CIBIP - Creative Industries Business Improvement Partnership

CIBIP has supported a range of individuals and companies from across the region who are working in areas as diverse as textiles, film, graphic design, community dance, photography, writing. The following case studies demonstrate how the programme is able to make a real impact on the sector.

The Garage / Academy Trust, Norwich
The Garage is a high quality creative arts training and development centre, located in the heart of Norwich, with a specific social inclusion remit. It also provides facilities for events and performances. The venue is run by the Academy Trust and has close links with both Theatre Royal Norwich and City College Norwich.

Director Nicky Adamson spent time with CIBIP exploring the organisation’s need for updated business plans and financial systems to enable it to develop new and complementary income streams.

Eight staff members were able to participate in the Evolve organisational development training day run by the MAP Consortium, during which they learned how to use creative learning skills in a staff development context. These skills are now being used to develop The Garage’s core offer and team building in relation to its 3-year business plan, and in particular to establish a staff training programme.

Director Nicky Adamson said: ‘The training has united the staff team and enabled us to develop a shared vision’.

http://www.thegarage.org.uk

Jenny Nutbeem, visual artist and community arts practitioner
Jenny is an experienced textile artist who also leads workshops in community settings. In her discussions with a CIBIP advisor, it was felt that she needed to renew and update her artform skills in order to find a fresh direction for her work, which would lead to new sales outlets and contract opportunities. In addition, and in common with many other individual creative practitioners, there was a need to develop her own marketing activities.

CIBIP was able to help her begin to address these issues by supporting her to attend a digital image manipulation course, using photos and graphics. This gave her some immediate new skills that she could put to use producing new publicity materials and also in exploring new techniques for her artwork, e.g. photographic montages.

Jenny says "With support from CIBIP, I have been able to get Photoshop training on a one-to-one basis, enabling me to start designing and producing my own publicity leaflet. I am also hoping to develop my textile work to include digital print on cloth.

Naomi Young, published poet and editor

Naomi Young is a published poet and editor of Velvet, a quarterly magazine offering a mixture of creative writing and issue-based features to a mainly lesbian readership. A survey of subscribers had indicated broad appeal of the content and standard of the publication but circulation remained relatively small. It was evident that a marketing strategy was needed that would include market research and identification of Velvet’s place in the marketplace.

Naomi was able to take part in CIBIP’s specially-commissioned arts marketing course – ‘Arts Marketing: Understanding the basics’ - run over two days by professional trainer Rachel Escott. The course gave a grounding in all aspects of marketing, starting from initial market research, and ensured that participants emerged with a clear understanding of how to integrate marketing activities with the core of their business.
A number of action points have emerged from the training and Velvet has already received some new subscriptions as a result and has a Myspace presence which is great for networking.
Naomi said ‘The marketing course was extremely helpful. It made me to come up with very specific marketing actions, and focus my limited time. For a small business, only just breaking even, the opportunity to do this kind of training for free was invaluable’.

Lunar Film

Lunar Film is a growing film & video production company based in Essex. Through CIBIP, they were able to fund Steadicam training in order to expand the services that they are able to offer clients.

Lunar's Mike Marriage commented "CIBIP funding proved a great help as specialist training is often prohibitively expensive for a small company. The service that they offer is invaluable for individuals and companies aiming to progress in the creative industries."

Trisha McCrae
Trisha worked as sculptor doing corporate and gallery commissions. In 2004 she interviewed 60 people about sin, wrote a 10 minute sound piece and commissioned artists to act out the words. Disappointing film footage encouraged Trisha to learn to do it herself and she was selected by Cambridge Film Consortium, Kettles Yard and ARU to do an experimental video course. This training was supported by a CIBIP grant. The inspirational tutor opened her world to film.

Her first film was chosen for the 26th Cambridge Film Festival, screened in the Whitechapel Gallery, the Babylon Gallery and continues to be exhibited. Doors started to open. The director of Wysing Arts Centre asked Trisha to organize an event Lights Camera Action. This was great PR for the new venture. A mentor, also funded and trained by CIBIP, steered Trisha professionally through the crucial initial stages.

Trisha continued to make films. Her CIBIP success encouraged application for other funding to learn Final Cut Pro editing system. Trisha believes that funding support has encouraged respected people to work with her. Kettles Yard and the Fitzwilliam Museum have asked her to organise events, routes she had tried unsuccessfully in the past! Other venues are exhibiting her latest work, Lucretia.
www.axisweb.org/artist/trishamccrae

Sit and Fidget is a not-for-profit participatory arts group based in Southend, which uses a variety of artforms in its work and has particular expertise in working with children and young people.

The CIBIP training needs analysis process helped the group to identify key skills areas and consider options for its future direction. Sit and Fidget has recently acquired charitable status and is now developing a business plan and funding applications for future work. CIBIP-funded training undertaken has included a workshop on physical theatre and a course on advanced make-up at South East Essex College.

Claire Bartlett of Sit and Fidget says that the physical theatre training has ‘developed skills, introduced techniques and broadened horizons’.’

Nude Designs is a small graphic design company in Royston, Hertfordshire, specialising in design for print. Although operating successfully, the need to expand its customer base and lessen dependence on a small number of major clients was apparent. It was also felt that the company needed to increase its skills so that it could offer in-house webdesign.

CIBIP was able to provide support for Managing Director Gary Reid to attend a training course on Act, a contact management system. Gary said: ‘The training course was excellent and when we get Act installed it will help us manage our customers and future campaigns no end’.

Nude has also gone on to apply to ‘Towards 2010’ for further development support.

Eye Film and Television is a dynamic Norwich based TV Production Facilities and Video Production Facilities Company experienced in all areas of film and video.

CIBIP enabled Charlie Gauvain the Managing Director of Eye Film and TV to attend PACT Creative Strategies. This provided an important insight into the independent sector and the imminent changes likely to affect business with an ever changing broadcast landscape.

Creative portrait photographer Pali Rao accessed CIBIP funding to speed his move effectively into the fashion editorial market. The training gave him the potential to make contacts in the fashion industry and develop a winning portfolio as well as practical experience in lighting, work with stylists and make-up artists.

2 Bit TV is a not-for-profit digital arts cooperative based in Norwich. We specialise in VJing – Live Video performance - the ability to transform any venue into a ‘stimulating eyes wide wow show’. We’ve worked with a large range of clubnights, DJ’s, acts, artists and events over the past 6 years and are constantly evolving our creative and technical capabilities.

We also undertake, design and deliver a large number of VJ and digital video related educational projects, in a variety of contexts. From production to performance, from private tutorials to creative curriculum development, and accredited course development.

CBIP allowed 3 key 2 Bit TV members to undergo an arts related accredited training programme – Arts Awards. This allows 2 Bit TV to offer a more diverse range of educational projects that also allows participants to gain an arts award accredited qualification.

Being Arts Award accredited allows 2 Bit TV to apply for a broader range of project funding as well as directly benefiting the course participants.