Case study:Achates Generates Income: Tees Valley (Creative and Cultural Freelancer Network)

Achates has been working with the Creative and Cultural Freelancer Network in Tees Valley since January 2025. We are delivering a two-year programme of masterclasses and one-to-one advice surgeries, designed to support creative freelancers in Tees Valley to build their skills, knowledge, and confidence in shaping, articulating, and fundraising for creative and cultural projects, both individually and collaboratively. The Network is led by ARC Stockton, a multi-disciplinary arts centre in Stockton-on-Tees, in partnership with a consortium of seven organisations, and is funded by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority. Our delivery here has also included work for the Tees Valley ASPire programme, which supports emerging artists in Teesside.

Through a hybrid delivery style of in-person workshops, which take place at ARC, and online sessions and one-to-ones, this programme has so far encompassed topics including Working with Purpose; Funders and Where to Find Them; Statutory and Trust and Foundation Grants and Bid Writing; Crowdfunding; and Relationship Building. With a huge range of both levels of fundraising experience, and types of artforms represented within the Freelancer Network, we’ve worked to ensure that our delivery is accessible, relevant and valuable to individuals working across a variety of different disciplines, and with diverse fundraising needs.

The one-to-one sessions (open to all Network members, as often as they need them) which complement the workshops give freelancers the opportunity to gain bespoke support and guidance on particular projects or fundraising questions and challenges, ranging from Arts Council England applications, to how to fund touring and engagement work, to financial sustainability, to reviewing business plans, to an introduction to the principles of fundraising for the arts.

The programme renewed for its second year at the start of 2026, and we are currently talking to Tees Valley Combined Authority about how we can use our experience with the Network to lead further capacity building activity for individuals and organisations working in arts and culture in the Tees Valley. 

– Keren Parmley, Tees Valley Creates: The Freelancer Network Producer