Events

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTS NORTHERN RIVERS Pitching is a necessary part of professional creative practice, whether it’s discussing an idea for a work, talking to funding bodies about a project, or participating in a competitive pitch process or competition. It’s fraught with legal and marketing challenges, and needs to be approached in a thoughtful and strategic way. PITCHFACE is a relaxed workshop that provides practical advice on how to tell your best story, how to protect your ideas, and simple tips and tricks to avoid the ‘elevator pitch’ and build lasting relationships with the people who can help bring your ideas to life.  The workshop takes a practical and professional look at:+ Preparing for the Pitch – script, presentation, and you;+ Putting together a ‘live pitch’;+ Presenting online and in writing;+ Protecting yourself legally;+ The all-important Follow-Up.  What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated PITCHFACE Dropbox folder full of additional resources and workbooks to help continue the learning after the workshop is over;+ Access to additional free webinars to supplement the material covered in the workshop;+ The possibility of further one-to-one business advice, mentoring and support from one of our creative industries business […]

HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU THINK OF TO MAKE MONEY? Creative businesses often need help to brainstorm all the possible ways to diversify their income streams (especially now!) and become more financially sustainable. Diversify Your Creative Income is an interactive online workshop that allows participants to discuss the various general ways that creatives can make money (including services, goods and passive income), and includes practical exercises to help brainstorm those ideas. This workshop examines:+ Identifying your Core and Complementary Skills;+ The Minimum Viable Offering;+ Using a Skills Audit to inspire ideas;+ How to identify a ‘good’ idea;+ Helpful resources and more! What do I get?All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Diversify Your Creative Income Dropbox folder full of additional resources and help;+ Access to a dedicated webpage full of links and resources to help them get ahead in their creative business. Who should enrol?This workshop is ideal for recent graduates, freelancers and anyone struggling with time, work and creativity. It’s also relevant no matter what your profession – filmmakers, writers, designers, visual artists, musicians, composers, dancers, performers – everyone can benefit from a quick introduction or refresher to the basics of time management and […]

Government funding, grants, awards and procurement are often held up as the holy grail of a successful arts business, but this revenue stream also takes hard work and patience. After all, there’s no such thing as ‘free money’.Funding Guidelines for Creatives showcases the basics of writing, winning, and acquitting any kind of funding, as well as making plans and preparing for your funding future. In this down-to-earth workshop, participants will learn more about: + The different kinds of funding available;+ Creating a Funding Folder and Grant Calendar;+ Researching funding and considering applications;+ Writing the Proposal – and avoiding the common errors;+ The Acquittal Process – and how to recover from setbacks;+ The five main ways to ‘fail’ at funding. Resources, examples and templates will also be provided for a variety of funding applications. This workshop will be relaxed and informal. You can ask all the questions you have never been able to ask before and will have ample opportunity to network and get to know each other. Ideal for: This workshop is tailored specifically to creative people who are (or want to be) self-employed in some capacity. It is ideal for recent graduates, freelancers and small arts organisations. What do I […]

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PENRITH CITY COUNCIL Marketing is one of the most despised and least understood aspects of running a creative business and being an arts entrepreneur. Most creatives hate to sell, and would rather be making than hustling. There is a simple secret to making marketing more palatable – understanding the strategy behind the sales will make a huge impact on your creative career. This down-to-earth and enjoyable workshop explores the mystery behind the marketing magic, specifically for creative professionals. We’ll also examine:+ The key elements of a successful marketing campaign;+ How to understand clients, customer and competitors;+ The deeper meaning of word-of-mouth marketing;+ The importance of social media;+ How to make a website with impact … and much more! Our Creative’s Guide to Marketing workshop is tailored specifically to creative people who are (or want to be) self-employed, from students and start-ups to experienced freelancers and arts organisations. What do I get?All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Creative’s Guide to Marketing dropbox folder full of additional resources and help;+ Access to a dedicated webpage full of links and resources to help them get ahead in their creative business. Who should enrol?This workshop […]

Marketing is one of the most despised and least understood aspects of running a creative business and being an arts entrepreneur. Most creatives hate to sell, and would rather be making than hustling. There is a simple secret to making marketing more palatable – understanding the strategy behind the sales will make a huge impact on your creative career. This down-to-earth and enjoyable workshop explores the mystery behind the marketing magic, specifically for creative professionals. We’ll also examine:+ The key elements of a successful marketing campaign;+ How to understand clients, customer and competitors;+ The deeper meaning of word-of-mouth marketing;+ The importance of social media;+ How to make a website with impact … and much more! Our Creative’s Guide to Marketing workshop is tailored specifically to creative people who are (or want to be) self-employed, from students and start-ups to experienced freelancers and arts organisations. What do I get?All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Creative’s Guide to Marketing dropbox folder full of additional resources and help;+ Access to a dedicated webpage full of links and resources to help them get ahead in their creative business. Who should enrol?This workshop is ideal for recent graduates, freelancers […]

HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU THINK OF TO MAKE MONEY? Creative businesses often need help to brainstorm all the possible ways to diversify their income streams (especially now!) and become more financially sustainable. Diversify Your Creative Income is an interactive online workshop that allows participants to discuss the various general ways that creatives can make money (including services, goods and passive income), and includes practical exercises to help brainstorm those ideas. This workshop examines:+ Identifying your Core and Complementary Skills;+ The Minimum Viable Offering;+ Using a Skills Audit to inspire ideas;+ How to identify a ‘good’ idea;+ Helpful resources and more! What do I get?All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Diversify Your Creative Income Dropbox folder full of additional resources and help;+ Access to a dedicated webpage full of links and resources to help them get ahead in their creative business. Who should enrol?This workshop is ideal for recent graduates, freelancers and anyone struggling with time, work and creativity. It’s also relevant no matter what your profession – filmmakers, writers, designers, visual artists, musicians, composers, dancers, performers – everyone can benefit from a quick introduction or refresher to the basics of time management and […]

PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITY OF RYDE Although we’d love art to ‘speak for itself’, sometimes we need to communicate,negotiate and manage the conflict that comes with creative professionalism. Working professionally in the arts and creative sector means communicating with a diverserange of people across an array of complicated circumstances. Any ordinary day could includemanaging a new professional relationship, negotiating your fees, umpiring an argument orsetting better boundaries for the work. Sometimes with no clues or tools to help us at all! Deal or No Deal is a practical workshop packed with real-life activities and fun challenges tohelp creatives learn the basics of communication, negotiation and conflict resolution all in thesafety of a friendly workshop space. Participants will learn the following, with a focus on arts practice and creative industries:+ The basic elements of effective communication, both in person and in writing+ Managing negotiations with a focus on how to create a win-win scenario+ Understanding how to minimise the idea of a 'zero sum game'+ Tips and tricks on better ways to say no+ A visual aid to assist with mapping conflicts to achieve the best resolutions for allPractical exercises and homework will be provided for all the discussed strategies. […]

WE KNOW WE NEED ONE – BUT WHERE TO START? A website is so much more than a passive online portfolio display. It can be a centralised place to showcase services, a marketing tool to share stories, and an educational platform to help clients understand your craft. Creative's Guide to Websites is a practical and comprehensive workshop that examines the best ways for creatives to present their websites, with real-life examples of best practice, and helpful resources for DIY design. Tips that will be shared include:+ Why? Outlining the goals for your website;+ Making a Site Map and organising the content;+ Do It Yourself or Hire a Designer? The pros and cons of each;+ Choosing the best platform for a DIY website;+ Thinking SHOP not GALLERY.Resources and links will be shared throughout the workshop to help guide participants. What do I get? All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Creative's Guide to Websites Dropbox folder full of additional resources and workbooks to help continue the learning after the workshop is over;+ Access to additional free webinars to supplement the material covered in the workshop;+ The possibility of further one-to-one business advice, mentoring and support from […]

HOW TO LAY THE FOUNDATIONS OF A COMPELLING BRAND Branding can be a tricky concept to comprehend and many creative freelancers and arts organisations don’t understand how to make it work. In a marketplace full of mixed marketing messages, a compelling brand can help a creative practitioner or organisation stand out from the crowd. Creatives who make the most of their branding can build a loyal community of clients and customers that are engaged and interested, willing to spend money, and happy to spread the word.  In this down-to-earth workshop, participants will learn about:+ The basic concepts of branding, and why it’s so important;+ Personal and professional branding, and how it applies to creative practitioners;+ The ingredients that make a compelling brand;+ Practical steps to help participants bring their branding A-Game What do I get?  All participants of this workshop also receive:+ Lifetime access to a dedicated Creative's Guide to Branding Dropbox folder full of additional resources and workbooks to help continue the learning after the workshop is over;+ Access to additional free webinars to supplement the material covered in the workshop;+ The possibility of further one-to-one business advice, mentoring and support from one of our creative industries business specialist […]

Government funding, grants, awards and procurement are often held up as the holy grail of a successful arts business, but this revenue stream also takes hard work and patience. After all, there’s no such thing as ‘free money’.Funding Guidelines for Creatives showcases the basics of writing, winning, and acquitting any kind of funding, as well as making plans and preparing for your funding future. In this down-to-earth workshop, participants will learn more about: + The different kinds of funding available;+ Creating a Funding Folder and Grant Calendar;+ Researching funding and considering applications;+ Writing the Proposal – and avoiding the common errors;+ The Acquittal Process – and how to recover from setbacks;+ The five main ways to ‘fail’ at funding. Resources, examples and templates will also be provided for a variety of funding applications. This workshop will be relaxed and informal. You can ask all the questions you have never been able to ask before and will have ample opportunity to network and get to know each other. Ideal for: This workshop is tailored specifically to creative people who are (or want to be) self-employed in some capacity. It is ideal for recent graduates, freelancers and small arts organisations. What do I […]