Many young people enter the labour market every year and the cultural and creative economy (CCE) is a potential reservoir of jobs far more attractive than some of the more traditional employment sectors. Within the CCE ecosystem there are opportunities to train in new skills and access jobs in areas such as management, marketing, strengthening the development of professional associations, and further build networks and alliances for young cultural and creative professionals. There is also an opportunity to maintain traditional crafts that reflect history and culture and are in danger of becoming extinct.
Most business and entrepreneurship programmes deal perfectly well with the technical side of doing business (fixed and variable costs, the 4 Ps etc) yet may appear dry and dusty to the artist and artisan who sees financial discussions to be at odds with their creativity. By asking participants to present their work from the outset and setting the structure around the triad of easily produced and saleable/high-end/creative joy, they will orientate business discussions around their creative output, seeing the links between a viable strategy to create a livelihood - growing a business - and their growth as an artist.
Most business and entrepreneurship programmes deal perfectly well with the technical side of doing business (fixed and variable costs, the 4 Ps etc) yet may appear dry and dusty to the artist and artisan who sees financial discussions to be at odds with their creativity. By asking participants to present their work from the outset and setting the structure around the triad of easily produced and saleable/high-end/creative joy, they will orientate business discussions around their creative output, seeing the links between a viable strategy to create a livelihood - growing a business - and their growth as an artist.
Business Skills for Artists and Artisans
Making a living in the creative industries is not easy; artists and artisans often do not have the necessary business skills or may not know where to focus their talents. Their specific needs require training which recognises their creativity while honing their ability to make money from their art.
Make It! Business Skills for Artists and Artisans is a programme designed to support artists and artisans in building key skills to run a business, as well as training the mentors who will work them, to encourage artists and artisans, key members of the community, to make a livelihood from their creative talents.
The programme begins by developing the capacity of locally sourced mentors.
A three-day training programme will be held for selected mentors, who could be locally recruited expert practitioners in the chosen crafts, or successful and established businesspeople from the local community (they may come under both categories). Mentors can be recruited locally from University Art Departments, national artist associations, chambers of commerce etc. The role would be prestigious and well-known from the programme start. Successful people should be targeted to become mentors. Each mentor will have up to four people to support from one programme. Thus, each programme requires 5 local mentors. They would be trained in how to give direction to the participants, in both technical advice regarding their chosen craft and in business skills. They will be expected to give constructive, honest feedback and to be available on occasion during the 3-month interim period.
Mentors will receive a small stipend for their contribution as well as press coverage on giving something back to the community and recognition. A small trophy could be made and awarded to each mentor.
Making a living in the creative industries is not easy; artists and artisans often do not have the necessary business skills or may not know where to focus their talents. Their specific needs require training which recognises their creativity while honing their ability to make money from their art.
Make It! Business Skills for Artists and Artisans is a programme designed to support artists and artisans in building key skills to run a business, as well as training the mentors who will work them, to encourage artists and artisans, key members of the community, to make a livelihood from their creative talents.
The programme begins by developing the capacity of locally sourced mentors.
A three-day training programme will be held for selected mentors, who could be locally recruited expert practitioners in the chosen crafts, or successful and established businesspeople from the local community (they may come under both categories). Mentors can be recruited locally from University Art Departments, national artist associations, chambers of commerce etc. The role would be prestigious and well-known from the programme start. Successful people should be targeted to become mentors. Each mentor will have up to four people to support from one programme. Thus, each programme requires 5 local mentors. They would be trained in how to give direction to the participants, in both technical advice regarding their chosen craft and in business skills. They will be expected to give constructive, honest feedback and to be available on occasion during the 3-month interim period.
Mentors will receive a small stipend for their contribution as well as press coverage on giving something back to the community and recognition. A small trophy could be made and awarded to each mentor.
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Stage One: Pre work
All the participants are required to bring an example of their work and complete a very short note on how long it took to make and how much it cost to buy the raw materials. This will be used extensively during the workshop. Participants will also be invited to prepare some stock to sell at a local market during the course, which will help them gain feedback on their products and pricing. Stage Two: The 5-Day Workshop The participants in the workshop would be selected according to certain craft criteria, to have diversity but avoid over-crowding and unnecessary competition. This could be, for example, 4 jewellery makers, 4 weavers, 4 potters, 4 woodworkers, 4 dancers, 4 up-sellers (recyclers of clothes/furniture etc.) based on 20 participants. The five – day workshop would comprise 18 sessions plus the evening bazaar (sales event) mid-week. The programme would include 3 Meet your Mentor sessions and the following content:
Stage Three: Interim Mentoring At the end of the workshop, Aduka prepared an Action Plan. There were three points on her action plan and two tasks:
Stage Four: The 3 - Month Action Plan It is envisaged that mentors will check in with participants three times during this period, giving technical and business advice and supporting the participants in implementing their action plans. Aduka organised three one-to-one mentoring sessions with her assigned mentor; these sessions took place during the three-month period before she returned to the final workshop. Stage Five: The final Workshop and Product Fair In this workshop the participants will be returning with the outcomes of their action plans and the sessions will consolidate these findings and move them forward:
Aduka came back after three months. During these three months she had had 3 one-to- one mentoring sessions. Aduka come back to the final workshop with good news, she had produced smaller, more affordable pieces and some padded boxes in printed fabric to make them more transportable and had sold 15 sets on the market stall. She had registered with the Crafts Hub and had received two orders and a local hotel has expressed interest in her supplying the hotel boutique with some of her more expensive pieces. She has also thought of offering pieces to the tourist offices to display in their receptions. She needs to prepare her pitch to sell this idea. In the 3-day workshop Aduka, along with the other participants, further discussed their business plans in the light of their experiences in fulfilling their action plans in the 3-month interim period. Sessions were also held on how to register and formalise the business and Adaku left the workshop with a focus on making this a reality for her business. Aduka welcomed the input from both workshops, which she said had helped her in establishing her viable business and had given her the necessary confidence to move forward. Selling some of her bowls to tourists at the Wednesday bazaar had given her a great boost; her products could be sold, and at a price which reflected both her materials and the work she had put in. The business skills taught in the workshop had provided the necessary jumping off point for her to understand the full costs of producing her work and understand what prices she could ask for them. Stage Six: The One-Day Marketplace The participants will be invited to bring their pieces to sell in this one-day showcase of their work, which will be visited by the general public. This is the culmination of their preparation during the three months. Meraki is an ancient Greek word meaning “to do something with soul, creativity or love – to put something of yourself into your work….”
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Case Study
Let’s look at Aduka Abara, a potter and how she made it to becoming a business owner through the Make It: business Skills for Artists and Artisans Programme. Aduka was invited to join the stage one workshop and to bring with her a piece of her pottery. that would take her a short time to produce. She then followed our 5-day workshop, Make It! There were sessions with business trainers and craft and business mentors, to help Aduka make decisions about the design, costs, and prices of her product, as well as how she could identify customers and how to market and package her pottery. During the course Aduka joined other Make It! participants at the Make It! Artists and Artisans Bazaar on the Wednesday evening which was held in the hotel foyer, and she was pleased to sell some of her small decorative bowls to tourists and get feedback on her products. 
Where we are located and where we work
Who we are:
The Development Alchemists is a small international team. We have worked in the public sector in more than 40 countries. We specialise in team building and team development, training, facilitation, and coaching. Our expertise is based on a blend of experience combined with academic rigour, using models, concepts and approaches to create engagement, storytelling and data gathering. 
Here is a link to the course flipping book:
https://heyzine.com/flip-book/eda81faffc.html 
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