A new round of grants for creative freelancers has been launched by the West of England Combined Authority, with Bristol-based cartoonist Camille Aubrey becoming the first recipient.
Camille is one of 60 freelancers and workers in creative businesses across the region set to get a cash boost of between £3,000 and £6,000. 
Based at the Pervasive Media Studio – part of Bristol’s Watershed creative hub – Camille is hired to work at conferences, seminars, concerts, meetings and presentations to take notes through the medium of art. But like many other freelancers the pandemic hit her hard.
A study into the UK’s freelance economy by the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed has found that two-thirds of the sector’s workers were negatively impacted by the pandemic.
They also suffered from a disproportionate lack of government support with thousands of self-employed West of England residents excluded from any Government support.
Camille sketched Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who leads the combined authority, and his dog Angel when he visited her this week, pictured. 
Mayor Norris said he had done everything he could to support local self-employed people throughout the pandemic, including his first funding decision on his election in May to increase support to creative freelancers by £1m.
He said: “Creative freelancers across the West of England have had a tough time during the pandemic with many falling through the gaps in Government support. But they are vital to the success of our world-class creative industries.
“This new funding underlines my commitment to actors, fashion designers, artists, animators and many others to recover from the pandemic and grow.
“More than ever, we must do all we can to safeguard creativity as we rebuild our economy.”
The programme includes:
- Funded expertise – £3,000 – £6,000 of professional sector specific expertise (mentoring, coaching and/or consultancy).
- Peer support – A dedicated Peer Support Programme, including a minimum of six facilitated peer group sessions. The facilitated peer sessions will bring cohorts of 10 businesses together regularly, to address shared challenges of recovery and building resilience whilst learning collectively from each other.
- Training – Access to workshops and training delivered by Watershed. Six-plus months intensive support
- Each business and freelancer on the programme will be part of a cohort receiving a minimum of six months intensive business support.
