Tell us your story Kayle, what’s a day in the life of your work at United Art Project?

The United Art Project idea was formed in the comfort of Kayle’s living room back in March 2020 when Britain went into its first.

COVID Lockdown. The council were advertising a small grant funding project called #responsel and Kayle wanted to use her Dramatherapy expertise to structure what was to become project 1. She used the power of unity through uncertainty to propel the project and to get the Bradford community applying to be a part of this collaborative and creatively expressive project that united households and provided some much-needed stability and excitement in what became a scary and isolating experience.. The United Art Project is founded upon 4 pillars of operation, its purpose is to facilitate unique and bespoke experiences that offer: ‘Art for Free’, ‘Art to Unite’, ‘Art to Heal’, and ‘Art to Aspire’.

Your journey as an entrepreneur – the biggest opportunities and challenges; advice could you share with others starting out?

I would advise anyone starting out to remain as solution focused as possible! Be a problem solver because you will then inadvertently become a problem preventer! The biggest challenge was to learn the ropes of how to operate as a fully functional organisation. A business model; with all its complexities and necessity for clarity; is a mighty feat. I had to take the rejection, the ghosting, the setbacks, the mounds of paperwork: the logistical nightmares, the hours of online learning, and website reading; and run with them, headfirst, into the wind! You are literally all departments!

How has Build Your Business helped develop your thinking and practice.

Initial zoom calls with CABAD in 2021, along with face to face meetings with Imran Hussain at Impact Hub Bradford gave me the motivation, direction and understanding needed to grow from a Community Association into a Community Interest Company. It was an interesting experience with Imran, as he too was on a journey of learning about the operations of different legal business structures, this part of the journey felt like a mutual sharing of findings. Other organisations that can further support the UAP have been and continue to be shared, along with bookkeeping tips, legal structures, business websites that look at funding and looking at our company’s performance and longevity.

What are your hopes and how you see your business developing – expanding the team, new lines of business 

The UAP aims to remain sustainable within the future landscape of the current day UK, with all its ongoing funding cuts and austerity…

We want to build on the fantastic projects we have worked so hard.

We want to gain funding that enables us to work with all ages and abilities. We want to be led by the communities we serve. We want to encourage more non-painters to paint and express, and we want to support and nurture the new Picassos of our time.

Your entrepreneurial influences – whom do you look up to and admire?

I have a lot of self-employed influences in my locality, Flite Coaching, my brother, my dad is a freelance engineer. My friends such as Kirsty Taylor for her poetry and ‘bull by the horns’ approach to her work. My work partners Lauren Batty Sarah Fearnephotography. Northern Arts Factory. We are all Yorkshire folk with whom I can connect and resonate with. I have watched their journeys, I have learnt from their mistakes and I can now add my own mistake making into the mix and that is why The United Art Project is as functionally robust as it is!