(day 1) March 27th Feburary
Everything you wanted to know about Creative futures (but were afraid to ask) -Clair Taylor (Vice Chancellor)& Prof. Alex Shepley
The opening session to creative futures week was a simple talk discussing what we would learn during the week and gave us some key notes on we can do to succeed in the creative industries.
Time management: Meeting deadlines, planning accordingly and practice daily if you can.
Collaborative work: Gain work experience in other fields if you can, get to know what it’s like in a team working environment.
Communication: Get yourself out there and establish a brand or some sort of online recognition in social media portraying your work, interests and build friendships.
Problem solving: Alot of of jobs higher artists or creative people not only to apply their known skills but to also solve a difficult situation when needed.
As an introduction to creative futures week this talk was useful in that it reminded me of my own flaws and issues that I hope i can improve on in future.
Panel session -Collaboration in the Creative Industries
Gareth Jones- Founder and CEO of company Welsh Ice:
Welsh ice is a company base founded on collaboration, community and connectivity.
Gareth Jones the Ceo of this company explained to us the inner workings of the process and types of artists (Illustrators, designers, animators, musical engineers) gathered there to make connections and meet potential future employee’s or work together on collaborative assignment or project of their choice. The company provides them with the facilities and the space required for such assessments.
Tamara Harvey- Theatr Clwyd
https://www.theatrclwyd.com/en/
A theater house located in Mold city wales, dedicated to mostly Opera and plays. The speaker discussed the process of which they began their business , their problems and how they solved them through sacrifice of what they enjoyed going from preforming 9 - 12 plays and Operas a year cutting it to 8 a year. To solve this issue further they contacted other opera house, opening up the stage to collaboration projects further more allowing them to preform more and bigger with shared funding.
With alot of effort and hard work this has allowed for anyone in the creative industries with any curiosity in the preforming arts to explore and open their future to more possibilities within the creative industry.
Andy Cheetham -Cheetham Bell
http://cheethambelljwt.com/
http://cheethambelljwt.com/clients/
Andy Cheethman was not the owner, but a representative of this Manchester based company. Their specialty is mainly in advertisement, using creativity and wit to put across a simple message for any client needed and they generally have a great reputation.
They put alot of research into every project, to make it as memorable as the product they’re marketing and the company they represent.
Alferdo Cramerotti- Mostyn
Mostyn is an art gallery based in Llandudno, north wales. Alferdo Cramerotti explained to us his position as a fine art Curator as well as what that would entail as far his responsibilities went. His work as Curator would include: planning and keeping art expeditions within a museum, whether its with his own or in many locations around the world according to the theme or the customers or the event.
He is in charge of choosing not only the location but he must also contact the collectors, authors or illustrators for the event. A time managing and consuming career in which you are expected to over come difficult circumstances and organize to the best of your ability for everyone involved.
How to get a Creative job; stop procrastinating and other useful tips:
Simon introduced himself and his experiences with his clients in companies such as: Thorntons, Moss Bros, Waterstones, BT and Emirates (varying companies within the UK) They approached him for his creative talents within business, because of the correlation with problem solving.
-Design must be effective as well as Aesthetically pleasing.
-Focus on your goal, specialize and keep on track.
- Be flexible about your opportunities.
-It’s difficult to get into the industry but do all you can to put your foot in the door and seize it.
Get a good blog, portfolio, show reel, and brevity in your specialization of work well presented and specific to the job you’re applying for. Create interesting content.
-Be unique; other skills that makes your work stand out.
Number 1 rule, there are plenty of stories of first time artists working themselves into stressful situations in which they have put so much time and energy into their work to not get any credit for it in the end.
Be charismatic, flexible and kind though build up that persona and people will always be there to return a helping hand.
Expect rejection and don’t be disheartened by it, keep at it where you think you can make it. Don’t be beaten by your own dreams, the future is uncertain. If you have a heavy time on a project, feel too down or too worked up. Put the project aside for a bit and just work on a separate project on the side to help bring back your inspiration and put you back on track.
Between Art and the Creative Industries:
Ioana Pioaru- Illustrator and fine artist
http://ioanapioaru.webs.com/
http://www.artwanted.com/artist.cfm?artid=27683
I connected with this illustrator on a personal level as to her interest in Life drawing, character based studies and her intertwining her passions into her fairy tale genre based art work.
Romania, has a less liberal approach to their fine art course. They take what is essentially a seven year life drawing course where they go in everyday over the same poses to an almost photographic perfection. During the talk Ioana explained how she had to eventually try different mediums and art styles to make her body of work more visually exciting and vibrant.
Her favorite character and main icon is of a character she read up on in a book or on the internet called Dr Vom Rom, who was a plague doctor during the middle ages; with the characteristic crow like mask and goggles. What captivated her most about his character was the implication of his personality being judging and the foreboding left hand of death seeking the sick and purging them from the the pure lands.
She created a Facebook profile with the name Dr. Schnabel and role played imagined responses of the doctor in the modern day era. A personal hobby of my own that I really connect with as I share an interest with her as such dark and insidious beings.
I really want to stay in contact with this artist as we share the a similar fascination with filling in space and with characters, architecture or machinery interloping a story within the main focus of the piece.