Last year Sunderland Culture launched a second round of its Unlock programme, which began in 2018 to grow Sunderland’s creative industries.
Independent creative practitioners, businesses and organisations based in Sunderland were invited to apply for a grant of up to £2,500 to help improve the performance of their creative businesses. Now the last of 41 grants, totalling more than £63,000, has been awarded.
The programme has been delivered by Sunderland Culture on behalf of University of Sunderland’s Innovate and Grow project, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
To be eligible, applicants must be 18 or over; have a home or business address registered in Sunderland; be registered with HMRC and have been trading for at least 12 months; have a bank account in the same name they are applying in; demonstrate a professional track record and be able to evidence how the grant will benefit the business.
Laura Brewis, who has managed the Unlock programme for Sunderland Culture, explained: “We’re delighted with the success of the programme, it has made a real difference to dozens of creative organisations and individuals across Sunderland.
“Support given has included providing recipients with mentoring support, new or upgraded tech equipment, helping with access to new markets, website development, piloting a new product and supporting attendance at workshops or conferences.
“We’ve distributed grants of between £220 and £2,500 and there’s no doubt they have helped organisations and individuals. I also think the Unlock programme has made Sunderland’s cultural sector as a whole more sustainable and resilient.”
Among the recipients was much-loved, best-selling Sunderland author Glenda Young. Her Unlock grant paid for two mentors – a marketing professional and a business specialist.
Glenda said: “Work I’ve carried out during the mentoring sessions is paying dividends, bringing wider networking opportunities now and for the future.
“I now have skills and tools to help me with my own PR and publicity and to work more proactively as a business, rather than as a writer locked away at home.”
Another recipient was Dead Good, an arts-based death education social enterprise based in Sunderland, and is run by sisters Katy and Lindsey Vigurs. Their Unlock grant paid for the development of a paid membership website. It also enabled Dead Good to create engaging, educational content through a weekly mortality e-zine, and a bi-monthly podcast, further loosening their reliance on social media for marketing, sales, and engagement.
Recipient Helen Schell, an award-winning, pioneering artist based in Sunderland, specialises in space exploration and Moon/Mars missions. Helen creates large paintings, costumes and experimental books, inventing geometric optical illusions to manipulate colour, form and light.
Helen’s Unlock grant enabled her to attend a NASA space conference in Houston, Texas, where she presented an academic poster to space agencies and businesses. She said: “The immediate benefits inform art and education projects with universities and space institutions to initiate a UK/USA Space Bridge for future cultural and space science activities.”
Sunderland Ballet CIC was another recipient, and the grant allowed the company’s founder, Emily Wallace to attend an international summer school for ballet teachers. Emily’s intention was to learn what would be required to get more teachers qualified so the company could expand its work.
Laura added: “The breadth and variety of applicants and recipients was amazing and we look forward to seeing these companies and individuals flourish in Sunderland.”
Nick Malyan, Chief Executive at Sunderland Culture, added: “Creative businesses, cultural organisations and self-employed practitioners working in the city need support to sustain and grow their work, and our new round of Unlock grants shows the city’s commitment to see them thrive.”