Indielab reveals prodcos for inaugural West Yorks TV accelerator
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Editor
| 24 January 2022
Indielab, the UK’s leading accelerator company for content businesses, has announced the local indies selected to take part in its first-ever TV Accelerator in West Yorkshire, the first bespoke programme to be run in any dedicated region of the UK.
IndieLab 24Jan2022
Delivered by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the Indielab West Yorkshire aims to support the screen production industry and boost growth across West Yorkshire, driving growth and resilience in the creative industries in an area whose importance to the TV industry is growing rapidly.

The bespoke Accelerator programme will include two strands, one for TV and one for gaming, will be delivered by Indielab, an organisation experienced in delivering support to creative businesses. The programme curriculum will include; masterclasses, seminars and workshops on growth planning, the global market, evolving business models, creative leadership, investment readiness and a range of key business growth skills, giving companies high-level contacts, knowledge and skills to transform their businesses, and accelerate their growth.

The 15 participants of Indielab West Yorks’ 2022 TV Accelerator have been drawn from a range of production companies located across the region. Between them, they have already delivered numerous popular TV shows, including drama series such as The Syndicate for BBC One and factual shows such as More4’s The Yorkshire Dales and The Lakes and a recent BBC Panorama special: Stacey Dooley and the Lockdown Babies. The selected participants are Art of Truth, Beyond Productions, British Muslim TV, Button Down, Candour Productions, Clockwork Films, Curley Vision, Fettle Animation, Hellfire, New Northern, Northern Imposters, Rollem Productions, Screenhouse, The City Talking, and True North. In line with Indielab’s mission to support and promote a diverse independent creative sector, more than half of the participating companies are ethnically diverse and/or female-led.

Alongside the TV Accelerator, Indielab West Yorks will also be running its first Games Accelerator in the region, with 11 up-and-coming studios. Both the TV and Game Accelerators, which represent a first for the region, have been designed to facilitate and accelerate the growth of West Yorkshire’s burgeoning creative sector by enabling companies to hone their USPs and vision while exploring the growth opportunities that are specific to their businesses. Applications were received from companies right across West Yorkshire, with almost all districts represented in the final cohort.

Both Accelerators will deliver targeted modules over a five-month period, commencing in February 2022. Alongside masterclasses and seminars, participants also have access to a package of free support services, including coaching and mentoring, a legal helpdesk and an accountancy helpdesk.

“The creative industries in West Yorkshire have all to play for, with local TV indies benefiting from the national broadcasters’ commitment to invest in the nations and regions of the UK,” remarked Victoria Powell, Indielab’s founder and programme director. “With this new programme, we aim to support West Yorks’ creative industries to the next level. Working with our partners from across the TV sector, we have designed a growth programme that will provide participants with the knowledge, skills, networks and investment needed to grow their business and produce more content with impact at both national and international levels.”

Kay Mellor, managing director of Rollem Productions (The Syndicate) adeded: “We are thrilled to be joining the inaugural Indielab West Yorks TV Accelerator and it’s fantastic that this support has been made available on our home turf here in Yorkshire. Having spent many years focussing on making and developing drama, it’ll be hugely beneficial to take a step back and think about the future. We are really looking forward to taking the time to focus on our business and of course working alongside the other brilliant indie producers in our region.”