Now in its 16th year, the Young Creative Awards is run by the charity Young Creatives Nottingham, with support from a wide range of partners, including several city-based businesses.
Nigel Cooke, Chair of Young Creatives Nottingham, explains: “Corporate sponsorship is the bedrock of the Young Creative Awards – it is absolutely vital. It’s not only the financial contributions that our sponsors make. It is also the network that partners form which offers such a breadth of skills, experience and teamwork, which benefits Nottingham’s young people in so many ways.
“Every year we get a new group of young people taking part and sharing their stories of the impact that the Awards has had on them. They tell of how they got a leg up, how they were inspired, how they were given confidence and benefited from the advice, training, commissions and work placements that Young Creatives Nottingham provides. We couldn’t do any of this without the support of local businesses and organisations.”
Headline sponsors of the Young Creative Awards are software developers Serif.
Winners - Finalists by Sky Mirror. Photo by Rob Smalley.
Neil Ladkin, Creative Director at Serif said: “At Serif we're really passionate about championing and encouraging budding creative talent here in Nottingham, and this year will be our fifth year as headline sponsors of the Awards.
“Support for the creative industries has never been more important. We believe they have a vital part to play in driving innovation and change within communities, which is why these awards are always really special for us. Over the years they’ve helped so many young people realise their dreams while also often giving them a stepping stone towards a brighter future.”
Young Creative Awards category sponsors include Maber, Potter Clarkson, NTU, Nottingham College, Confetti, Nottingham Music Hub, True Story, FABRIC and STENCIL. Sponsors get involved with judging the Awards as well as, in some cases, providing work placements and other opportunities for winners.
Sponsoring the Film category this year is Ruddington-based independent creative agency True Story. Client Director Lucy Folkes said:
“We're delighted to be supporting the Nottingham Young Creatives film category this year. Creativity is the lifeblood of our business, and the Awards are a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible creative talent of young people in our city, while inspiring them to pursue opportunities in the creative world.”
Sponsoring the Awards again this year is intellectual property law firm Potter Clarkson, who are backing the Creative Writing category. As part of their sponsorship, Potter Clarkson will be running a free seminar and one-to-one advice sessions for young creatives exploring the importance of understanding International Property (including copyright and design rights) in the creative industries.
Edwina FitzHugh, Trade Mark Attorney at Potter Clarkson, said: “At Potter Clarkson we specialise in protecting and commercialising the innovation produced by the creative industries – keeping safe the ideas, creations, content and technology at the heart of creative businesses. It is so important, therefore, for us to inspire and nurture the next generation of creatives. Sponsorship of the Young Creative Awards is part of our commitment to do just that.”
Architectural practice Maber have sponsored the Design & Architecture category for over 10 years.
Alex Lipinski, Associate at Maber, added: “Maber are proud partners of the Young Creative Awards and have been for many years. It is always a highlight of the year to go through the entries and see the innovative ideas and projects being developed by Nottingham’s young creatives. This year we are particularly looking forward to a return of the physical awards ceremony and exhibition, at Nottingham Playhouse on 20 May. It is always such a special event, celebrating some truly amazing talent.”
Young people aged 11 to 24 years old who live, work or study in Nottingham have until 11:59pm on Friday 15 March to enter (as an individual or group). To find out more, or to submit an entry, visit: https://www.youngcreativeawards.org/
This year’s award ceremony will be taking place at Nottingham Playhouse on Monday 20th May, marking the awards’ first in-person ceremony since before the pandemic.
