The 17 creative skills projects we're supporting in 2024-26

Our Creative Skills Fund is available for projects and programmes aiming to develop skills and talent within the music, digital and screen sectors in Wales.

Linked to our Creative Skills Action Plan, the fund supports the skills priorities of our creative industries, both companies and individuals, which will continue to drive growth across our sectors.

Read on to discover the projects we’re funding between now and 2026. While some are just getting started, others are building momentum on projects launched last year.

For updates, head to their websites or social channels, and for information on the first round of projects, read this article.

First it’s Screen Alliance Wales, who will be recruiting trainees from underrepresented groups to learn the ins and outs of putting together a documentary.

Learning from expert documentary makers, the Vocal Histories trainees will research, produce, direct and edit a documentary film, working with the local community to select stories about their multi-ethnic heritage.

The project also provides an opportunity for students from the University of South Wales and Cardiff and Vale college to shadow the trainees in the production of their films, which will be shown on the big screen at the end of the project.

Based in Colwyn Bay, TAPE is all about inclusion, and it is very much at the heart of this project. TAPE will create fully accessible, bilingual, easy-read documents, short films and audio guides all about practical working in the screen sector.

As part of this project, TAPE will also create inclusively-made short films which will be screened ahead of feature films in Vue and Odeon cinemas around the UK.

This project, led by Hijinx, will train Creative Enablers who will support disabled, learning disabled and autistic artists in their employment within the screen sector. 

Hijinx will also hold information sessions and training for production companies to highlight the benefits of having a Creative Enabler on a production. Hijinx will work closely with Taking Flight, an accessible and inclusive theatre company based in Cardiff, who provide expertise on working with deaf, blind and physically disabled artists.

Ffilm Cymru Wales is running a programme to develop above-the-line film talent (writers, directors and producers) from global majority communities. 

Participants will benefit from a week-long residential lab for writers, producers and directors, where they will be supported to develop a script, teaser and/or pitch materials. They will also be provided with bespoke career support and mentoring, with access to high level UK and international film consultants and speakers.

The Stepping Stones project is led by Gorilla Academy and designed to deliver courses which are focused on the post-production industry in Wales.

Many of these courses will be delivered through the Welsh language, where there is a recognised shortage of training in post-production. Gorilla will provide work placements, mentoring, industry experience and deliver multiple training sessions.

After a successful skills project last year, NYAW will now lead Professional Pathways - a programme that will help young people aged 16-22 from all across Wales to explore a range of creative careers. They will learn how to access viable creative careers in areas such as sound design and film and TV, whilst hearing from inspirational industry role models.

This USW led project offers technical skills development with a focus on sound, lighting and sustainability. This training will be provided through various workshops aimed at musicians, performers, and venue and freelance technicians who are looking to sharpen their skills.  All workshops will be accessible to all in partnership with youth organisations, schools and colleges.

Anthem Gateway is a website for aspiring young musicians and young creatives who are looking for a pathway into the music industry in Wales. Creative Skills Funding will be used to upscale the platform, invest in a young Gateway team, produce regular content, promote current opportunities and offer more meaningful engagement to grow the project’s audience, reputation and reach.  

This project led my WMC is aimed at 11–18 year olds with an interest in - but limited access to - immersive technologies. It will provide training, mentoring, and showcase opportunities to young people and emerging artists in creative immersive XR technologies.

Working with individuals from across Wales, WMC will help them to create their own prototype immersive experiences.  There will be a particular focus on underrepresented groups with the aim of improving diverse and inclusive recruitment into the industry longer term.

The project will offer a range of courses from one day introductory courses to longer 12-week courses which will introduce participants to different kinds of immersive technologies.

Esports Wales will use Creative Skills Funding to expand their Esports Academy programmes to cover the whole of Wales. Training, networking and business support will be offered to young people aspiring to work in the digital or creative sectors linked to games and Esports.

From taster sessions to networking and careers events, participants will also get the opportunity to work on the Welsh Esports League which will provide a real-life experience on a live broadcast.

4Pi Productions is leading Unlocking XR -  a programme to support career development in the immersive field. It will bridge the divide between academia and industry, with participants learning the creative, technical and production aspects of XR technologies with access to the industry-leading software and equipment.

Skills will be taught in 2D and 3D modelling, Generative Content Creation, Virtual Production and Motion Tracking, Immersive & Interactive Technology and Projection Mapping which aims to help participants further their careers in live events, music, gaming, film, VFX, TV and virtual production.

Paid placements will be provided for four participants to work at the CULTVR Lab equipped with the latest XR Technologies, cutting-edge hardware and software.

Animation studio Cloth Cat will establish an animation and games academy which will provide training for animation and games industry professionals in Wales, and will also become the first Toon Boom (industry-leading animation and storyboarding software) authorised training centre in the UK. 

Bursaries will be provided to Wales-based freelancers, and a summer school will support local Welsh filmmaking talent to develop short films for festival screenings around the world.

Media Academy Cymru will develop two new entry level courses in animation (BTEC Level 2 and 3) with a focus on targeting underrepresented young people in Wales. Having previously accessed our skills funding to lead a games project, they have a proven track record of working with young people excluded from mainstream education.

Led by Unquiet Media, this project aims to provide creative companies in Wales with flexible, high-end, professionally accredited (CPD) training in Neurodiversity, to enable and empower more inclusive, psychologically safe, and more productive workplaces and practices.

The pitch for perfection programme run by Academii will provide bespoke training for creative companies to learn how to effectively pitch their ideas and USPs to potential funders, investors and clients. A combination of face-to-face teaching and XR technology will be used to deliver pitching training, whilst encouraging peer to peer learning and networking.

Creative Sparc intends to build on the outreach and skills academy project delivered through last year’s skills funding. They will support schools and creative companies based in North Wales by integrating Film, TV, Sound, AI and Games into the curriculum, providing skills academy graduates with placements in North Wales and helping companies to upskill their workforce and lower their carbon emissions.

Keep up to date on funding opportunities on our funding and support pages, or follow us on our social channels.