IndieLab set for West Yorks expansion

Indie accelerator programme IndieLab is expanding into the West Yorks under a partnership with Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Indielab West Yorks: The Creative Catalyst Accelerator will offer participants help to grow their businesses via a range of masterclasses, seminars and workshops covering topics including the global market, evolving business models, creative leadership and investment readiness.

Two cohorts of local businesses, split by TV and gaming companies, will be selected to take part in the 12-month programme later this year.

It forms part of LEP’s £1.5m Creative Catalyst support for the creative sector under west Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin’s push to ensure creative industries are part of the region’s post-pandemic recovery strategy.

Last year the LEP delivered the Indie TV and Film Development Fund, in partnership with Screen Yorkshire, which enabled content development to continue during lockdown and helped to support 942 days of work across a broad range of job roles.

Brabin said: “This scheme gives us the power to give businesses a much-needed boost, which will not only help our economic recovery but will create more jobs, drive the retention of talent in the region, and provide young people from all backgrounds with new career opportunities.”

Indielab programme director Victoria Powell added that the partnership “will help West Yorkshire businesses in the industry focus on business growth and productivity, allowing them to promote ambitious creative ideas and enhance their understanding of investment, distribution and changing market dynamics in the sector.”

She added the ambition is for it to directly result in employment and turnover increases, commissions and distribution deals.