We’re always busy behind the scenes. Our Blogs tell the stories of our latest projects and inspirations.
The Artery, York rivers trail, partnership working placing art and communities at the heart of the York rivers trail In summer 2025 Innovate Educate Ltd, The Artery, won the competitive tender to deliver the engagement strand, of York rivers trail; the community engagement strand of a Defra-funded Flood and Coast Resilience Innovation project. The five-year
Roughly this time last year we heard that Skipton BID and The Artery’s application to York and North Yorkshire’s Combined Authority, Mayoral Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets Fund had been successful. To be eligible for funding, projects had to be ready to be delivered within a short time period. Our project had already been a
Delighted to see Buzzing Skipton’s brand-new trail, inviting families to immerse themselves in nature in Skipton town centre. The upcoming Buzzing Skipton Trail will feature different stops at key points around the town centre, offering the chance for those taking part to observe local wildlife and appreciate nature – all with an educational purpose. To
Innovate Educate is delighted to announce that we are working with Ousewem to create a new Rivers Trail for York. We are currently in the early stages, talking to stakeholders and communities. We would like to invite you to take part in the soft launch of the York Rivers Trail as part of the York Environment
Bringing North Yorkshire’s Cultural Strategy to Life Through Creativity Communicating a strategy can be difficult. As part of the Steering Group for North Yorkshire Council’s new Cultural Strategy, I saw the effort that went into shaping the vision and strategy. There were lots of challenges. The Culture Team was determined to make sure that they
In our day to day lives, we can easily overlook the small moments that have the power to change our perspectives, spark joy, or provide comfort. Yet, when those moments occur in a hospital setting, during times of stress, uncertainty, or life-changing news, their impact is profound. Over the last few years The Artery has worked
Ousewem Unveils Second Video in Partnership with The Artery Ousewem, an innovative flood resilience project supporting vulnerable North Yorkshire communities, is proud to release the second video in its compelling series exploring the transformative role of natural flood management (NFM) in building resilient communities. Created in collaboration with The Artery, a champion for creativity and
Louise Saw, City of York’s excellent Business Growth Manager, and Katie Wytwyckyj from Enterprise Works at University of York put on an event this week (November 2024). The event was designed to connect creative businesses to the tools and knowledge they need to thrive. They asked me to share The Artery’s story of accessing Innovate
Meet Lauren Smith, an artist whose journey with The Artery has transformed not just her creative process, but her entire approach to running a business. Lauren stumbled upon The Artery through an email subscription during lockdown, when the world seemed to slow down. Struggling with the daunting prospect of starting her own business without any
“The action learning has been revolutionary.” For multidisciplinary artist Virpi Kettu, joining The Artery’s program felt like a turning point. She had been deeply engaged with Skipton’s local creative industries through initiatives like Craven Arts. So when she learned about The Artery’s new program via email during lockdown, she knew she had to get involved.
‘It’s often said you need business acumen along with creative talent, but you rarely get that kind of guided instruction.’ For visual artist Juliet, the opportunity to join The Artery Peer Support programme arrived at the perfect moment. She first learned about it from Great Place Lakes and Dales, a National Lottery Heritage Funded project,
‘The Artery helped me gain more confidence in my business.’ Introducing Billy White, a creative storyteller and creative, whose journey with The Artery has been transformative. Billy’s introduction to The Artery came through fellow artists’ word-of-mouth during a commission project with Great Place Lakes and Dales National Lottery Heritage Funded project. Intrigued by the prospect
“At JBA, we use science to explain things, design assets, calculate risks, and manage our surroundings. We rely on rational arguments and seek to move our clients and engage communities by pointing to truths. This is why we have worked with The Artery to capture the human story of climate resilience through the exhibition “A
Three years ago, The Artery, was an idea: a place where creativity and creatives could thrive. The idea was simple, it was to bring the creative, business and culture sectors together, to learn from and with each other as equals. The business model proved more complicated. I was convinced if we could make it happen there
Stories of Change The Artery is our passion project, developing from an idea to a reality. We are offering: The Peer2Peer support network is creating a community built on trust, support and ambition for business growth. We invite groups to bring an object to the first and last sessions. The aim is to help them
We are thrilled that Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, sees the potential in The Artery that we see. We have been successful in our application for Innovate UK Creative Catalyst funding. This support will allow us to develop the next phase of The Artery, creating a sustainable community-focused business. The Artery is a simple
We were delighted to be invited to present at the Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN) conference, the Future is Northern on 22nd March 2023. The conference explored the concept of The Future being Northern, but we wanted to make sure that the voices of young creatives from rural backgrounds were included in the debate too.
I can’t quite remember how I came across The Artery. I think I was searching for support in the local area and saw the sessions running in Craven in Jan 2023. Having the zoom session with Karen was really helpful before joining in with any events and made me very confident in the Artery and
We are grateful to Screen Industries Growth Network funding which allowed us to offer The Artery Peer Support Programme to work with young creatives who often get overlooked. This may be because they are living and working in rural areas, or they may be first in their family to go on to higher education. We
The Screen Industries Growth Network provided the funding for The Artery to offer two peer support business programmes for creatives starting out on their careers in the screen industries. The funding allowed us to trial two models, one using AR and Animation to support business skills development and the other using Screen Storytelling. The programme in
I love my work. As a freelance Heritage Learning Consultant I get to go behind the scenes at all sorts of museums, castles and heritage venues. I have worked from the portcullis at Edinburgh Castle, I’ve witnessed the transformation of Stonehenge from solstice to slick tourist operation and I’ve worked alongside truly inspiring learning teams
The British Film Institute’s report on employment opportunities in the Screen Industries, ‘What’s stopping young people from pursuing careers in the screen industries?’ makes for interesting reading. Released in December 2021, it documents the growth of the UK Screen Industries (Film, TV, VFX, Animation & Gaming). It shows thriving, in-demand sectors with large numbers of
We ran our first The Artery in person event! We promoted the event as The Artery Business Spa Day, a chance to refresh how we feel about our businesses.
The Peer2Peer support network is creating a community built on trust, support and ambition for business growth. Here are three stories that illustrate its impact.
York City Council is supporting local businesses in an inspired way. Businesses can apply for a voucher to use with other local businesses. So we are using it to help get the word out about our latest innovation, The Artery.
In October 2021, the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub funded Innovate Educate Ltd (IELTD) to launch and run its first ‘The Artery Peer Support Programme’. Having identified a gap in the support landscape, the scheme specifically focused on a network of creatives and micro businesses working in and around the Craven District. “We had
I was lucky to go Brooksbank School in Elland, a West Yorkshire town now described as an area of multiple deprivation. Happily, growing up there, my friends and I were unaware of this. We lived in a strong community with our extended families. And at school, we had some great teachers, the wonderful Tim Enright,
The Artery is an idea that’s been growing for some time at Innovate Educate. It is a simple idea, supporting the creative, business and cultural sectors to increase their skills; learning from each other and with each other, as equals. The Artery supports: Businesses to embed creativity as a business discipline and connect with the creative
Every time we visit Windermere Jetty, there’s something new to love. Lakeland Arts are a cultural partner for Great Place Lakes and Dales (GPLD). I first visited just after the museum opened and asked Ian Read, Head of Engagement and Content, if he would be part of our online careers resource for young creatives, Create
At the end of the summer term, I received an email. The email was a ‘thank you’, addressed to all the organisations that had helped to enhance the curriculum for pupils at Asquith and Berry Hill Primary Schools in Nottinghamshire. It was a lovely email to receive: ‘We wanted to try to let you know how much
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