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I went to the first event in Preparing for your Degree Show, Essential planning for your degree show.

Speakers Patrick Swindell and Ben Freeman met studying BA Graphic Design at Camberwell. As students they took prominent roles organising all three end of year shows learning from their mistakes along the way.

Being generous sorts they agreed to share a condensed top tips with the five areas you need to start thinking about now as to begin to plan for you degree show:

In the same spirit I have broken up the main content of the talk into digestible chunks:

Traps to avoid:

•Avoid the temptation to crowbar everything into one single unifying theme. The fact that you are all one the same course is often all the theme you need and being overly dictatorial in terms of subject matter can often stifle individual's creativity and impact on the overall quality of the work as a whole.

•There is no need to allocate space evenly between students. Naturally different students will work to different scales so divvy up space to suit to artwork itself. This will make for a much more dynamic show and stop it looking like a trade show!

•Consider security issues. Both Patrick and Ben have experienced theft of work at the shows they have organised so protect yourself from falling into the same trap.

•Strike the right balance. The strength of the show should be matched by the strength of the work in the show. If the work is strong but the show is weak then you won't do your hard work justice. If the show is strong but the work is weak then people will have a great time and hang around but the work will be ignored, leading to poor sales and reduced interest in commissions.

Free Stuff:

•Companies are strapped for cash at the moment so why not ask for processes or materials instead of cash. For instance you could approach a lasercutting company to do some signage for the show in return for a credit in the show programme.

•Don't approach companies directly for sponsorship, approach the PR company they employ to represent them instead. Free booze is a cornerstone to any successful private view so again don't contact, say, Beck's direct research their PR company online and contact them instead. An alternatively option is the Bar Show which is held is Islington on the 15&16 June and is a one stop shop for sourcing refreshments for your event.

Managing and designating roles:

•Start with a selection of good ideas for your show and go with one of them. Try not to combineeach individual idea into one and you may well end up with a vague diluted concept.

•If you're struggling to make decisions as a group why not use a majority vote to choose and avoid time wasting indecision.

•Get hold of the floor plan for the space you are hiring for your show. Every exhibition space whether internal to the UAL or external should have a PDF or CAD file precisely detailing the dimensions of the space that will contain your show will be allow you to accurately arrange the layout of your degree show.

•Check the does and don't of the space. It could be that you are exhibiting in a listed building which prohibits you from drilling into the walls to check up from to avoid nasty surprises.

•Write a timetable. Time will simply disappear, especially as you will be creating your own work to go in the show at the same time as planning the event itself. Creating a timetable will make it easy to assign roles and keep everyone on track.

•One way to assign roles is to get people to pitch for them and then vote of your favourite.

•Find out where the budget for your show is coming from and how much it is. Someone has to take responsibility for the budget so assign someone to the task.

•Target your invites to ensure the people you want to see your work are at the show as individuals and then compile an aggregate mailing list to be sent on behalf of the entire show. Doing this rather than doing it individually will make you come across as such more professional.

Be creative:

•There are all sorts of amazing materials you could us to breakup the space you have hired to give it a layered and dynamic feel. Consider hiring material as a money saving alternative to purchasing.

•If your course tutor is dictating much of the content of your final show find out exactly what level of decision making you have as students. Having a tutor overseeing the entire show is not always a bad thing as you can leave all the difficult quality control decisions to them leaving you free to concentrate on other aspects of the show and avoid clashes between friends.

Finally some useful resources:

•Main titles – good for dry transfers
•4D – another sources of dry transfers and many other materials
•Atlantis – large range of premade picture frame.

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The atmosphere at Chelsea has been different this week, something has changed. The usual swagger of fellow students passing through the corridors had transformed into an urgent semi-jog. Whether you're putting your portfolio together for an interview or drawing up plans for an end of year show deadlines loom at every turn.

It's easy to get caught up in the general hysteria of it all which is why it's comforting to know this week sees the start of ECCA's Preparing for you Degree Show 2010 - a gently paced month of events helping take a bit of the stress out of what should be the culmination of all your efforts during your time at UAL.

However, I think that the degree show shouldn't be your sole focus. It's all too tempting to drop everything to dedicate yourself to the task but you also need to be looking beyond graduation even now.

One familiar theme when talking to graduates during my time here at ECCA is the idea of starting to do some work, whether employed, voluntary or as a freelancer, now while you're still a student.

Joe Baglow, last month's featured case study student certainly found that as far as internships go, companies are much more willing to help a student gain experience than a graduate. You want to start making your mark as soon as you graduate from college, so you might as well get ready now.

'Preparing for your degree show' sounds like it's all about the lead up to the big event, and a lot of it is. But many of the events scheduled are a chance to learn skills which will extend well beyond your student days; from pricing and selling your work to promoting yourself effectively in the press. It's about making the step from student of confident creative professional even before you think you're ready.

Here are a couple of things to think about:

• Why not blog about the run up to your degree show and share goals that reach beyond the show itself. With this will come a sense of accountability which will help you keep on track.

• Think about jobs and freelance work now. The majority of final year students will be feeling too busy to do this, and you may be in the same boat but it also presents you with a great opportunity to beat the crowd to securing the first foot in the door.

So, I reckon, pile your plate high and stay hungry.


Image "Like spinning plates" by Jameson42 on flickr

 

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To get a valuable insight into how to use your creativity for enterprise, who better to ask than a previous competition winner for Making Money from your Creativity?

Xiang Zeng has recently graduated from Central Saint Martins and was commissioned to create images for the ECCA website.

One of her main pieces of advice is to start your own website or blog. "My freelancing is currently mostly conducted through my website www.freerangedoodle.com," says Xiang. "There people can find my blog with photos and news of my products as well as a shop where these products may be bought." Creating a website is an unofficial way of publishing your work and getting your ideas noticed, and it can also produce revenue from sales.

Winning the ECCA London competition was no doubt an important contribution to her website becoming the first hit on Google search.

Using her creativity for enterprise, she explores many different design endeavours. These mainly include wallpaper design and illustration, as well as reinforced paper jewellery and brooches.

Her work was noticed at the degree show by The Hungarian Cultural Centre. "Together with four other students, was offered an opportunity to exhibit there," Xiang explains. "The financing was provided by the centre, but the planning for the exhibition was entirely up to us. We had a 4 page long article in the Hungarian Elle Decoration in the October issue, which talked about the upcoming exhibition and about our work."

This was obviously a great source of publicity for the exhibition. They also sent out invites, as well as creating advertisements on both Facebook and Twitter, all valuable methods of promotion.

It is clear that by becoming involved in different events, networking and competitions, it allows your work to get noticed and provides a platform for future work and experiences. Since being involved in Making Money from your Creativity, Xiang has completed many different types of creative work, such as: being involved in a fashion winter shoot with Rita Parniczky and designing a window pattern for a high end fusion restaurant in Shanghai.

Xiang gave some other advice for students on how to earn money from their creativity: "Business link is definitely a good place to start. You can get one on one free advice from them for a year and they provide telephone support as well. ECCA also has up to three free advice sessions for students and graduates."

Networking is also a key aspect in getting started, as you meet new people who you may want to collaborate with in the future or who could possibly be your future customers. Xiang says: "It is most helpful to meet people who you may be able to collaborate with later or who may become your future customers. Good networking places are: Metropolitan works, Hidden art, Shell livewire. Constantly pitch for commissions."

To find out more about Xiang, go to www.freerangedoodle.com

ECCA will be launching a new competition next month, so keep checking back on Making Money from your Creativity.

Emma Wilson was a runner-up for a Making Money from your Creativity competition.

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ECCA are conducting our annual survey to find out how well (or not) we've supported you so far. It will take approximately 5 minutes, and we'd like you to share your thoughts with us to see how we can improve and to ensure we continue to meet your professional development needs. Tell us what you really think! We'd appreciate it.

Help us out so we can return the favour - fill out the survey here

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This is the first post from our 'Making Money From Your Creativity' Blog Competition Winner Artemis Evlogimenou.

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This is the first post from a 'Making Money From Your Creativity' Blog Competition Runner Up Jhana Arnold

I have wanted my own business since the early 1980s when, as a child, I began to read The Sunday Times Rich List. It was inspiring to read, not about monetary wealth, but the process of turning an idea into an enterprise.

In 2003, I graduated from the London College of Printing with a Publishing degree, but that was not all. Through the knowledge and skills imparted by my tutors, I felt I had acquired the initial foundations of an MBA course, thus making the entire world of business accessible.

Therefore, I began to develop Read Unlimited: Novel Books™, a consumer publishing house which would initially print illustrated children's titles. I had written a few children's manuscripts, stamped with rejection letters of high praise. Paired with my self-taught skills as an illustrator, I felt the world was my oyster – it still is.

Studying at UAL always leaves one feeling capable of achieving anything. So I did, and managed to get two book distributors in America interested in my first children's book. However, that was just the beginning and soon expectations collided with reality's financial comet.

I can forecast my future through business and marketing plans, but there comes a point where you have to print to make money. My finances were never able to make my dreams come true, but neither was the East London Small Business Centre, Business Link, The Prince's Trust, Arts Council England, or my bank through the UK Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) loans guarantee scheme. BIS secures loans to the value of 75%, including start-ups. However, do not be deterred by my failings. Be bold and discover what these organisations can do for you.

Having just completed an MA in Screenwriting, I realize how fundamental a structure is to a narrative, and a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) represents the same in business. Extracting the essential mineral from your ideas mine is arduous and fraught with failure, as I am sure you are aware.

However, failure is a great motivator which forces you into the world of self-sufficiency through innovation and thus, longevity. Without this treacherous element to my journey, I would never have discovered that the potential of my bounty lies in Bags Of Illustrations™ - I am launching my illustrations on jute bags and will initially set a course for the Saint Lucia tourism market.

Useful links:

East London Small Business Centre -http://www.goeast.org/
Business Link – http://www.businesslink.gov.uk
The Prince's Trust - http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/
Arts Council England - http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/
UK Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) - http://www.berr.gov.uk/

Image: "Paper money, extreme macro" by kevindooley on Flickr

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1. Start a blog - starting a blog has never been easier. Get over to the Wordpress, Blogspot or Blogger websites and share yourself with the world!

2. Buy a diary and USE IT - organisation is key. There's no time for getting in a muddle in 2010.

3. Attend an ECCA event - from Preparing for your Degree Show to one-to-one advice session we're here to help you make the most of your creative potential this year.

4. Take a sketchbook everywhere - a great idea can spring up at any time so be prepared to capture it within the pages of you sketchbook. Like your mobile phone, make the habit of taking it everywhere.

5. Bark at a dog - don't be afraid to stand out. Make an exhibition of yourself and promote yourself at all turns.

6. Get your mates together - what better time to get everyone together for a peer review. Let people know what you're doing and inspire each other.

7. Tweet about your work, not about what you had for dinner - use Twitter as a marketing tool for your work. Keep it relevant and focused and you'll soon have a group of like-minded people to bounce ideas off.

8. Open an online shop - gone are the days of having to build your own fancy online shop. Sites like Etsy, ebay and Folksy let you use their shop infrastructure and direct more traffic to you by virtue of their own marketing.

9. Identify what you're not good at - play to your strengths this year. For example, if you're freelancing and hate filling in tax returns, then consider getting an accountant so you are free to do what you do best - creating ambitious art!

10. Give up giving up - no matter how talented you are, it's persistence that pays off. So in the face of adversity keep your head up, keep going and make 2010 your year.

 

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As an aspiring freelance illustrator myself I was thrilled to get the chance to attend the Freelancing as a graphic designer/illustrator event, part of Enterprise Week 09, and cover it for the ECCA blog.

The full podcast of the event will be posted on the ECCA homepage soon and this blog post is more of a condensed view of all the juicy bits.

To give you a feel of what sort of work the speaker Toby Leigh does visit his website at: www.tobyleigh.com

How to go about getting work

• The first person you should go and see when looking for paid work is your local newsagent. There you can find the names of the Art Directors in the magazines you think your own work would fit. Armed with these contacts you can more effectively target your prospective client when you do your next promotional mailout.

• An alternative is to buy a list of contacts. The best lists are found at www.bikinilists.com

• The most effective way, however, is to join an agency. You can pitch for representation by contacting the agency you like the look of directly. Toby himself is represented by illustration agency Folio (www.folioart.co.uk)

How much to charge when you get a job

Pricing your work as a freelancer can be tricky so a handy resource is the Association of Illustrators (www.theaoi.com).

There is an annual membership fee but once signed up they can draw on a huge database of case studies and similar past jobs to help you price your work accurately.

Dealing with contracts

First tip is to always read the contract! If there is any part of it you are unsure of you can always email it to the AOI and they can read it through and point out any irregularities.

Tax

If you want to freelance you need to register as self-employed. You will have to deal with your own tax return so keep on top of all your receipts by getting yourself a folder with dividers for each month and keep it organised and up to date.

Having a good accountant will make your life a lot easier and you should only have to spend around £400 for one.

Other tips

• If you have a range of art styles why not set up a separate identity for each? Toby has two styles of illustration – one under Toby Leigh and one under his alter ego 'Tobatron'. That way you can be two illustrators in one and get double the work!

• When looking for work don't forget that sending out postcards or other physical promo material is still the industry norm.

Sure you can send emails with attached examples of your work but your potential clients will still value receiving tangible samples of your work. Also handwriting the addresses on the envelopes is a nice touch.

Listen to the podcast and see the presentation

Adam
Enterprise Centre for the Creative Arts

Article Illustration by me, Adam Hayes (www.adamhayesillustrates.com)

 

 

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Bec Andrews, a set and costume designer, delivered a really comprehensive picture of working as a freelance in theatre design.

I've got a bit of a background in theatre, having worked as a theatre journalist for a while, but I didn't know much about theatre design.

Her methodical approach gave some really good tips about collaboration, which is a useful skill whatever creative area you're working in.

"Theatre is nothing if it's not a process of collaboration," said Becs. "You can't do it by yourself." There is a huge range of people you can work with as a freelance set designer – actors, directors, stage management, wardrobe are just a fewexamples.

Let collaborators come to you
A counter-intuitive point: let collaborators find you – people who search you out will be much more into your work. So a website and personal recommendations are very important. An agent doesn't guarantee you work as a theatre designer.

Actively looking for collaborators

If you are actively looking collaborators then the following are really useful:

• Writing letters/ promo material
• Networking events, talking to people, chatting in the bar afterwards
• Keep in touch with people you've worked with
• Advertising shows – send out emails prior to shows, showing people what you're doing even if they don't come along
• Random conversations on trains – Becs started talking to someone on the train and he turned out to be a theatre producer, and got three or four commissions through this.

Some key points about collaboration

Every collaboration is:

• Different. Certain ways of collaboration work better, but every time it's different
• Personal and professional. Professional but nature of the work focuses on personal stuff, you can become friends with the people you work with as you are working away from home for weeks at a time.
• Finite – as you get to a point where you've done as much as you can together
• A process of negotiation and compromise – always give and take.

Have a look at Bec's presentation for more details

Laura
Web and communications officer
ECCA

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The full podcast of the event will be posted on the ECCA homepage soon and this blog post is more of a condensed view of all the juicy bits.

Three young entrepreneurs shared their experience setting up their own business.

Max Fraser
www.londondesignguide.com

Sharmadean Ried
www.wah-magazine.com

Sarah Rowles
www.q-artlondon.com

Here are some common themes I've picked out:

It's never too early to start:

In each case the speakers started exploring entrepreneurial opportunities whilst still at college. Max developed his idea to produce a guide to the best design shops in London whilst studying a foundation course at Chelsea. Sharmadean produced and printed her first magazine, a fanzine called "WAH", during her second year at LCF and Sarah is still at Goldsmith and is in the second year of running her art community Q-Art London.

Use resources whilst they are still available:

Tied closely to the previous point one benefit of getting started whilst still at college is that you have a wealth of resources available to help accelerate your ideas whilst still at college. Here I'm not only talking about physical resources such as the library network or printing presses etc. but also the valuable feedback from your course peers, tutors, the list goes on.

Learn to recognise your limitations:

All three entrepreneurs spoke in different terms of how they learnt from their mistakes when they first stated out but a prevailing theme was that recognising your knowledge gaps and seeking the appropriate help is key. Getting a good lawyer and accountant will free you up to do what you do best – create!

Find inspiration from your frustrations:

If you're left frustrated that some thing or service does exist why not create it yourself? Whilst on holiday in New York Max found a guide to all the cool design shops in the NYC area and wondered why such a thing didn't exist for London. It was at that moment that he was inspired to create his own and his journey into enterprise began. For Sharmadean it was the vast difference between the quality of the nail bars in London compared to the US that inspired her to open her own salon, and for Sarah it was identifying that what made Goldsmiths a great place to study was not necessarily the courses themselves but rather the community of students at the college.

Be ready for success:

Staring early, being organised and working hard will mean when an opportunity presents itself you're ready to pounce. A good example of this recalled by Max where he pitched his book idea to a marketing mogul that happened to be at the same event he was working as a waiter at. This set a chain of events in motion and Max's book became a reality.

Listen to the podcast and see the presentations

Adam
Enterprise Centre for the Creative Arts

 

 

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