Thursday 11 December 2025
1.00 - 3.30 PM
Loading Bay, Bradford BD1 3QR
Can we tempt you to come networking with us? If the thought makes you shudder, but you *do* want to get better at connecting with others and seizing creative opportunities (instead of worrying about how to describe your work, or drawing a blank at striking up a conversation), this workshop is for you!
In this sociable afternoon workshop, hosted by the brilliant Sophie Greenwood of The Creative Incubator, we will explore techniques and approaches to creative networking, and help you to gain confidence in:
- Talking about yourself and your work
Instigating conversations with others (and ending them!) - Asking thoughtful and meaningful questions
- Nurturing new collaborations or partnerships
- Signposting others to see more about your work or creative projects
Who this workshop is for
This masterclass is for:
- Those living in or making work in the Bradford district
- Artists working in any art form (visual arts, music, theatre, live art, etc.)
- Creative freelancers
- People working in small creative organisations (studios, collectives, CICs, theatre companies, charities, etc.)
What to expect
The session will include a mixture of:
- Group exploration where we will share what we like and dislike about networking scenarios, where we feel unconfident, and other common barriers to connecting with others in professional spaces
- Collaborative idea generation to gather solutions, plus actionable tips and tricks from our facilitator
- Opportunities to test out your new conversation techniques
You’ll come away with:
- A clear and personal approach to networking and creative socials
- A renewed confidence when talking about your work and aspirations.
- A checklist of how to make the most of a networking event: Before, During and After
- A template for a 6-month networking plan
What to bring
For this masterclass, it would be useful for you to bring:
- Notebook or notetaking device of your choice
- Business cards or links to your LinkedIn, website, portfolio, etc.
- A readiness to step out of your comfort zone for a few hours – we promise it’ll be worth it!
Access and support
We aim to make our workshops as accessible as possible. Please tell us about any access requirements when booking so we can support your participation.
Not only is this training free, we can also pay for you to attend!
If you need financial support to attend this masterclass, we can provide attendance bursaries of £50 to cover your time for this 1/2 days session. We also have an access fund available to cover things like travel, access support, childcare, caring, language and interpretation costs. To find out more about requesting this funding, please see the FAQ section at the end of this page once you’ve booked your place.
Book your free place
Places are free but limited, so advance booking is essential.
Meet the host
Sophie Greenwood of The Creative Incubator
Sophie is the founder of The Creative Incubator, and is a Leeds-based business planning and strategy specialist for small business owners, creative entrepreneurs and freelancers.
She runs workshops across the UK on business planning and networking skills, and regularly organises creative networking events in West Yorkshire.
Before launching The Creative Incubator four years ago, Sophie ran Ink & Bear, a creative business selling screen-printed goods and teaching printmaking workshops.
FAQs
Yes, we can offer bursaries to attend this event. These are not means-tested, but please only request a bursary if this is something you need to enable you to participate. The bursary is there to cover your time where you would otherwise be working in a freelance capacity, or if you need to take unpaid leave from employment. If you are participating as an employee of an organisation, we would expect this time to be covered as part of your working hours.
This half-day session will be paid at £50 per day.
To apply for this funding, please complete a Bursary & Access Fund form once you have registered for a place.
Access funds are also available. Please see the next section for more information.
Yes, we can cover travel and any other access costs that may otherwise present a barrier to you being able to participate in this event. Access costs include things like childcare and other caring costs; BSL, language and other interpretation costs; as well as access support workers, or any other access costs you might face.
To apply for this funding, please complete a Bursary & Access Fund form once you have registered for this event.
This event is supported by:
