Creative Skills CPD Workshop – 05/11/2025

1 October, 2025
Events

Join us for a free Creative Skills workshop on how to map the purpose and impact of your projects with clarity and confidence.

Leeds 33 Creative Skills CPD

🗓️ Wednesday 5th November
⌚️ 3:30pm – 5:45pm
📍University of Leeds, Esther Simpson Building, SR 3.02
🎟️ FREE, Book your place

As part of our Arts Council England-funded activity, we are delivering a series of free events themed upon our three priorities: Creative Skills, Creative Health and Youth Voice.

Focusing on Creative Skills, we are inviting you to come to learn how to develop a clear and compelling Theory of Change (ToC) with a workshop led by Erin McNeill at the University of Leeds.

Erin’s Biography

Erin McNeill (she/her) is Engagement Lead for Physics at the University of Leeds. Trained in materials engineering, she works across science and arts communities to create collaborative projects, from Moon Palace, a mobile observatory, for LEEDS 2023 to Astro4All, creating new BSL signs for astrophysics terms. She supervises student research projects, teaches on engagement modules and has secured major grants to support inclusive, creative, and impactful engagement with diverse communities.

Theory of Change Workshop

This practical, hands-on workshop is designed to help you develop a clear and compelling Theory of Change (ToC) (sometimes called a Story of Change) for your project. Bring along an idea or project in development, and by the end of the session you’ll leave with key ToC components checked off and a stronger, more clearly articulated foundation to guide next steps. Whether you’re preparing for external funding bids, shaping internal proposals, or strengthening business-as-usual activities, this session will help you map purpose, pathway, and impact.

We’ll combine coaching, guided writing, and peer feedback to support you in drafting and refining your ideas. Starting with reflection and examples from projects big and small, we’ll build towards a structured framework for planning and evaluation. You’ll be encouraged to bring your writing energy, but we’ll move at a steady pace so ideas can grow. By the end, you’ll have a tangible output to take away and build on.

Further Information:

What will we be doing?

Welcome to Leeds33: the session will start with a brief introduction and reminder about who Leeds33 are, why we’re here and what we do.

Theory of Change workshop: designed to help you develop a clear and compelling Theory of Change (ToC) (sometimes called a Story of Change) for your project.

Networking: you’ll have the opportunity to connect with other participants in the session.

Who is this session for?

This session is open to creative professionals, cultural organisations, freelancers, artists, youth workers, educators, teachers – basically anyone interested in delivering, defining, or funding creative provisions. This session will help you prepare for external funding bids, shape internal proposals, and strengthen business-as-usual activities.

How long is the session?

The session will run for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Will there be refreshments?

There will be light refreshments provided.

Are there any bursaries to support with attending this session?

To ensure that our events are as inclusive as possible, we are offering a limited amount of bursaries to support with the following costs for this event.

We have available:
– 5 x travel bursaries = to cover travel costs to and from the venue up to the value of £10 
– 2 x freelancer time bursaries = to cover the time for freelancers to attend the networking event – £97.07 for 2 hours and 15 minutes of time, based off of Rates of Pay from Artists’ Union England.

To make this process as fair as possible, we are asking for either a short statement of up to 250 words or a 2 minute video outlining the benefit a bursary would provide to you. For successful applicants, payment will be made after confirmed attendance to the event. For travel costs, a copy of receipts/ tickets will be required.

Apply here: https://forms.office.com/e/s9NeyLCVW7

Please submit the form by Monday 20th October 2025 at 11.59pm to be considered. Outcomes will be shared by the end of Monday 27th October 2025. If you have any questions about this form, please get in touch with us at [email protected]. If you have other access costs outside of those outlined above, please get in touch with us via email to see if we can support with these.

Will there be photography?

Please note: we will be taking photographs during this session for documentation purposes, as well as future promotional purposes. You will be asked if you are happy to give your consent later on in this form, as well as reminded on the day that photographs are being taken in the space. If you wish to not be photographed at any time, please let a member of staff know.

Is there anything else that I need to know?

This session has been designed for you in conversation with our Creative Skills Pod. If you want to find out more about our Pods and joining this group, get in touch.

If you have any questions about this session, or about Leeds33, please email us at: [email protected]