Business incubator: newSplash Communication Design Studio
"The newSplash studio bridges the gap between design education and the workforce by employing students and graduate designers from the Otago Polytechnic in our real-life studio. Then we connect them with you!"
(Otago Polytechnic, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Fig.1 Video showing samples of the film work created by newSplash Communication Design Studio, which is located at Otago Polytechnic.
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Rushes Soho Shorts: short film competition
"We are a not-for-profit festival celebrating the wealth of talent working across all genres of short film including live action drama, documentary, animation, music video, and work that pushes boundaries including online or mobile content, title sequences, and idents.
The work of newcomers and established filmmakers is promoted by screening work at cinemas, screening rooms and cafes throughout Soho and London's West End. In conjunction with the competitive program [sic] we hold a large variety of debates and discussions on all aspects of media and filmmaking. The event program [sic] also builds in networking and case studies. Our aims are to provide an arena introducing creativity, new/established practitioners and those partners that can help assist in supporting and furthering people's ideas."
(Soho Shorts, 2011)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Nottingham Creative Network: providing professional and business support for Nottingham's creative industries since 2006
"Nottingham Creative Network launched in October 2006 and is a project designed to provide smart-targeted professional and business support for Nottingham’s creative industries. ...
Our 6 themes are as follows:
--Selling Your Soul? – What are the tensions between pursuing your creative inspiration and making compromises to make your business work? Are there any? If so, how do you negotiate them?
--How to Make Friends and Influence People – The importance of networks and network development. How do you get good at networking and why?
--Who Do I Get Into Bed With – Having recognised the value of networks and collaborations for creative business, how do you use these relationship to their best advantage?
--Don’t Get Ripped Off – What do you need to know and do protect yourself and get paid properly?
--More Than Just Beer Money? – What are the opportunities, issues and added pressures associated with going from creative business as a ‘lifestyle’ choice, to growing your business into something bigger?
--Soul Food – How do you ‘refresh’ the creativity bit of your business to prevent stagnation?
Nottingham Creative Network aims to address all these issues in a way that connects tangible advice for business growth and development with discussions of these issues that are relevant for the specific of the creative industries. We realise that sometimes the creative industries operate in quite distinctive ways. We come from the creative industries ourselves. We will be holding regular expert seminars and workshops, offering 1-to-1 surgeries and responding to the needs of the creative community in other flexible ways when opportunities arise."
(Nottingham Creative Network)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Facebook viral campaign
"Forget old-fashioned occupations and sit-ins: student protest has gone 'viral'. Online networking phenomenon Facebook has emerged as the venue for a rapidly proliferating campaign that has already brought in thousands of recent graduates. It's called 'Stop the Great HSBC Graduate Rip-Off!'
Students with HSBC bank accounts, graduating this summer, have been astonished to discover they face unexpected bills of up to £140 a year for running an overdraft after the bank withdrew its interest-free deal in July. In previous years HSBC, like other high street banks, has allowed students an interest-free overdraft - typically up to £1,500-£2,000 - for the first couple of years after graduation. But in July it became the first high street bank to scrap free overdrafts for university leavers. It charges interest at 9.9%.
But HSBC didn't reckon on a cyber-rebellion, begun by Wes Streeting, a Cambridge NUS vice-president opening up the Facebook group. Over the past few weeks it has exploded, with more than 2,500 graduates signed up and dozens more joining every day.
The group's 'wall' contains hundreds of angry postings. Typical is this one from a student at Hertfordshire University: 'I have closed my account [at HSBC] . . . and paid my overdraft with an interest-free account! The charges r crazy . . . how r we ever supposed to get outta debt after uni!'
Leeds University graduate Johnny Chatterton first heard about the overdraft charge via Facebook. 'When I first went to university, the deal at HSBC was that the interest-free overdraft would be gradually phased out over a number of years after you left. Out of the blue, I received a letter giving me two weeks' notice it would be withdrawn on July 28. I have a £1,750 overdraft and it has really overshadowed my summer. I've been working for a small charity before returning to do a masters degree, but now I'll have to leave and get a better paying job.'
Mr Streeting, a veteran NUS campaigner, says even he's been taken aback by the scale of the protest. 'I invited my friends on Facebook to respond, and it has turned into a viral campaign. It's a lot better than email and gives people a place where they can protest."
(Patrick Collinson and Tony Levene, The Guardian, Saturday August 25 2007)
CONTRIBUTOR
The Constellations ProjectSHARE
