Looking back at Climb24

Only two years into being, Climb is the UK’s festival of innovation, industry and investment, and has had changemakers from the likes of Microsoft, DAZN Group and Soundcloud grace its stages.

The festival aims to create an ‘environment where founders, industry leaders, innovators, and investors converge to shape the future of technology and propel the UK’s global impact’. At Creative UK, the work we deliver is entrenched in the spheres of innovation, industry and investment for the Cultural and Creative Industries, so attending Climb24 and being a leading creative partner was an indispensable opportunity we could not miss.

For two days Leeds Dock was an energetic hive for knowledge exchange, immersive experience, inspiring stories and newfound bonds between investors and creators. The Creative UK expo booth was crammed with talent and innovation from across the country, where creative businesses accepted onto our Create Growth Programmes showcased their work to demonstrate the breadth of what the Creative Industries have to offer the financial world. Representing the regions of Cornwall, Devon, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the North East, plus members of the Create Growth Programme under Create South East, we had Orbital FX, GENERA Labs, MIXD Reality, Soul Assembly, Rhodes Music Group, The Monkey Puzzle Tree, Teija Fashion, Fuud London, Bo Carter Ethical Fashion, Xig Xag, Nautoguide, Harding Education, Layers Studio, and Luma-ID. Our booth was also visited by the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, who took the time to talk to our exhibitors and understand their origins and creations.

Taking over the Elevate Stage, Creative UK CEO, Caroline Norbury OBE, sat on the panel for Climbing the Investor Ladder – Growing a Successful Business in the Games and Creative Industries. All over the world, the UK is recognised as a creative powerhouse, and Caroline spoke about the value of the Creative Industries to the UK economy and the key role of its sub-sectors in driving growth, including fashion, craft, museums, heritage, visual arts, advertising, CreaTech, film and TV, live performance, and the UK’s hugely successful games industry. She also discussed Creative UK’s direct impact on the creative economy, and the many routes in which we contribute to its expansion; through initiatives such as the regional Create Growth Programmes which support ambitious creative founders; through our advocacy work on economic and social policy, connecting with politicians and decision-makers at every level; and our expertise as the UK’s leading Creative Industries investor with an established reputation of investing public and private funds – as both loans and equity – coupled with our commitment to connecting investors with creative businesses.

We also hosted a roundtable discussion, chaired by Creative UK’s Associate Regional Directors, Carol Bell and Nick Grimshaw, which focused on regional investment opportunities in the Creative Industries and how vital these are to the wider economic landscape.

Our activity culminated in a networking hour at the Creative UK expo booth, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority who we are delivering our West Yorkshire Create Growth Programme with. Attendees and visitors enjoyed food and drink while they struck up conversations with fellow innovators, digested insights from the day, and engaged with the array of quality products showcased by founders.

When asked about why events like Climb are necessary, our Investment Community Manager, Dan Chilcott said: “There was a real energy to the connections made at Climb. It was great to see the invaluable insight and expertise of Angels and VC funds alongside the ambition and talent of founders at different stages of growth. There were rich conversations exploring business models across the Creative Industries, and importantly how to drive impact across the UK.”

Creative UK’s Event Manager for Climb, Charlie Gray, added: “This festival has provided a much-needed opportunity for the financial world to connect and expose what they’re doing [to the Creative Industries], and create those conversations with the sector. Creative UK’s part in all of this has been to broker these relationships and platform opportunities for people to come together who wouldn’t usually have done so; it’s quite a niche gap that we’re filling.”