Call for Interest in Innovative Programme

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

ART Venture, a unique acceleration programme for creative, entrepreneurial people and producers working in the arts and creative industries is on the lookout for candidates for 2012. Successful candidates will be awarded a place on the programme, worth $35,000, announced at the awards launch in early 2012.

Now in its fourth year, ART Venture is looking for practitioners and producers who are serious about accelerating their skills, projects and businesses. “As the programme is so bespoke, we are looking for two types of creatives: 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).

The award of a place on the 2012 ART Venture programme is limited to 12 creative entrepreneurs who are based in the Auckland region drawn from across all disciplines of the arts, culture and creative industries. Programme Director Elisabeth Vaneveld explains, “The programme provides a flexible yet intensive action-learning environment that, through peer-to-peer support, specialist coaching, a seed fund pitching process and an innovative curriculum, accelerates the creative enterprise development of each participant.”

“We work hard to encourage a learning community and to ensure that programme participants get direct personalised input. This approach helps them to develop strategies that take their creative enterprises and projects to the next level faster” says Elisabeth Vaneveld.

Previous ART Venture participants have included Serena Stevenson [digital production company director], Kylie Aitchison [Comedy Festival Director], Justin Lewis [theatre director/producer], Shona McCullagh [filmmaker, choreographer], Jamie McLellan [designer], and Philip Patston [social entrepreneur].

Andrew Malmo from Strata Creative says “I want to let you know how valuable the ART Venture process has been for me, now that I am at this conference, on the ground, doing my thing, with all of the experience and learning from ART Venture behind me, and with an objective eye to see myself in the position I am in now, and the way I am interacting right now, is largely thanks to the mentoring, learning and experiences of Art Venture.

Yesterday I got up on stage in front of maybe 200 – 300 professionals from the USA, Asia, Canada, NZ and Australia, and spoke professionally and succinctly about myself and the NZ play No2 they had just seen 15 minutes of. It was a short talk, but I did it with confidence, pride, enthusiasm and clarity – and I thank you guys for the opportunities you provided to develop and grow that side of me during my time with you.

In fact, looking back, ART Venture prepared me for where I am now, and where I am going.”

“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.

Now is the chance for a fresh group of creative people to apply for the 2012 ART Venture programme,. Expressions of interest close on Friday 23 September. 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 on The Big Idea.