Curzon PR has been signed to support Creative United with a strategic media relations campaign to support the launch of Creative Industry Finance, their business support and access to finance programme for the creative industries.

Backed by Arts Council England, Creative United provides a range of finance based products and services designed to enable the growth and development of the UK’s cultural and creative industries. Creative Industry Finance is one of their flagship programmes, which supports their mission to build a sustainable and resilient creative economy.

“Creative Industry Finance is an exciting initiative and we look forward to working with Creative United as they launch this innovative programme across England,” said Curzon PR’s Managing Director, Farzana Baduel. “This project offers a crucial, sustainable lifeline for the UK’s creative sectors, which are a vital contributor to the national economy.”

The initiative launches across England on 23 September 2014 and will offer up to twelve hours of free sector-specific business support for creative enterprises, as well as the opportunity to access loans starting from £2,500. Applications will be available online to creative and cultural organisations that have been trading for at least eighteen months and are looking for loan finance to support their growth and development.

“We eagerly anticipate the rollout of Creative Industry Finance across England, following our hugely successful pilot scheme,” said Mary-Alice Stack, Chief Executive of Creative United. “It is a pleasure to have Curzon PR on board and we look forward to working together in broadening the reach of the programme and supporting the UK’s creative economy.”

Creative Industry Finance’s two year pilot programme facilitated a total business growth of £1,000,000 to supported businesses in just its first year. It offered free business development support and access to loans of between £5,000 and £25,000 to micro, small and medium size creative industry enterprises in London, Yorkshire and the Humber. Fifty seven businesses received direct loans and more than thirty accessed additional finance elsewhere. Loans were delivered in partnership with the East London Small Business Centre and Key Fund in Yorkshire, which support the development and growth of creative businesses in their regions.

Creative Industry Finance is just one of a number of programmes operated by Creative United, designed to boost the growth and development of the UK’s cultural and creative industries through the use of innovative finance solutions.

For interview requests, high-resolution images and further information please contact:

Miriam Nasralla | t: +44 (0)20 7399 2438 | e: stephen@curzonpr.com | w: curzonpr.com
Notes for Editors:

About Creative Industry Finance:

Creative Industry Finance (“CIF”) is an Arts Council England funded initiative offering business development support and access to finance for creative industry enterprises. The programme is operated by Creative United, a Community Interest Company established to provide support to cultural and creative businesses. Sectors that are supported by the initiative include; architecture, crafts, games, fashion, festivals and events, design, digital media, web, film, TV, radio, music, performing arts, publishing, literature, visual arts and photography.

CIF’s pilot programme ran for two years and provided free business development support and loans to micro, small and medium size creative industry enterprises in London, Yorkshire and the Humber. Fifty seven businesses received direct loans and more than thirty accessed additional finance elsewhere. In total the value of business growth to businesses supported in the first year of the programme was £1,000,000. Loans were delivered in partnership with the East London Small Business Centre and Key Fund in Yorkshire, which support the development and growth of creative businesses in their regions.

Following the success of the pilot, with the support of Arts Council England CIF will launch across England on 23 September 2014 with applications available online. A commission of 1% of all approved loans will be reinvested into Creative United to fund further programmes supporting the creative industries in the UK.

For more information, please visit www.creativeindustryfinance.org.uk

About Creative United:

Creative United has been established with support from Arts Council England to provide a range of financial products and services designed to enable the growth and development of the UK’s cultural and creative industries. Their mission is to build a sustainable and resilient creative economy, making the arts accessible to all. In doing so, they help the creative sector to understand how best to take advantage of the finance opportunities open to them, and enable their finance partners to build their experience and interest in working with creative and cultural enterprises.

They provide creative businesses and cultural organisations with access to a range of commercial tools, finance options, business skills and marketing channels designed to drive up sales revenues and allow them to maximise their commercial potential.

As a Community Interest Company, Creative United’s focus is on delivering a combination of strong social and financial returns.

Creative United’s publicly funded programmes include:

• Own Art – interest free loans for the purchase of contemporary art and craft
• Take it away – interest free loans for the purchase of musical instruments
• Creative Industry Finance – business support and access to finance for creative enterprises

For more information, please visit www.creativeunited.org.uk

About Arts Council England
Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2011 and 2015, we will invest £1.4 billion of public money from government and an estimated £1 billion from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.

For more information, please visit www.artscouncil.org.uk