The Artery Creative Catalyst

We are thrilled to announce that Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, sees the potential in The Artery that we see. Our application to Innovate UK Creative Catalyst fund has been successful.

Innovate Educate Ltd’s The Artery supports the business, creative and cultural sectors to work alongside each other, to learn from and with each other as equals. The idea is simple, the business model is more complicated.

In the last year we’ve supported several groups of amazing young creatives to work on, and develop, their creative businesses with fantastic results.

The Innovate UK Creative Catalyst funding will allow us to create a model for big businesses.

Our research shows that businesses only work with creatives in a limited way. We want to explore the hidden creative potential of big businesses by:

• Positioning creativity as a business discipline
• Working with young creatives to unlock the potential of cross sector working.

The award will fund proof of concept work through a programme of creative commissions, supported by Peer2Peer support programmes.

Karen Merrifield, GPLD Business Relations animateur, set up Innovate Educate Ltd 23 years ago to support businesses, visitor attractions and heritage venues to engage more creatively with, particularly young, audiences.

The Artery is Karen’s vision and passion project. She sees where the creative, culture and business sectors can complement each other. In the last year Karen delivered the first The Artery Peer Support Programme for York and North Yorkshire LEP and secured funding from Screen Industries Growth Network to establish two peer support networks for young creatives running freelance businesses in rural and coastal North Yorkshire. Now she wants to prove the concept can be financially sustainable by engaging larger businesses in the programme.

If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch: info@theartery.org.uk