Bristol’s cultural organisations have joined forces to present a programme of online arts experiences for audiences missing the buzz and community of the city’s vibrant arts scene. Launched today, Bristol Arts Channel is a collaboration with commissioning and development organisation The Space and Bristol & Bath Creative R&D. The...
Bristol attracted 15 investment projects from overseas last year, new figures show, making it the seventh best performing regional location in the UK and underlining its growing reputation as an international business hub. The city’s strong performance was despite the South West as a whole suffering a 14% decline...
The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a severe blow to confidence levels among South West firms – with the region now the UK’s least optimistic, according to the gloomy results of another survey. Overall confidence slumped by 16 points during the past month to minus 51% – an unenviable record...
Bristol creative businesses hit by the coronavirus pandemic are being offered extra support, including grants to spend on mentoring and specialist training. The additional help is being made through the West of England Combined Authority’s (WECA) Creative Scale Up programme. The scheme is already providing online peer and...
First Base, the property developer behind the restoration of the former Gardiner Haskins site in Old Market, has raised £6,000 for three Bristol charities after donating over £1 for every person taking part in the scheme’s consultation process. As well as submitting feedback on the proposals, visitors to the...
Fiona Francombe, the director of Bristol’s hugely successful Bottle Yard TV and film studios, is to leave her role this summer after 10 years at the helm to join Bristol Old Vic Theatre School as principal/CEO. Fiona, pictured, who started her career in theatre, founded the studio complex in...
Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, is launching a series of expert webinars and virtual networking events to help small firms bounce back from the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The webinars will address key practical issues and challenges facing firms as lockdown measures are eased while the...
Up to 100 businesses in Bristol city centre – including high-profile bars and restaurants – are at risk of closure unless the government raises the threshold on one of its schemes to ease the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new campaign. Called #RaiseTheBar, the national...
One of the government’s boldest and most effective interventions during the coronavirus has been the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (or furlough scheme). It is also, undoubtedly, one of the most important for businesses. Many businesses have suffered a massive shock to income, and furloughing has offered an ability to...
Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s decision to extend the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to October will be a “huge relief” to firms in the West of England, according to the region’s largest business group. Business West, which runs Bristol Chamber of Commerce, said its research showed the scheme, launched by...
Strong trade links with the US could help the West of England’s small firms recover from the impact of coronavirus, the region’s leading business group has suggested. Business West, which runs Bristol Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the start of formal post-Brexit talks between the UK and US on a...
Bristol-based public relations and communications agency AMBITIOUS has been awarded a prestigious national creative industry title for the third year running in a unique awards scheme. The agency, founded in 2013 by Bristol PR stalwarts Lis Anderson and Mel Beeby Clarke, scooped the Best PR Agency of the Year award...
The devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic on businesses in the West of England has been highlighted again in the results of two more surveys this week – with one showing two-thirds of firms suffered a fall in orders while the second reveals productivity is down at 80% of...
