Our community of creatives are talented, multidisciplinary and ready to change the world. 

illustration of a person holding abstract shapes in their arms

How we work

We are here to facilitate genuine exchanges with organisations, businesses and individuals looking for creative thinking like no other.

This means our process is a little different and embodies our key values throughout:

We expect our partners to be:

  • Open to challenge and new perspectives

  • Transparent about where they’re at and what they need

  • Respectful of the multifaceted expertise and commitments our team and community hold

Key Shared Values:

  • Genuine co-creation

  • Embedding of care and access

  • Championing of lived experience

  • Paying people well for their time and skills

group photo of young people in front of a poster that says 'to care for you is to care for me'

We are serious about the care & wellbeing of young creatives

It is our core belief that young people are experts on their own lives and experiences and that it is time for us to be listened to.

There is no value in doing the work if it happens without care and compassion. We are challenging systemic injustice in much of our work: we’re not only fighting for young people to be respected and listened to, we’re also fighting racism, sexism, classism, ableism, nationalism (and everything else that blocks the path to genuine equity). That takes a toll.

So, we spend a lot of time thinking about and making space for wellbeing adjustments. Anyone who works with us is supported pastorally and professionally. We actively encourage people to take the time off or time out that they need to live their best lives. If something happens that affects the mental health or wellbeing of any of our community members, we act.

Because we’re an agency of young people for young people, we’re credible, plugged-in and ahead of the curve. It also allows us to be authentically responsive and reflective.

We don’t always get everything right, but we are energised by the opportunities to challenge ourselves, to learn and to grow.

FAQ’s

photo of young people chilling on beanbags and with coffee in their hands. It looks like one of them has just cracked a joke

  • In a word: trust. Whether you want a mural in your office or an overhaul of your company culture, we have a foundation of trust with our community that means they know the spaces we create are accessible, care-centred, trauma-informed and will enable them to be their best selves and do their best work. We're here to support you to begin building those trusting relationships yourselves.

  • Sure! If you pay us a recruitment fee and your brief/ad is accessible (in plain language), you’re paying more than the real living wage and you have at least 2 weeks left to apply. Recruitment fees are £150 or 20% of the advertised fee (whatever’s higher) towards our time spent contacting people and answering questions etc.

  • Yes. We’ve worked in Edinburgh, London, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Plymouth to name a few, but basically all over the UK. We’ve also delivered to global audiences online.

    Whilst we’re firmly rooted in the creative community of Bristol, we know our work can have an impact beyond this city. Whether that’s talking about the deeper themes of our ways of working or using our unique methods of holding space to engage cohorts of young people, we’re always excited to translate our work into a new context.

  • Sure, if we have an existing working relationship and you’ve spoken to us about our involvement.

    If you’ve never worked with us before and you haven’t let us know, then definitely not dude, come on. Unbelievably this has happened before!

  • Please call us Rising Arts Agency or if you’ve got a strict word count/in conversation Rising if you need something shorter.

    Read more about why it’s important to us here.

  • Each project is costed differently depending on your specific requirements but day rates range from £250-500 and our agency fee (depending on involvement) is 20-30% which covers admin, recruitment, holistic support and project management. We also charge VAT on some elements of our work.

  • Yes! If you believe in our work, or if you want to pay forward any support you’ve had, we would love for you to join us in whatever way you can.

    Donations are crucial to Rising's work. Give just £5 a month to join our movement here

  • We are a CIC (community interest company) and not-for-profit but that doesn’t mean our work is free. Before we’re able to fully dismantle capitalism we acknowledge that currently, money is the highest marker of value in our society and therefore we and our creatives deserve to be paid adequately for our work.

    When you pay an agency fee to Rising Arts Agency you’re not just getting the time we spend on your project you’re getting the wealth of knowledge and lived experience that the team and our community come with.

    Whilst we’re not a charity, every penny you spend with us goes directly to supporting the next generation of creatives because we’re not looking to make a profit, we’re looking to change the world.

  • As early as possible!

    If it’s for a bid then before you put our name in it and with enough time before the deadline to find someone else if we say no, or for us to read it if it’s a major role in the project.

    If it’s for a creative commission 2-3 months minimum. If it’s for delivery or research ideally 6-9 months before your required output. Bear in mind that we close in August so if you have any outputs required then, we’re probably not the right partner for you.

  • Yep. We might check a few emails, tie up some loose ends or respond to an urgent request from the community but basically, we’ll only be chatting to each other (the Rising team). And we definitely won’t be doing any delivery, costing your project or recruiting for creative commissions.

    But you’ve planned ahead, right? So that shouldn’t be a problem!

  • We open applications annually but in the meantime you can register your interest and find out more about our community here.