Key help for creative people

Jul 24 2008 by Karen Dent, The Journal

Creative people are renowned for being good at what they do but they aren’t always so astute at the business side of things. Karen Dent finds out about a scheme designed to equip arts-based businesses with the skills they need to succeed.

SELLING your skills and abilities can be difficult for people in any type of business, but it is traditionally something those in the creative sectors struggle with.

But photographers, graphic designers, film-makers, software and digital entrepreneurs and PR people are now being helped by a new North East project.

The Institute of Digital Innovation (IDI), at the hub of creative business development at the University of Teesside, has been helping entrepreneurs to source the advice and training they need to give their ideas some commercial clout.

Using European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) money, IDI put together a programme of mentoring, training and advice sessions under the Business Buzz banner.

The team approached creative businesses on IDI’s database to find out what kind of support they considered would be most beneficial to them.

Scott Watson, industry liaison manager at Digital City, which is part of IDI, said: “We said, ‘what do you want out of this project? Where do you think your business may be struggling?’ Creative people are not necessarily good at sales and finding where the jobs are.

“It’s absolutely bespoke stuff. The companies came to us and said ‘this is what we need’.”

Starting in February last year, the mentoring part of the programme provided creative, technical and business mentoring for 10 companies for 10 days. A further 25 businesses are about to complete their five-day mentoring sessions.

“They might be a graphic designer who needs software help,” said Mr Watson. “With the technical software sides, they sometimes struggle. A lot of the companies have been in business for some time. It’s helping them to update their skills.”

More than 50 businesses have also attended workshops run as part of the project, ranging from software masterclasses, to using public relations, how to pitch a film script, selling yourself and your ideas and the legalities of putting a contract together. Photographer Keith Moss, who is based at Brotton, near Saltburn by the Sea, was invited to act as a mentor and deliver a number of workshops. Working in the industry for 20 years, he used his own experiences to help photographers make the most of their talent and saleable skills.

“Most creatives usually are dyslexic and are not very good business-wise,” he said. “If somebody is in business as a photographer, I’m here to help and guide them as a business.

“I have been through some bad times and good times, and I guide them through, and how we got to where we’ve got to. It’s leading by example.”

He has mentored around half a dozen photographers and presented workshops about using photography software, as well as advised enterprises about ideas he has used to reap rewards.

“I talk about things that have worked. For example, we hire a PR agency rather than advertise. I’ve worked with advertising agencies over the years and ads don’t tend to work – people flick through them.

“I believe in stories, people buy into people no matter what you are selling. We tell stories about what we are doing and people buy into us.”

Former University of Teesside student Marc Ganley has been taking advantage of the help available through Business Buzz as he tries to establish himself as a film-maker.

He is mentored by drama and documentary maker Peter Kershaw from Duchy Parade Films in Harrogate, who has helped him put together his historical documentary Ragnarock – the Last Viking Invasion of England.

“I had my idea and obviously the enthusiasm to want to do it but I didn’t have the experience to make it happen,” he said.

“He was able to help me shape the scripts and give me the contacts. It was a turning point. It’s about getting ideas to become something realistic and commercial.”

Mr Ganley, who studied for two fellowships at IDI, also utilised the workshops presented as part of the initiative.

“You get pointed in the right direction. Digital City provided me with other mentors, script development workshops and business-based help to help me make it professionally,” he said. “And other industry professionals come in and you get an hour or so with them.”

He is using the business skills he has learned to whip up TV interest in Ragnarock.

“Commissioning editors already seem really excited by my ideas and I’m now working to raise funds to help me put together a trailer which will hopefully lead to a full commission,” he said. The Business Buzz project ends in September, but Scott Watson says the team is bidding for funds to run it again. “It’s one of the most satisfying things about my job,” he said. “This is what we want – companies in our region to be a success.”