Creative Cardiff
Creative Cardiff is a Cardiff University non-profit project and free community network connecting creative professionals, freelancers, and organisations across Cardiff and Wales through a member directory, geographic mapping platform, and monthly networking events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCardiff, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Creative Cardiff does
Creative Cardiff is a non-profit community network initiative operating as a project within the Creative Economy Unit of Cardiff University. Founded in 2015 by Professor Justin Lewis, Professor Ian Hargreaves, and Sara Pepper, the organisation connects creative professionals, freelancers, businesses, and institutions across Cardiff, South Wales, and the wider Welsh creative economy. Its core product is a free, public-facing member directory where users create profiles to share work, sector, and contact details, supplemented by the Creative Economy Atlas Cymru, a geographic mapping platform aggregating member data by sector and location to showcase the creative economy across Wales. Additional offerings include the Creative Cuppa monthly themed networking events, a fortnightly email newsletter, a jobs and opportunities portal, a curated database of Cardiff creative spaces available to hire, and a news and updates platform.
Creative Cardiff firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Creative Cardiff
- Legal name
- Creative Cardiff (a project within the Creative Economy Unit of Cardiff University)
- Website
- https://creativecardiff.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Creative Cardiff is a Cardiff University non-profit project and free community network connecting creative professionals, freelancers, and organisations across Cardiff and Wales through a member directory, geographic mapping platform, and monthly networking events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Creative Cardiff industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Industry Network
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)
Keywords
Where Creative Cardiff is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cardiff
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Creative Cardiff business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Institutional Funding: Creative Cardiff is a project within the Creative Economy Unit of Cardiff University. The organization appears to be funded through Cardiff University's institutional budget and grant funding rather than commercial revenue. No membership fees are mentioned for the directory network.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Creative Cardiff product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creative Cardiff is a creative industry network and community platform that connects creative professionals, businesses, and organisations across Cardiff and the city region. Founded in 2015 as a project within the Creative Economy Unit of Cardiff University, it operates a Network Directory, Creative Economy Atlas Cymru, and Creative Cuppa events to support the local creative ecosystem.
Product overview
Creative Cardiff operates as a unified network platform comprising a member directory for creative professionals, a geographic mapping tool (Creative Economy Atlas Cymru), monthly themed networking events (Creative Cuppa), a curated database of creative spaces across Cardiff. The platform is managed by Cardiff University's Creative Economy Unit and serves as a hub for connecting, engaging, and supporting creative professionals, businesses, and organisations across Cardiff and the city region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Network Directory A searchable directory platform connecting creative professionals, businesses, and organisations across Cardiff and the city region, enabling members to discover and connect with others in the local creative ecosystem.
- Creative Economy Atlas Cymru A geographic and visual mapping tool that catalogues and showcases the creative economy across Cardiff and the wider city region, enabling researchers, policymakers, and creative practitioners to understand the structure and distribution of the creative ecosystem.
- Creative Cuppa events Informal networking events that bring together members of the creative community in Cardiff and the city region to facilitate connections, collaboration, and peer support in an accessible social setting.
Quantifiable outcome
- One of nine creative clusters selected for AHRC funding across the UK
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Creative Cardiff
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Creative Cardiff technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Creative Cardiff partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Lone WorldscorePartnership to launch CWÎR: Creative Community for LGBTQ+ creatives, a series of six events throughout 2026. Funded by Arts Council Wales, the initiative provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ creatives to connect, share and collaborate.
- CULTVRminorCULTVR is a Cardiff-based immersive technology lab providing space for digital creatives. Creative Cardiff features CULTVR in their themed engagement activities around digital creativity.
- Cardiff University Biowareness TeamminorPartnership with Cardiff University Biowareness team to hold a free science-art event at Chapter Arts Centre. Part of ART LAB experience collaboration.
- Clwstwr (for Creative Economy Atlas Cymru)minorThe Creative Economy Atlas Cymru is a collaboration showcasing the creative strength of Wales. Creative Cardiff members have the opportunity to be mapped on this platform.
- Cardiff UniversitycoreCardiff University leads the Creative Cluster initiative with partners including University of South Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Welsh Government, Cardiff Council, all major broadcasters in Wales, and over 60 industry businesses. Focus on screen industries including film, TV and their supply chains.
- University of South WalescorePartnership with University of South Wales as part of the Creative Cluster initiative focused on screen industries research and development.
- Cardiff Metropolitan UniversitycorePartnership with Cardiff Metropolitan University as part of the Creative Cluster initiative focused on screen industries research and development.
- Sound DiplomacycoreSound Diplomacy, international leaders in music strategy development, partnered with Cardiff Council and Creative Cardiff to develop a music strategy to make Cardiff the UK's first Music City. Previously worked with cities including Barcelona, Berlin and London.
- BAFTA CymrucoreCreative Cardiff and BAFTA Cymru jointly organised the 'Visioning the New Realities' event bringing together over 80 practitioners, business leaders and academics to explore VR and AR development in South Wales creative sectors. The partnership continues to engage with the immersive community to support the development of Wales VR cluster.
- Green Man FestivalcoreCardiff University and Green Man Festival expanded their existing partnership through a memorandum of understanding signed May 25th. The partnership includes internship opportunities for students, engagement events and scientific research collaboration. The festival is described as an example of best practice in music tourism generating £95m in direct and indirect tourism spending in Wales.
- Clwstwr (Creative Industries Cluster)coreClwstwr is one of nine Creative Industries Clusters across the UK, funded by the UK Government Industrial Strategy, aiming to put innovation and R&D at the core of media production in South Wales. Sara Pepper serves as Chief Operating Officer of Clwstwr. The organisations work closely together as part of Cardiff University's Creative Economy Unit.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Creative Cardiff competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Creative UK: The UK-wide membership body for the creative industries (formerly Creative Industries Federation). Operates at national scale connecting creative businesses, policymakers, and educators — a broader incumbent that overlaps with Creative Cardiff's network-building and policy advocacy role.
- Arts Council Wales: Welsh Government arms-length body distributing public funding for the arts in Wales. Overlaps with Creative Cardiff as a regional creative-sector connector and is also a direct funder (CWÎR programme). Broader in remit (funding distribution, policy) but operates in the same Welsh creative ecosystem.
- BAFTA Cymru: Welsh arm of BAFTA supporting the screen and creative industries in Wales. Active partner of Creative Cardiff on the Visioning the New Realities VR/AR cluster event. A broader industry body with awards and membership focus rather than a community network.
Direct peers
- Creative Lancashire: A regional creative industries network and development organisation for Lancashire. Operates a similar model to Creative Cardiff — connecting creative practitioners, businesses, and policymakers, running events, and curating opportunities — but in a different UK region.
- Watershed: Bristol-based creative and digital media centre running a cultural cinema, workspace, and talent development programmes. Comparable to Creative Cardiff as a regional creative hub combining physical programming, network-building, and industry support, although at a larger scale and with a stronger commercial arm.
- Screen Scotland: National agency supporting Scotland's screen industries, distributing funds and running skills development programmes. Comparable to Creative Cardiff's role supporting the screen cluster within Cardiff University's Creative Cluster initiative, although at a national rather than city-region level.
- Clwstwr: Welsh Creative Industries R&D cluster co-located within Cardiff University's Creative Economy Unit and co-led by Sara Pepper. Operates with the same cluster mandate and overlapping thematic focus (screen, immersive, VR/AR), making it the most direct organisational peer of Creative Cardiff.
Regional players
- Wales Millennium Centre: Cardiff Bay national performing arts centre. Sara Pepper's prior employer and a Cardiff-cultural anchor. Operates in the same Welsh creative ecosystem with a venue-based rather than network-based model.
- Chapter Arts Centre: Cardiff-based arts centre combining cinema, gallery, performance, and creative workspace. Same Cardiff/Wales geography as Creative Cardiff but oriented around physical venue programming rather than network/directory services. Partner on ART LAB science-art events.
Others
- Sound Diplomacy: International music strategy consultancy that partnered with Creative Cardiff and Cardiff Council to develop Cardiff's Music City strategy. Not a peer in the network-operator sense, but a thematic partner — illustrating the type of enabling/consultancy ecosystem Creative Cardiff engages with.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Creative Cardiff social profiles
Digital presenceCreative Cardiff financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Creative Cardiff leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Creative Cardiff funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Creative Cardiff M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Creative Cardiff
What does Creative Cardiff do?
Creative Cardiff is a creative industry network and community platform that connects creative professionals, businesses, and organisations across Cardiff and the city region. Founded in 2015 as a project within the Creative Economy Unit of Cardiff University, it operates a Network Directory, Creative Economy Atlas Cymru, and Creative Cuppa events to support the local creative ecosystem.
Is Creative Cardiff a public or private company?
Creative Cardiff is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Creative Cardiff founded?
Creative Cardiff was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Creative Cardiff based?
Creative Cardiff is headquartered in Cardiff, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Creative Cardiff make money?
One revenue line is on record: institutional Funding.
Who are Creative Cardiff's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Creative UK, Arts Council Wales and BAFTA Cymru. Direct peers are Creative Lancashire, Watershed, Screen Scotland and Clwstwr. Regional players are Wales Millennium Centre and Chapter Arts Centre. Sound Diplomacy is listed as an others.
Does Creative Cardiff have an API?
No public API is recorded for Creative Cardiff.
What industry is Creative Cardiff in?
Creative Cardiff's product category is Creative Industry Network. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAD, Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations.