This May the award-winning IGNITE Festival of Creativity launches their free Business Programme, open to students and graduates from Plymouth College of Art and University of Plymouth. This hands-on programme will support participants to develop key enterprise skills and gain the confidence to grow their creative businesses after graduation.
Plymouth students are set to kickstart their businesses at the IGNITE Business Programme. Image Credit: Plymouth College of Art
Eight evening workshops will be delivered by Mark Cotton, an independent business development consultant, founder of Mark Cotton Consultancy, and Non-executive Director and Trustee of KARST, Plymouth’s largest independent contemporary arts space. Including business planning, digital marketing, customer insight, and pitching, workshops will equip participants with the practical skills to pursue their business ambitions and prepare their products or ideas for market. Students and graduates with existing business will also benefit from best practice in how to grow or diversify their business, as well as mentoring opportunities.
Running from 23 May to 1 June 2022, places must be booked online in advance on Eventbrite, where details are also available for how students from other Plymouth-based educational institutions can apply to join.
Now in its fourth year, the IGNITE Festival of Creativity celebrates the work of hundreds of creative graduates from over 30 of Plymouth College of Art and University of Plymouth’s degree programmes across a series of exhibitions and events across multiple city-wide venues, including galleries, studios and event spaces.
Students can benefit from mentoring opportunities at the IGNITE Business Programme. Image Credit: Plymouth College of Art
Peter Barker, Head of Plymouth College of Art’s School of Design + Communication, said: “The IGNITE Festival, which has been running since 2019, has been a boost to graduate profile building and employability. Plymouth College of Art students have benefitted from the Ignite Futures talent promotion website, from exhibition and promotional opportunities around the city of Plymouth and from participation in business facing seminars and training sessions."
IGNITE is supported by Plymouth City Council as part of the iMayflower project, and by The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who fund the Cultural Development Fund (administered by Arts Council England).
