Introducing the Indielab West Yorks cohort

Written By Ian Laing
 

24th January, 2022

 

Meet the 15 production companies and 11 game studios joining our inaugural Indielab West Yorks Accelerators.

We are delighted to announce the local businesses selected to take part in the first-ever TV and Game Accelerators in West Yorkshire – and indeed, the first bespoke programme to be run in any dedicated region of the UK. Indielab West Yorks is delivered in partnership with Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP), which supports the growth of the screen sectors in West Yorkshire.

The 15 participants of Indielab West Yorks’ 2022 TV Accelerator have been drawn from a wide range of production companies located across the region. Between them, they have already delivered numerous popular TV shows, including drama series such as The Syndicate for BBC One and factual shows such as More4’s The Yorkshire Dales and The Lakes and a recent BBC Panorama special: Stacey Dooley and the Lockdown Babies. The selected participants are:

  • Art of Truth

  • Beyond Productions

  • British Muslim TV

  • Button Down

  • Candour Productions

  • Clockwork Films

  • Curley Vision

  • Fettle Animation

  • Hellfire

  • New Northern

  • Northern Imposters

  • Rollem Productions

  • Screenhouse

  • The City Talking

  • True North

Additionally, 11 up-and-coming studios have been selected for the first West Yorks Game Accelerator, having worked on a range of titles including Raiders of Erda, Robo Basho, The Magnificent Trufflepigs and 90 Minute Fever. They are:

  • Archway Interactive

  • BetaJester

  • Cooperative Innovations

  • Lovewish

  • HALCYON Palace

  • Isokron

  • Kettu Studios

  • Kwizzbit

  • Thunkd

  • Weaseltron Entertainment

  • Vital Culture

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire says

“It’s brilliant to be able to support such a wide range of people in these fantastic TV and Gaming businesses across West Yorkshire. Through the opportunities, experience, and open discussion these programmes offer, it means that we are building the right foundations not only for these businesses to achieve their growth goals, but also to create a network that will live on, beyond the end of the Accelerator.”


Both the TV and Game Accelerators, which represent a first for the region, have been designed to facilitate and accelerate the growth of West Yorkshire’s burgeoning creative sector by enabling companies to hone their USPs and vision while exploring the growth opportunities that are specific to their businesses.

Applications were received from companies right across West Yorkshire, with almost all districts represented in the final cohort. In line with a mission to support and promote a diverse independent creative sector – that Indielab, the Creative Catalyst and the Mayor’s office all share – more than half of the participating companies are ethnically diverse and/or female-led, reflecting the general diversity of businesses across the region.

Victoria Powell, Indielab’s founder and programme director, said:

"The creative industries in West Yorkshire have all to play for; local TV indies are benefiting from the national broadcasters' commitment to invest in the nations and regions in the UK, and the region also has one of the UK's fastest-growing games industry hubs. With these two programmes, we aim to support West Yorks’ creative industries to the next level. Working with our partners from across the TV and game sectors, we have designed a growth programme that will provide participants with the knowledge, skills, networks and investment needed to grow their business and produce more content and games with impact at both national and international levels.”

Both Accelerators will deliver targeted modules over a five-month period, commencing in early February 2022. Alongside masterclasses and seminars, participants also have access to a package of free support services, including coaching and mentoring, a legal helpdesk from programme partner Harbottle & Lewis LLP and an accountancy helpdesk provided by sponsor Moore Kingston Smith LLP. Barclays Bank PLC is also a sponsor. Amazon Web Service is supporting the Games Accelerator with a package of benefits for the cohort. In addition, companies will have access to Indielab Connect, the social network launched in spring 2020 in response to the COVID-19 lockdown.

 
Ian Laing
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Indielab 2022 TV Accelerator is open for applications