9% of the creative workforce identifies as disabled, compared to 22% of the general working-age population.
Unique, pro bono Amazon support
In addition to financial support, the Regional Creatives Fund will also use Amazon’s network of creative industry professionals to offer charities pro bono upskilling programmes for their organisations as well as their beneficiaries - including mentoring, work experience, placement opportunities, and digital training. Support will be provided by creative minds from Amazon Music, Prime Video, Amazon Games, and more.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate that the fund will be used to expand or continue an existing, impactful programme. Examples of programmes that a Regional Creatives Fund grant can be used for include funding for placements in game development studios, music production training, and portfolio development for future advertising creatives.
Grants will be awarded by an independent judging panel. The panel includes senior leaders from Amazon, The National Theatre, Arts Council England, the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Help Musicians, and Music Minds Matter.
Funding applications will be assessed across five key areas. Strong proposals will reflect the fund’s spirit with energy, optimism, and a clear creative purpose; deliver real impact through skills, access, and industry links; show a smart, achievable plan with confident delivery; centre inclusion by amplifying underrepresented voices; and build on existing programmes to grow what’s already working. More information on the judging criteria is available here.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "I want every young person to have the opportunity to build a successful career within the creative industries, which is one of this country's greatest assets. Whether it's in film, TV, gaming, fashion or music, we have so much homegrown talent and I am delighted that the Regional Creatives Fund will help shine a spotlight on that right across the country helping people contribute to our national story. Alongside our Creative Industries Sector Plan this new fund will help to support growth in these fast-growing sectors by preparing the next generation of creatives to tell our national story on the world stage."
Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee and RCF Board Member added: "The creative industries are one of the UK's greatest success stories, but for too long access to careers in this sector have been limited by social and economic barriers. Amazon's Regional Creatives Fund is exactly the kind of initiative we need - offering substantial grants and practical support to help level the playing field. By supporting local charities with both funding and industry expertise, this programme will help unlock creative talent across our communities and ensure the UK's creative sectors truly reflect the diversity of our society."
“Creativity is our superpower, and the future of our country depends on talent being nurtured everywhere,” said Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire and RCF Board Member. “This game-changing initiative will help creatives to break down barriers and unleash their potential, no matter their background or circumstances.”
“Amazon has been a passionate supporter of creative industries in the UK for many years and the Regional Creatives Fund will supercharge that support in Exeter and across the country,” added Paul Firth, Director, Global Music Industry, Amazon Music. “The aim of the Regional Creatives Fund is to help charities amplify the reach of existing programmes that support pathways to careers in the creative industries. We understand talent is everywhere, but access isn’t, and we’re working to change that. Through the Regional Creatives Fund, we want to help create a future where creativity belongs to everyone.”
Amazon has invested over £4.2 billion in the UK’s creative industries since 2010, with over 2,000 people permanently working across our Film and TV, music and audio, books and publishing, fashion, and gaming businesses, and supporting 16,000 additional jobs.
Amazon’s creative industries footprint extends across the entire UK: from acquiring the historic Bray Film Studios in Berkshire last year, which will house the production of the next season of Citadel; to the long-term contract with Shepperton Studios for exclusive use of new state-of-the-art production facilities at the Surrey studios where The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is currently filming; Guy Ritchie’s Young Sherlock in Wales; Harlan Coben’s Lazarus in Manchester; productions at First Stage Studios and Leigh Studios in Edinburgh; and multiple productions on location in and around London such as the live action movie Masters of the Universe.
The Amazon Literary Partnership has been awarding grants to inspiring non-profit literary organisations, writing centres and community engagement programmes groups since it was first launched in the UK six years ago. While each has a different focus, all have a shared goal of uplifting and offering opportunities to aspiring writers at any stage of their creative journey, and empowering those from underrepresented communities to experience and contribute to the magic of storytelling through the written word.
Amazon Music is committed to expanding access to UK music talent through a series of targeted initiatives. Partnerships with organizations including the BRIT Trust, Amplify, and the Association for Independent Music support new creative professionals entering the industry. The Step-Up Fund, a collaboration with the Featured Artists Coalition, will launch its fourth year in 2025. This fund provides financial support to emerging independent artists by offering development grants. Since its inception, Step-Up has distributed £250,000 to more than 30 UK musicians, including both bands and solo artists across multiple genres. These grants enable artists to fund new recordings, touring costs, marketing campaigns, PR activities, video production, and content creation.
As part of its global strategy to shape a more inclusive audio-storytelling industry, Audible is partnering with multiple institutions in the UK to support creative development programmes, from funding scholarships and classes at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA), to sponsoring the Barbican Young Poets Program and Women's Prize for Fiction Discoveries Programme.
To find out more about the Regional Creatives Fund, visit https://www.aboutamazon.co.uk/news/community/amazon-regional-creatives-fund
