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graduate week 2007

Monday 2 July - Friday 6 July

Graduate Week is back! A plethora of talks and networking events, to help you - this year's crop of Arts London graduates - consider the creative possibilities ahead. This year's theme is creative collaboration - it holds the key to your future success! Come along to one of our events across the six colleges of the University of the Arts London and be educated and inspired by a range of creative professionals at the height of their game.

We'll cover:

- making your way in the worlds of fine art, fashion, theatre, product design and textiles,

- general topics such as funding, promoting and protecting your creative work.

- PLUS! Get collaborating with graduates from other Arts London courses and colleges at our networking evenings.

Stay in the Loop With Our Graduate Week Bulletin

Stay tuned to exclusive news about all the events, networking opportunities and advice sessions and marvel as extra speakers and surprises are announced.

Graduate Week 2007 has now finished. To keep up-to-date with ECCA register as a member.

What's Going On and Where?

Find out what's happening on: Mon 2 July | Tue 3 July | Wed 4 July | Thu 5 July | Fri 6 July

Mon 2 July

Material Gains: Working in Textiles

Choosing a career in the textiles industry is a difficult path to follow. Sourcing manufacturers, suppliers and funding for your first product range can be a nightmare. Getting your pricing structures right and working with buyers and manufacturers at the same time as learning how to promote yourself is tricky. This event brings together two top textiles designers, and a buyer to uncover practical hints and tips on how to make money and work with others in the world of textiles. Speakers include Tony Ferrigno, Head of Export for Colefax & Fowler alongside award-winning designer Eleanor Pritchard and Becky Oldfield of Lost and Found design.

Time: 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Place: Innovation Centre, Central St Martins, Southampton Row, Holborn
Travel Info: Google Map - click on "Central St Martins"

Cost: Free (when you book online)
Book: http://www.ecca-london.org/events/eventdetails/?eid=301

Graduate Week Keynote Speech & Launch Party

Graduate week kicks off with our keynote speaker, David Parrish offering hints and tips on starting a successful creative business. Afterwards you can hear about how to apply for the all-new Arts London Proof of Concept and Investment fund for your start-up creative business.

Come and have a drink on us, exercise your creative collaboration skills, and network with other like-minded people from this year’s crop of creative graduates - you might meet the next Julien Macdonald or Neville Brody…

Take home an ECCA goodie bag with a your free copy of David Parrish’s invaluable guide to the business of creativity: T-Shirts and Suits.

Time: 6.00pm - 8.00pm
Place: Student Hub Bar, Davies Street
Travel Info: Google Map - click on "Davies Street"
Cost: Free (when you book online)
Book: http://www.ecca-london.org/events/eventdetails/?eid=302

Creative collaboration drawing workshop

Come and try out the new visual research resource that University of the Arts London is developing. The new online resource will enable you to network and collaborate creatively with other artists and designers through drawing, and create your own online visual journal.

Be the first to exercise your creative collaboration skills, using all sorts of tools from pens, paint and computers, and find out how you can work with other graduates.

Tue 3 July

Make or Break: Starting Out in Product Design

It doesn’t matter if you’re working with lighting, textiles, ceramics, glass, furniture or whatever, designing your product range is just the starting point. What does it take to get your product range from your studio or workshop to the commercial marketplace?

This event looks at the practicalities of setting up your product design business from the perspective of both buyer and designer. Speakers include award-winning designer Anthony Dickens and Martin Blum from Black + Blum. Jodie Eastwood from Metropolitan Works will be talking about working with manufacturers and the services they offer..

Following the talk there will be the opportunity to ask the panel members questions and network with other Arts London product design graduates.

An ECCA event, in collaboration with The Innovation Centre at CSM.

Time: 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Place: Lethaby G12, Central St Martins, Southampton Row
Travel Info: Google Map - click on "Central Saint Martins"

Cost: Free (when you book online)
Book: http://www.ecca-london.org/events/eventdetails/?eid=303

Making plans: how to write a business plan

Writing a business plan is not on most creative people’s list of top tasks. It can be a daunting prospect – too many pages of excel spreadsheets and doing hardcore maths does not appeal to those with a right-brain mentality. However, if you’re starting a business and want to apply for funding to put your creative ideas into action, at some point you will probably have to grapple with writing one. This seminar aims to unpick some of the myths surrounding business plans and offers tips on how to make your business plan work for you.

This workshop will be led by Rachel Smart, a management consultant who provides services to design and architecture businesses. Rachel also teaches in universities, leads professional practice seminars and researches management in the design sector.

This session will be followed by drinks and networking.

Time: 6.00pm - 8.00pm
Place: Student Hub Bar, Davies Street
Travel Info: Google Map - click on "Davies Street"

Cost: Free (when you book online)
Book: http://www.ecca-london.org/events/eventdetails/?eid=304

Wed 4 July

Acting Up: Freelancing in the World of Theatre

The Arts Council’s latest theatre policy states that:

“We would like to see a more entreprenuerial and innovative culture in which theatre collaborates across the performing arts and connects with the wider creative industries here and abroad.”
(Arts Council Theatre Policy 2007).

But how do you as a theatre graduate become entrepreneurial?
How can you build your network of collaborators when you’re just starting out?

This talk will bring together leading practitioners from the theatre industry to discuss these issues and offer practical advice about getting funding for your production and making contacts with artists, theatres and spaces.

Speakers include:
- Sinead MacManus, freelance theatre consultant;
- Claire Geddie from Stellar Network;
- Lucien Mansell from theatre design company, Factory Settings. An ECCA event, in collaboration with The Engine Room at Wimbledon.

Time: 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Place: Room 118, Wimbledon College of Art, Merton Hall Road
Travel Info: Google Map - click on "Wimbledon"

Cost: Free (when you book online)
Book: http://www.ecca-london.org/events/eventdetails/?eid=305

How Not to Get Ripped Off

Being copied and someone else ripping off your creative ideas is a major concern once you start to sell, publicise and promote your creative work. You need to protect your ideas and make sure you know what to do if someone does actually copy what is rightfully yours.

This event will offer a basic guide to the law, covering the steps any creative professional should take in order to stop somebody else stealing or otherwise using your work without your permission (including copyright, patenting, trade marks, licensing and design rights.) There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions.

The speakers include IP lawyer Harry Karaolou from leading law firm, Bevan Brittan and a case study from Tobie Snowdowne and Lucy Hall from award-winning design consultancy, Two Create.

This talk will be followed by drinks and networking.

An ECCA event, in collaboration with Own It.

Time: 6.00pm - 8.00pm
Place: Lecture Theatre, Student Hub, 65 Davies Street
Travel Info: Google Map - click on "Davies Street"

Cost: Free (when you book online)
Book: http://www.ecca-london.org/events/eventdetails/?eid=306

Thu 5 July

Don’t Suffer For Your art: Make Money as a Fine Artist

You’ve just spent 3 years making fine art. You’re pleased with your work. You’re about to graduate. You want to keep making work. You don’t have a clue about how you can make any money out of it. You start to panic. You give up and get a job in Sainsbury’s.

It doesn’t have to be like this...

Choosing to make your career as a fine artist is a notoriously difficult path to follow. Income can be unpredictable and sourcing funding can be a minefield. Knowing how much to charge and how to work with funders, curators and galleries are vital skills for survival. This event brings together as artist, a collector and a specialist artist’s advisor to uncover practical advice on how to make money and working with others within the fine art world.

Speakers include:
- Eamonn Maxwell from Arts London's Emerging Artists programme,
- Russell Martin from ArtQuest.
- Ed Gray, artist

Following the talk there will be the opportunity to ask the panel members questions and network with other University of the Arts London fine art graduates.

An ECCA event, in collaboration with ArtQuest.

Time: 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Location: Lecture Theatre, Chelsea College of Art & Design, Millbank
Travel Info: Google Map - click on 'Chelsea'

Cost: Free (when you book online)
Book: http://www.ecca-london.org/events/eventdetails/?eid=307

Applying for Funding for Creative Projects

You’ve got a fantastic idea for a creative project. But you need money to make it happen. Who’s going to give it to you? What are funders really looking for? How do you write a proposal? All these questions and more will be addressed in this one hour talk from a leading funder and creatives who have successfully applied for business funding.

Speakers include:
- Arts funding consultant Brigid Howarth;
- Fred Peroy and Jeremy Davenport from the new Arts London Investment Fund;
- Gavin O'Carroll from NESTA funded Make Mode.

This talk will be followed by drinks and networking.

An ECCA event in collaboration with ArtQuest.

Time: 6.00pm - 8.00pm
Location: Lecture Theatre, Davies Street
Travel Info: Google Map - click on 'Davies Street'

Cost: Free (book online)
Book: http://www.ecca-london.org/events/eventdetails/?eid=308

Fri 6 Jul

ECCA one-to-one advice drop-in sessions @ Student Hub, Davies Street with Alison Coward & Catherine Smith.

Are you thinking about running a business, on the brink of starting out, in need of help managing an existing business or want to take your creative business in a new direction?

From 10am to 5pm on Friday 6 July, in the ECCA Central office on the 4th floor of Davies Street, ECCA are offering drop-in to one-to-one advice sessions for new graduates thinking of setting up or who have already set up a creative business.

We offer a confidential sounding board for you to bounce ideas off and help you to step back and look at the bigger picture. If we can't help you, we will try and point you in the direction of other people or organisations that can.

Time: 10-5pm
Place: ECCA Central, 4th Floor, Davies Street
Travel Info: Google Map - click on "Davies Street"

Cost: Free
Book: No booking needed, just turn up!

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