Discover cooperatives: creative and digital sector

Are you a freelancer or sole trader in the digital sector? Or an artist in the creative sector?

Many people find themselves balancing the freedom of independent work with the challenges that come with doing it alone or working within organisations that might not fully reflect their values or ambitions.

Forming a cooperative offers another path. It allows you to pool skills, resources and networks with others who share your goals.

Cooperatives can provide greater stability, shared benefits and more say in how work is shaped. They’re built on principles that prioritise fairness, transparency and collective decision‑making, giving people the space to thrive on their own terms.

Find out how you can start or transition to a cooperative model and become part of a global movement that puts people and planet first.

Join this webinar to learn about inspiring cooperatives and the people behind them.

You will leave with:

• A better understanding of what a cooperative is.
• Insight from people behind some of the most inspiring cooperatives in the UK.
• Clear guidance on the support available if you’d like to start your own or transition.

Guest speaker: Ben Philip, Creative Co-op

Ben is creative director at Creative Co-op, a worker-owned creative agency that works with organisations which prioritise people and planets. It runs as a worker co-operative that operates democratically and shares power between its members.

Guest speaker: Lenny Watson, Sister Midnight

Lenny is co-founder of Sister Midnight, a co-operative music venue and radio station based in Catford. The organisation is currently transforming a former working men's club into a community-owned space, funded largely through community shares. 

Host: Dave Boyle, Community Shares Company

Dave has more than 20 years' experience supporting community and social businesses. Over the past eight years, he has helped raised over £17m through 65 community share offers.

He has worked with all types of community and co-operative enterprises, from local pubs and shops to sports clubs, piers to pools, magazines and TV stations, train companies to comedy venues, supporting both start-ups and conversions.

Host: Terry Tyldsley

Terry, aka Kat Five, is an artist, producer and music tech consultant. She founded inclusive music and technology platform Kitmonsters, previously chaired the ethical music streaming co-operative Resonate, and produced Music Tech Fest (MTF Labs) in Berlin.

She has also worked for Co-operatives UK in promoting the co-operative model in the tech sector.

This webinar is brought to you by Grow London Local, East Sussex Growth Hub, Kent & Medway Growth Hub, Ambitious Essex Growth Hub and Hertfordshire Growth Hub.

Growth Hubs help businesses and entrepreneurs to start, grow and succeed by unlocking their potential through access to tailored business advice and online resources. Whatever the stage of your business journey, be it the spark of entrepreneurism or ambitions to scale internationally, your local Growth Hub provides access to expert guidance, enabling you to seize new opportunities and overcome any barriers to growth.

The webinar is delivered by Co-operatives UK. As the voice of the UK’s cooperative movement, Co-operatives UK empowers and supports cooperative enterprise with specialised knowledge and expertise, to grow the cooperative economy and create a fairer society.

If you have any questions, please contact us at eventenquiries@growlondonlocal.london.