Here you can find exciting current opportunities in the creative industries. Follow the links below or scroll down to see everything.
advice & support | Business Support | Commissions | Community | Gigs & events | Grants & Funding | JObs & Skills
Please note: Our site contains links to and from other websites. Studio12 and Leeds City Council do not necessarily endorse or support the organisations that are linked to or from our website. We cannot guarantee that links will work all the time, and we have no control over the content or availability of the linked pages on other websites. We aim to keep this page as up to date as possible, however please check details yourself before applying for opportunities. If you are a Studio12 member and want help or advice in applying for opportunities, please email studio12@leeds.gov.uk.
Advice and Support
Bradford Producing Hub Advice Sessions: Monthly in-person and online drop-in advice sessions open to artists and professionals working in the music industry
Free Online Advice Sessions by Launchpad: Launchpad offers one-to-one Online Advice Sessions to emerging artists and music industry professionals across Yorkshire. These sessions are useful if you’re looking for advice on:
-Releasing your first single
-Taking the next step in your career
-Creating and implementing a release plan & more
-Opportunities, and funding that may be available to you
Visit Launchpad’s website to book a free online advice session.
Free support from Leeds Employment Hub: They can help you to find a job, apprenticeship, a training or learning opportunity. Advisors can offer:
● Individual support tailored to your needs
● Careers advice and guidance
● Opportunities to learn new skills
● Tips on CV writing and completing application forms, plus CV checking
● Interview practice
● Access to local job and apprenticeship opportunities
Business Support
Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Leeds: Thinking about setting up a business or developing an existing one? From the first spark of inspiration to successful launching and growing your ideas, we have a wealth of information. We’ll support you to learn new skills, access exclusive resources to research your market, protect your products and services, and get specialist one-to-one guidance and support. The BIPC team are based in Leeds Central Library.
King’s Trust Enterprise Programme: Age 18-30? Got a business in mind, or want to explore an idea? From training and mentoring support to funding and resources, we’re here to help you become the best entrepreneur you can be! The free programme begins with an information session, followed by a workshop covering planning and marketing, sales, budgeting and tax. Then it’s time to start building your business. We’ll help you to plan and test your ideas, give you the opportunity to apply for funding, in addition to further support.
UnLtd support for Social Entrepreneurs: You have an idea, or you are already creating a positive social impact with your venture and are looking to develop. We combine funding and support specifically tailored to you. We’ll help get you started or to grow.
West Yorkshire Business Support Service: provide a single point of access to a wide range of local and national support and funding. From start-ups to established businesses, we make it easy for small and medium-sized business owners to access the help needed to boost productivity, profitability and resilience.
West Yorkshire Innovative Entrepreneurs: If you are solution focused, comfortable with taking risks and motivated to design, develop and pitch your idea until it becomes a reality then we want to hear from you.
Commissions/ Competitions/ Exhibitions
Curatorspace Opportunities : find out about paid opportunities, open call exhibitions, and artist funding.
ArtsHub Opportunities: Visit ArtsHub to find out about open call exhibitions, commissions, and competitions.
Dust Poetry Magazine Submissions: The magazine was founded in January 2020 and publishes issues of new poetry online. The work in Dust is unsolicited and international.
Propel Magazine submissions: This online literary magazine was founded in 2022, featuring the work of poets based in the UK or Ireland who have yet to publish a first full length collection of poetry — showcasing exciting new poetry at an impressively high standard and acting as a free and open resource for editors, readers and curators alike. Visit Propel Magazine’s website to find out more. They accept submissions six times a year, and you can find out more on their website
And Other Poems submissions: the end of each month in January, May & September (free entry): And Other Poems. And Other Poems is an online poetry magazine edited by Tom Bailey and Laurie Ogden. Submissions are now open for the Spring issue. All forms, themes and styles are welcome.
Northern Writers’ Awards: The Northern Writers’ Awards discover and support writers in the North of England, with a focus on supporting new work-in-progress. They offer a wide range of opportunities for writers at all stages of their careers, including publication, mentoring, manuscript assessment, writing placements, retreats and cash awards to buy time to write. They are the largest writing development programme of their kind in England.
Community
Collective Creative Space: Collective is a new community coworking space by The Highrise Project in Armley. It’s a space for people to be creative in a supportive environment. You can attend on your own or with a group. We can supply basic art materials or you can bring your own.
Girls I Rate: Support and funding for women aged 16+ in music and the creative sector.
Arts Together Leeds: a network of arts and community partners working together to make arts in Leeds as welcoming and accessible for everyone as possible.
Music Industry Yorkshire: provides support, signposting and development opportunities for Yorkshire’s established and aspiring music industry professionals.
Community Gospel Choir: develop a passion for singing at the Community Gospel Choir in Leeds every Monday evening from 6.30 – 8.00pm at Music House on St Mark’s Avenue, Woodhouse. Suitable for all ages and abilities.
The F-List: A directory of female and gender minority musicians in the UK, sign up to create your listing.
Adopt a Music Creator: Making Music members or groups can apply to adopt a Music Creator.
Gigs and Events
Doncaster DAB: if you are interested in starting a new local or community radio station in Doncaster, or want to put an existing radio station onto DAB in Doncaster, contact Doncaster DAB.
SuperFriendz: SuperFriendz are looking for local musicians, singers, bands & DJ’s for shows in Leeds. Send your music to harry@superfriendz.com.
Leeds Libraries Open Mic Night: Looking for a laid-back space to share your creativity? Join Leeds Libraries in partnership with Launchpad for an Open Mic Night at Leeds Central Library. Taking place every 3rd Wednesday of the month from 5pm until 7:30pm.
Music Lab Mondays, Hull: Goodwin Development Trust and Youth Arts Takeover will be hosting a season of Monday night Music Labs. These Music Labs are aimed at people aged between 16-29 who want to learn an instrument for free or want to improve their skills and become part of a live band.
Chapel Allerton Arts Festival: whether you want to volunteer and help out on the day, or you want to lead an activity or a performance, Chapel Allerton Festival want to hear from you.
Grants and Funding
A Writing Chance: A Writing Chance aims to open access to the writing industries for new and aspiring writers from working-class and lower-income backgrounds and for those who face barriers due to intersecting challenges, including but not limited to ethnicity, disability, sexuality, gender identity, age and religious beliefs.
Funding for voluntary, charity and community groups in Leeds: Visit the Doing Good Leeds and Leeds Community Foundation websites.
Women Make Music Fund (DEADLINE 29 Sept): the fund supports the development of outstanding women, trans and non-binary songwriters and composers of all genres and backgrounds at different stages of their career. The fund can support projects by women, trans and non-binary songwriters, composers, artists, bands and performers who are writing their own music. The following are all considered by PRS Foundation to be Women Make Music creators:
– Songwriters
– Composers
– Artists, bands, producers and performers who are involved in the composition / writing process.
You can apply for up to £5K.
Open Fund for Music Creators (DEADLINE 29th Sept): The fund supports the development of outstanding music creators of all genres and backgrounds at different stages of their career with grants of up to £5K. Funding can support:
– Creation of new music (including fees to cover your time and work)
– Touring and live performances
– Recording and release
– Residency costs
– Fees to creative collaborators
– Promotion and marketing (when there is also an element of creation and/or performance)
– Equipment (not exceeding 20% of the total project budget)
Composers’ Fund (DEADLINE 6th Oct): Between £8,000 – £15,000 is available to composers who are already making a significant cultural contribution in the UK and have the potential for greater impact in the UK and overseas. The fund supports up to 15 composers per year who can make the case for the kind of support that would enable them to make a significant step change in their career. It can be used to record, promote perform and collaborate or attend residencies.
National Lottery Funding:They fund projects in Arts, Sport, Heritage, Charity, Voluntary, Health, Education & Environmental Sectors. Grant amounts vary depending on the fund. Every project makes a real difference to lives and communities across the UK.
Kings’s Trust Development Awards: Age 16 – 30 and from West Yorkshire? The King’s Trust have funding of £10 – £500 available to help you make the next steps into work, education or training. You are eligible if you are studying less than 14 hours a week, not in compulsory education, unemployed, or working less than 16 hours a week. Development Awards can support:
● Accredited course fees up to Level 3 (A-level equivalent)
● Tools, equipment or uniforms for a job or qualification
● Job licence fees
● Transport to a new job until your first pay slip
Develop Your Music: Help Musicians UK offer financial help to develop your skills, grow your portfolio and build a career. Apply for up to £5,000 towards:
● Record and release: create your next release and get your music out into the world.
● Skills and professional development: training, mentorship or other learning opportunities. ● Touring and live: take your performance to the stage and bring it on tour.
Funding Information: Thinking of applying for funding from Help Musicians UK? Visit their website to book a free 20-minute phone call with them.
The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation, Sheffield: The Power of Music Foundation supports people of any in age in Sheffield who are socially or economically disadvantaged. They work with individuals and organisations supporting people with disabilities and complex needs, with children and schools and with anyone experiencing hardship. Small grants of up to £500 are open on a rolling basis
Arts Council Supporting Grassroots Live Music Fund: the Supporting Grassroots Live Music Fund has been extended with an extra £1.5 million available to support Grassroots music venues across England
Arts Council England Project Grants: an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects. The fund supports thousands of individual artists, community and cultural organisations.
Artsadmin Newsletter: Visit Artsadmin to sign up to the fortnightly newsletter for artists (includes funding, commissions, and workshops).
Jobs and Skills
Future Goals Skills Connect: Join a free digital course in marketing and content creation, web design and development, virtual production, event production, and much more.
Click Start Courses with FutureLearn by University of Leeds. Get into the world of tech with hands-on courses in software development, cloud computing, AI, blockchain, web development, and robotics. Learn the skills you need to land a job in some of the most exciting fields out there. These courses make it easy to dive in, get practical experience, and start opening up opportunities in tech. Ready to get started?
Upload by BBC: Upload is your chance to showcase your creativity on the BBC, with content showcased every day on local BBC radio stations and on our social / online platforms. Whatever you create – comedy, fiction, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, videos, poetry, reviews, diaries, anything – we’d love you to upload it! Upload any kind of content: audio, video, text or images. We’ll check everything uploaded and what catches our attention will go on air or on our digital platforms. Whether it’s your first creation or you’ve been quietly making stuff for years, upload it. Don’t worry if you’re not quite sure where it would fit or if it’s polished. We’ll get back to you if we’d like to showcase your work, and we might even help you add some extra touches.
Bar Staff, The Leadmill, Sheffield: The Leadmill are looking for bar staff to join their team from September onwards. Experience preferred but not required, training will be provided.
Anthem Music School, Manchester: If you are an enthusiastic inspirational musician with good communication skills then we would love to hear from you. We are expanding our team of brilliant instrument teachers.
Leeds Dance Community Radio: If you would like to be considered to host a show on LDC Radio 97.8FM all you need to do is send in a demo!
Music Centres Across Leeds: Get expert tuition and friendly support at one of the Leeds Music Centres. The Music Centres run on Saturday mornings at venues all over Leeds. All ages are welcome, from under 5s to over 60s. Something for everyone, from fun beginner groups to advanced ensembles, covering all styles and levels of experience.
National Careers Service – The Skills Toolkit: Free courses to help you learn new skills or change jobs. Including general skills that apply to all sectors and more specialised skills. Courses include: Business and Finance, Coding, Computer Science, Digital Design and Marketing, Personal Growth and Wellbeing, Professional Development, and more.
Music Tutors: Do you have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a music specialism? Are you an established or aspiring music professional? Or do you have experience as a private music teacher? If so, you can become a music teacher with MusicTeachers.co.uk
Crew members for The Music Consortium: We work on festivals of all shapes and sizes such as Latitude/Longitude, Lollapalooza, and Leeds Festival, with a team of crew members. To apply it’s likely you will need a valid driving licence and access to your own vehicle.