ART Venture could be looking for you

ART Venture could be looking for you

Innovative Business Development Programme in Creative Sector: Open for Expressions of Interest

ART Venture, a unique acceleration programme for entrepreneurial people working in Auckland’s creative sector is on the lookout for its next intake of participants. Up to twelve creative entrepreneurs will be awarded a place on the programme, which is valued at up to $38,000.

Now in its fifth year, ART Venture is looking for entrepreneurial practitioners, producers and arts leaders who are serious about accelerating their skills, projects, organisations and businesses. “As the programme is so bespoke, we are looking for people from across the spectrum of Auckland's creative sector. That includes those who are more experienced [and wanting to take what they do to the next level of success] as well those in the early stages of enterprise development who are keen to get off to a strong start. All are creative, entrepreneurial people with ‘fire in their belly’ and great projects that they want to further” says Candy Elsmore from Arts Regional Trust Te Taumata Toi-a-iwi (ART).

Participants on the programme are drawn from across all disciplines of Auckland’s arts, culture and creative industries. Programme Director Elisabeth Vaneveld explains, “The programme provides a flexible customised action-learning environment that through peer-to-peer support, specialist coaching, a seed fund pitching process and an innovative curriculum, accelerates each participant’s creative enterprise.”

2012 ART Venture participant, Kyra Clarke, managing director and founder of Threaded Media, says "ART Venture created a shift in me on both a personal and professional level. Prior to engaging with ART Venture [as ashamed as I am to admit it], I ran a business where I was fully immersed in the business and didn't direct nearly enough of that energy into working on the business."
Helped by ART Venture, Kyra travelled to London and set up business development meetings with Wallpaper Magazine's Chief Editor Tony Chambers, Monocle's Editor-in-Chief- Tyler Brûlé and various London-based publications, distributors and design studios. She says, "As a professional creative entrepreneur, who could confidently discuss distribution models to increase Threaded's circulation throughout the UK and Europe I was able to position Threaded as a premium international art & design publication. ART Venture equipped me to do that really well through, for example, the snapshot information I prepared in advance to take over to show those I met with."

ART Venture is focused on practical outcomes and Kyra continues "It was through ART Venture I had the opportunity to conceptualise and to test the new [ad-free] partnership model that keeps Threaded moving forward. Through planning, projecting and working hard on my venture as a whole I came to realise the importance - and necessity - of a team and that the way I was working was not sustainable. I now have a full time employee which allows me to work on something I managed even more poorly pre-Art Venture - my work/ life balance!"
Previous ART Venture participants have included Kylie Aitchison [Comedy Festival Director], Justin Lewis [theatre director/producer], Shona McCullagh [filmmaker, choreographer], Jamie McLellan [designer], and Philip Patston [social entrepreneur].

“We have been hugely impressed by the progress that previous Art Venture participants have made since leaving the programme. As high-achievers, many of them have substantially advanced their goals during a very challenging time for the arts, culture and creative sectors, and the national and global economies” says Elisabeth Vaneveld.

Expressions of interest close on Friday 5 April. Find out more about ART Venture, what previous participants have said and whether the programme is right for you by going to the expressions of interest page.
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