Wandsworth Council and Creative United are joining forces once again to offer local creative businesses free, tailored one-to-one support to help them thrive.
Re:Create Wandsworth is Wandsworth Council’s bespoke business support programme for creative businesses, delivered in partnership with Creative United. This project has received £37,500 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The third Re:Create programme was launched at The Bedford in Balham on 27 June
Wandsworth has been announced London Borough of Culture for 2025 and Re:Create is part of this ongoing work to grow the local artistic and creative business sector and foster the next generation of artists and makers.
Re:Create Wandsworth offers 50 creatives and cultural businesses four hours of free, tailored one-to-one business mentoring from business coaches in the creative industries plus training videos, downloadable resources and networking events. Re:Create Wandsworth is designed for those creative business owners based in the London Borough of Wandsworth who have been established and trading for at least 12 months.
It also offers all Wandsworth-based creative and cultural businesses, artists and makers a free business skills e-learning course, four modules covering Marketing and E-Commerce, Funding, Business Resilience, and Team Building. All these are available to access now and are free until September 2025.
“We are thrilled to be supporting the diverse and imaginative creative people and businesses in the borough of Wandsworth, as part of our ongoing partnership with Wandsworth Council,” says Creative United. “As a social enterprise, Creative United is dedicated to enabling artists, makers and cultural entrepreneurs to build sustainable livelihoods in their communities. Our Re:Create programme has shown how one-to-one business mentoring and access to networking can do just that. We look forward to meeting the next cohort of Re:Create participants to help them boost their confidence, skills and plans for the future.”
Wandsworth-based creative business owners and artists were invited to the launch event of the third Re:Create programme at The Bedford in Balham on 27 June. Creatives who went through 2023’s programme were there to talk about how they have benefited and developed. Last year’s programme saw significant impact on local businesses, with 93% of participants reporting increased confidence in how to grow and sustain their business, and 74% reporting an improved understanding of how to increase income in their business. As well as these five full time jobs were safeguarded, and three full time jobs were made as part of the business’s involvement in the programme.
Wilbur Moore, from Wandsworth-based video producer Floating Focus Facilities Ltd was part of our Re:Create 2023 cohort. “The conversations with my mentor were pivotal in providing me with clear guidelines and a strategic plan. Additionally, she boosted my confidence and encouraged me to engage in self-reflection, which helped me identify and focus on my unique skills and strengths.”
The next Re:Create Wandsworth programme starts in September and applications are open until 5pm on 30 August 2024.
