Published on 07 November 2019
A ground-breaking online platform, designed to connect creative practitioners to career opportunities in the creative industries is being launched in Sunderland.
The new platform is partnering with both the University of Sunderland and Sunderland Culture to showcase creative professionals and students in the city. The University is the first of scores of higher education institutions across the country lining up to incorporate CreateBritain into its curriculum. The new platform is also working closely with professional trade bodies, the BBC and the Department for International Trade.
As part of their courses, students studying creative subjects at the University of Sunderland will produce free profiles on CreateBritain to help them showcase their talents and encourage early engagement with employers.
Meanwhile, Sunderland Culture - the unique company developed in a partnership between the University, City Council and a privately owned trust - will encourage regional professionals, artists, businesses and groups to get on-board with CreateBritain, to help demonstrate regional creative capability.
Sunderland Culture operates, develops and programmes the city’s cultural assets - including the university‐owned National Glass Centre and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art - for the benefit of residents and visitors. The partnership will work behind the scenes with CreateBritain, to develop Sunderland as its first regional community page.
CreateBritain will be attending the University’s Employment and Placement Fair in Sunderland on 8th November to officially launch the initiative.
Graeme Thompson, University of Sunderland’s Pro Vice-Chancellor and Sunderland Culture Chair, said:
“I am proud that Sunderland is the first university in the country to take part in this exciting new venture, which we believe will be an invaluable opportunity for our students, opening up a world of opportunity in their future careers.
“Our University has invested millions in reviving venues, enabling community participation and a dynamic programme of exhibitions, performances and events in cultural and community spaces. Through all of these activities there is a strong link back to student experience, curriculum and employability, CreateBritain will support our work and help us connect our talented students and graduates to creative opportunities.”
Create Britain founder, Jeremy Aird, commented: “Most creatives are multi-disciplinary, and no one was joining it all together. We want to offer something that works at every level, from grassroots and those starting out to industry professionals and national treasures
"There is so much hidden talent out there, everyone has a contribution to make and we want to give them a voice.
"Our ethos is more punk than corporate – Who says you can’t do what you love, be what you want to be …Champion the underdog, encourage individuality and amplify opportunities. Often creativity, starts with something amazing that’s happening at the edges.”
Co-founder, Richard Woods, added: "Around 95 per cent of people in the £100billion creative industry work in micro businesses, and a third of those are self-employed. They will all have their niche -- if you can find it.
"Most creatives don't want to be mainstream. They want to follow their passions, to be individual and to distinguish themselves - but they still need to be found."
More about CreateBritain
CreateBritain is a new search and promotional platform for the creative industries. Free to register and search, it is designed for independent creatives and businesses who struggle to be found on Google and feel they don't fit in on Linked-in.
It is a highly visual platform, allowing embedded images, video and sound. It can link to all a user's social media and provide a real-time profile that is an alternative to CVs and websites.
Creative Industries: UK’s largest employer, with £101.5bn economic contribution
According to government calculations, the Creative Industries are among the UK’s biggest success stories. It is the sector with the largest number of employees (2million) and has grown at nearly twice the rate of the UK’s economy since 2010 to a value of £101.5 billion, an increase in value of over 7% since 2016.