York Business School has partnered with award-winning arts and culture organisation Aesthetica to deliver a new business skills training programme. The Creative Business Skills Bootcamp will offer start-ups a progression route into the creative industries, whilst supporting them to develop and launch their business.
York is one of 25 cities in the world to hold a UNESCO City of Media Arts designation. The partnership aims to leverage this status to encourage more start-up businesses, create more jobs, alongside talent and skills development in the region.
Free to attend, the 12 week course includes a series of workshops and masterclasses specifically aimed at start-ups. Attendees will be offered 12 months free rent at the Enterprise Centre on the York St John University campus to support that crucial first year in business. Applications were encouraged from creatives across architecture, film, fine art, gaming, extended reality (XR), textiles, fashion and more.
Cherie Federico, Director of Aesthetica, said: “The idea for the Creative Business Skills Bootcamp was developed in response to Aesthetica celebrating its 20th anniversary. The company was founded in 2003 when Co-Director Dale Donley and I were students at York St John University.
“Since then the company has expanded to include a portfolio of publications and events, such as the BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival and the Aesthetica Art Prize, along with the Reignite series of events in York.
“It was a big moment and a time of reflection in which I looked at the development of Aesthetica from a student idea into an international brand across media arts. I thought about the ups and the downs, and the resilience it takes to launch, sustain and grow a business in the creative industries.
“I want to do what I can to help new start-ups in the sector, leverage our UNESCO City of Media Arts designation, develop skills and training opportunities and take our region and city to new heights. This is just the beginning.”
Dr Brendan Paddison, Interim Dean and Associate Professor of York Business School, added: “Working with Aesthetica on developing the Creative Business Skills Bootcamp brings a high level of expertise and knowledge to the city.
“At York Business School we are proud to support the development of Creative Industries in York, leveraging our global UNESCO City of Media Arts designation, as we push ahead in furthering our engagement across all sectors of the business community.”
The Creative Business Skills Bootcamp will include workshops and training on branding, marketing, project management, developing income streams, networking, accountancy, legal, HR, sales, negotiation, business planning, scaling and growth. Speakers include Pablo Ettinger (Founder, Café Nero), Edward Twiddy (Founder, Atom Bank), Helen Marriage (CEO, Artichoke), Helena Jones (Ay-Pe), Cherie Federico (Aesthetica), Kit Monkman (Viridian FX) and more.
