Stage One Creative Services Limited

The Spirit of Christmas

Stage One Creative Services Limited — 14/12/2023

Stage One are pleased to continue to support our friends at The Spirit of Christmas during the festive period.

They support families throughout the year, at what can be a very stressful and challenging time for many. A Yorkshire-based charity, their aim is simple, they seek to make Christmas joyful for all.

Their activities include a toy bank, Santa’s grotto, and children’s parties. At Stage One, we introduced a scheme for staff members to buy material off-cuts, and the funds raised from these purchases are used to buy toys for the charity’s toy bank.

This is such a successful scheme. We also provide the charity with a Santa’s grotto and a stage for their Christmas parties, with several members of staff using their volunteer day and their personal time to make and install them.

The Spirit of Christmas is run by a team of dedicated volunteers, and since their start in 2009 they have catered for over 6,600 children and families at their Christmas parties. We are delighted to help them spread Christmas cheer to those who might otherwise be without. And we’re proud of the continued efforts of our team to help make this happen.

“As a very small charity we are grateful for the support we receive from individuals and organisations that help us to provide for 1600-2000 children through the projects that we run.” The Spirit of Christmas

Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards

Stage One Creative Services Limited — 04/03/2024

Stage One are delighted to have been named as one of the 50 fastest growing companies in Yorkshire.

The Ward Haddaway Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards, in association with The Yorkshire Post, celebrate growth, innovation and the commercial achievements of Yorkshire businesses.

Based on financial data filed with Companies House, the list ranks the fifty best performing independent companies which have consistently increased turnover over the past three financial years, whilst remaining profitable.

Emma Digby is Executive Partner at Ward Hadaway's Leeds Office, said, “I extend my congratulations to Stage One and all of the businesses recognised this year. Together, you represent the best of Yorkshire's entrepreneurial spirit and are an inspiration for future generations.

“Each company listed, including Stage One, has played a pivotal role in shaping a resilient, innovative and dynamic Yorkshire business community. This year, more than ever, the Fastest 50 encapsulates the essence of growth and resilience, illustrating how businesses across Yorkshire have not only adapted but thrived amidst challenges.

Tim Leigh, MD at Stage One adds “From architectural experiments to Olympic ceremonies, we are proud to be a creative force in the Yorkshire region that has an impact on the global stage. This accolade is testament to the skilled craftsmanship and hard efforts our teams deliver every day. Our work creates moments that people remember for ever.”

Stage One Supporting Mental Health

Stage One Creative Services Limited — 15/07/2024

Approximately 1 in 4 in the UK will experience a mental illness each year^[1], with 70% of employees saying they’ve experienced poor mental health in their lives^[2].

Mental health doesn’t just affect us at home, it can affect any and all elements of our lives, and statistics such as these cannot be ignored. We therefore believe that we have a responsibility as an employer to support our staff and their mental health.

In many ways, mental health is just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it. For this reason, we have introduced trained Mental Health First Aiders into Stage One. This team of individuals promote awareness of mental health in the workplace; and can support colleagues who are struggling with their mental health.

Sometimes, even small everyday actions can make the biggest difference. The role of a Mental Health First Aider can vary from simply providing a non-judgemental listening ear, to signposting to further resources or professional help, to responding to a mental health crisis.

^[1] NHS England

^[2] Mind

Bringing Ideas to Life

Stage One Creative Services Limited — 27/01/2025

Design concepts can come to us at any stage of the creative development process, from a rough pencil sketch to a fully detailed technical drawing. Most designs fall somewhere in between.

The process of nurturing a design is reflected in terms such as design development, design assist, design engineering, consultancy, and pre-contract services. Each is a nuanced stage of the journey, but they’re often confused or conflated.

In our experience early-stage creative ideas are usually enticing but not fully formed; and that’s exactly how it should be. Here are some of the things that can be done to help clients on this journey.

Framing the Opportunity

Adding practical insight to a creative vision provides clarity and credibility. On its own, a stunning render isn't enough. The vision needs to be realisable. In the era of AI-generated visuals, this has never been more important. We draw upon decades of experience of delivering these types of projects to inform our consultancy output.

Engineering Feasibility

A creative concept must obey the laws of physics, conform to standards, and deal with specific environmental conditions. Ensuring safe, reliable functionality in the installed location is always critical.

Buildability

Considering a manufacturing approach and understanding construction constraints is really useful when developing an idea. For example, a project that needs more material than exists in the supply chain is good to know early in the process. At a more modest, but no less important level, will the deliverables break down into components that will fit through the venue doors?

Cost Certainty

We’re good at determining ballpark estimates—often accurate to within 20%, but achieving precise cost certainty takes time and thorough analysis. This deeper dive is a core part of our consultancy and helps in cost budgeting across the project at large.

Timeline Accuracy

A solid methodology is required to establish a reliable timeline. Like cost analysis above, this process provides confidence to others upstream and benefits from careful planning.

Prototyping & Sampling

Producing samples and crafting prototypes helps align clients and suppliers in terms of deliverables. This also allows the end client to revise and refine output which provides a strong sense of control.

This approach is proven, and we know it has value.