Creative Skills Fund: Investing in a Creative Wales

The Creative Skills Fund is a key part of our mission to grow a stronger, more inclusive creative workforce in Wales. Backed by the Creative Skills Action Plan (2022–2025), the fund, now in it's second round, supports projects that help people gain the skills they need to thrive in the creative industries—from music and screen to games, animation, and immersive tech.

Over both rounds of funding 34 projects have been funded with us investing £3 million.

Read on to find out more about our first round of skills funding and how it supported individuals and companies across Wales, or dive straight in to our Creative Skills Fund 1:Highlights 

We established the fund to address real skills gaps and open up opportunities across the sector. Guided by a panel of 12 industry experts, we identified 10 key priorities to shape the future of creative skills in Wales. These include improving access, supporting Welsh language training, and creating clear career pathways.

We’ve worked with partners like BBC Studios, BFI, ScreenSkills, Music Venue Trust, and Esports Wales to ensure training is relevant, inclusive, and impactful.

• Over 27,000 individuals and 300 companies have benefitted
• 488 training courses and 300 work placements delivered
• 499 paid trainee placements have been created since 2020.

 Games | Gêm – Media Academy Cymru

The Gêm Project gave 30 young people aged 16–25 the chance to study Game Design at Media Academy Cymru. With new BTEC pathways and direct access to industry professionals, students gained real-world insight and skills.
 

Animation | Hollow Pixel Academy 

This project trained six apprentices in Blender 3D animation through a Level 4 Interactive Media apprenticeship. All completed a joint animation project and a “Welsh in the Workplace” course.

 Screen | ReFocus – Hijinx

ReFocus delivered inclusive communication training for the screen industry, helping professionals better support learning-disabled and autistic colleagues.
 

Music | Music Futures – National Youth Arts Wales

Young musicians trained with industry mentors, recorded at Rockfield Studios, and performed live at major venues including Focus Wales.

Discover the real stories and real impact behind the figures here or download further down the page.

The Creative Skills Action Plan and Advisory Panel will continue until May 2026, ensuring we stay focused on the evolving needs of Wales’ creative sector. A full evaluation of all 34 funded projects will take place in 2026 to measure long-term impact and guide future investment.

With continued support, we aim to reach even more people through projects from our 2nd round of funding, especially in areas where opportunities are limited.