By working in partnership and collaborating across sectors, we can share learning, create new connections and support individuals and organisations of all size to develop. This not only strengthens arts, culture and heritage for the region, but positions us on the national and international stage.
Read on to find out more about our previous and current initiatives.
Collaboration without Borders
HEY Creative received funding from British Council to explore how the region’s existing and emerging international relationships could be strengthened through engagement with culture.
HEY Creative commissioned KADA Research to both map relationships and make recommendations that would support the growth of Hull & East Yorkshire’s arts, culture and heritage through cross-sector international collaboration.
The report was launched in Summer 2025 and makes a range of recommendations, three of which have been identified by the HEY Creative Board as priorities.
Workforce & Skills
To grow our sector, we need to grow our workforce and the skills they have.
In 2025, we collaborated with We Are Creative, a not-for-profit networking organisation for creatives in the region that offers support, fosters collaboration, and promotes the growth of the creative community.
The collaboration enabled the delivery of a new range of networking events, a skills consultation, and for We Are Creative to develop their presence and strengthen relationships between the freelance artist community and regional arts organisations and funders.
In Winter 2025, We Are Creative launched the findings of their consultation, which captures the breadth and ambition of creative freelancers across the region – as well as identifying key barriers and opportunities.
“Our survey shows that our region’s creatives are both ambitious in their creative pursuits and clear about the types of support they need”, says Vickie Bisstt, a founder and Steering Group member of We Are Creative, who designed the survey and analysed its findings.
“They want better access to networks, training, coaching, and resources like spaces and funding. These findings are crucial for guiding our future activities, and we hope they’ll prove useful to other partners, who we hope to work with to support the region’s cultural sector to flourish”.
Read the full findings of the consultation.
Regional & National Initiatives
We’ve been involved in a range of regional and national initiatives focused on supporting the growth of arts, culture and heritage – or those with broader remits, to which we think our sector can contribute.
This includes the Northern Creative Corridor / One Creative North, Convention of the North, and contributing to independent reviews and inquiries, including the Hodge Review of Arts Council England, the All Parliamentary Part Group on Northern Culture and the Hull & East Yorkshire Devolution consultation.
The Chief Officer also currently represents HEY Creative on Arts Council England’s national Place-Based Peer Learning Steering Group, and the Advisory Board of both Visit Hull & East Yorkshire and the Creative Growth programme.