Building York’s Creative Industries Network

In 2016, I opened the Plastic Fortune network to a wider audience, renaming it to York Creatives and repositioning it from a small creative collective to an open community for York’s creative industries.

Between 2016 and stepping down in 2025, I led the team to:

• Host 200+ events, including talks, workshops, socials, exhibitions, and performances.

• Build an online community forum with 500+ active members

• Publish a monthly newsletter rounding up the best local events, opportunities, and funding (3000 subs)

• Develop a vast number of projects and partnerships across the city, including York University, York St John University, Aesthetica Magazine, Screen Industries Growth Network, Explore York, City of York Council, Y&NY Combined Authority, Make It York, West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, SPARK:YORK, Patch, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and The Guild of Media Arts.

Under my leadership, the team grew from three initial volunteers to fifteen, with sector specialists recruited from different creative disciplines, supported by volunteers who focused on events, communications and our student offering.

In 2025, funding was secured to develop our offering further into North Yorkshire, and to run a series of education programs for those looking to develop careers in the creative sector.