Aberdeen - The Next Step: in partnership with Aberdeen City Council (CEO)

Keeping Your Creative Business on Track

Studio Workshop, Whitespace, 60 Frederick Street, Aberdeen AB24 5HY
Friday 4 June 2010, 13:00-16:45

• Do you need reassurance that you are on the right track or support in choosing which path to follow next?
• Struggling to balance the things you want to do with the things that make financial sense?
• Trying to weigh up which aspects of your business to develop and those to abandon?

This workshop provides an opportunity to take stock of your achievements to date and explore the options that lie ahead. You can use it to review your business plan, kick start the next plan, have a reality check or remotivate yourself.
Aimed at anyone working in the cultural and creative industries who has been running their own business for 3 years or more. You may have already attended our Starting Out workshop and now be looking for support with your next set of challenges.

What to Expect
You will examine the things that you are passionate about, those you are the best at and those that make financial sense for your future. You'll do one short exercise before the workshop to help focus your thinking and start the reflective process. The workshop includes practical exercises and discussion:

• Where am I at? – mapping your journey to date and the options that lie ahead. This paper exercise will establish the skills, relationships, profile and rewards that connect your experiences to date and support your future choices.
• Reinforce your values – identify the values which are indispensable to you and your business.
• Worth the investment – determine whether your current working is lucrative and what changes could help you utilise time and money more efficiently.
• Risky business? – explore the roles, responsibilities and risks involved in the different options for your development.
• The next step – decide what you want to consolidate and what you want to change in order to move your business forward.

What You'll Get Out of It
Reassurance, clarity, confidence and greater understanding of how to progress the next stage of your business.

Who'll Be Delivering the Session
Carol Sinclair, Edinburgh Adviser, Cultural Enterprise Office. Carol has been working within the creative industries for the last 20 years, combining running her own ceramics practice with delivering business support and training for a range of cultural enterprises. She is a ceramics graduate of Grays School of Art in Aberdeen and has 14 years experience of running her own studio and gallery in Edinburgh. Working as a business adviser and trainer for the last 10 years Carol joined the CEO team in 2005. She was a founder member of artists collective design-Ed, is a former director of Applied Arts Scotland, has been a specialist adviser for the Scottish Arts Council and is currently a member of two of the Creative and Cultural Skills Council's employers groups, Scottish and crafts. Carol is also involved in a variety of projects with organisations which support creative practitioners and most recently include Ideasmart, craftscotland and Glasgow School of Art. She is currently working with Edinburgh College of Art on a 4 year employability project supporting the development and delivery of professional practice for students.

In Other Words

“Was a really good experience even for the fact of meeting up with other creative individuals in the same boat. Reassured that I am still on the right track even if I don’t yet have a lot of the answers”

“Learned how to clarify my activities against time spent and income generated. These exercises will help me focus my business plan”

“Began to explore what my real desires are in what I want to do against what I could achieve and generate a decent income”

“…good thought provoking stuff which will help in my future plans.”

“Financial efficiency will be my new favourite phrase”

How to Book
You'll be pleased to hear this event is free. Please contact Whitespace on 01224 523640 to reserve your place.

How to Get There:
Studio Workshop, Whitespace, 60 Frederick Street, Aberdeen AB24 5HY

Click here for a map.