Artists Speed networking event at Quad

AIRTIME
Supporting artists’ practice through information and networking

You are invited to an artists’ event in Derby
Date: Wednesday 10 November 2010 3 - 5pm

QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS



Are you a visual artist seeking info on insurance, funding and other professional matters?

Do you want to develop your networks and collaborations?

Locate like-minded artists and get timely advice from other artists and experts at this event, that is open to practising visual and applied artists in the East Midlands.


Is this event for you?


AIRTIME events provide information and tips from artists, arts organisations and other experts on professional matters. You’ll find out about areas such as insurance, promotion and supporting your practice, alongside opportunities to meet and network with like-minded artists.



The events are busy and fast-paced. You’ll have to decide quickly what sessions to select from all those on offer. You’ll need to be proactive to get the kinds of information you need.

Some places are reserved especially for art and design graduates.

Contributors include Hencilla Canworth Insurance Brokers, artists and experts including representatives from AIR, a-n, Banks Mill Studios, Beacon Art Project, DACS (Design and Artists Copyright Society), Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Embrace Arts, Lincoln Art Programme, NAN, Nottingham Contemporary, QUAD and other arts organisations from the region.

Event organised by a-n The Artists Information Company on behalf of AIR:
Artists’ Interaction and Representation, in partnership with QUAD and DACS.

Pre-booking is essential
RSVP your name and address to airevents@a-n.co.uk with AIRTIME Derby in subject box. Limited places available, that will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. We'll email back to confirm your place and give you venue details and directions.

If you know of other artists who’d like to come along, just email their details and we’ll send them an invite to book.

ADDITIONAL NEEDS
When booking for AIRTIME, please state any special arrangements you may require to enable you to participate. For example, we can provide a signer, material in large print and cover special transport costs.




There are currently over 15,000 artists signed up for AIR.

For more information about AIR visit www.air-artists.org

a-n The Artists Information Company
First Floor, 7 - 15 Pink Lane, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 5DW, UK
T +44 (0)191 241 8000
E AIR@a-n.co.uk
www.a-n.co.uk

Graduate buying & merchandising jobs at John Lewis

New John Lewis graduate schemes
Retailer John Lewis will run two new graduate schemes from September, including a programme making it easier for graduates interested in buying to get onboard. The two schemes - a graduate merchandising programme and a graduate buying programme - means it will now be possible for applicants to become entry-level buyers and work their way up. Previously, graduates interested in buying had to apply for the general management option and then attempt to work their way into head office.

Graduate Prospects

I know about lots of opportunities and want to share them with you!

Don't miss out on vacancies, events, training courses, work experience opps, profiles of graduates, competitions, information guides and anything else I come across that I think you might want to know about.
I list it all at www.twitter.com/derbycreatives

Look to the right of this blog and you can see my live twitter feed! or look here:
www.derby.ac.uk/careers/creative-arts

Want to teach?

If you have a desire to teach, either at primary, secondary, further and higher education or even in the wider community, come along to our 'Focus on Teaching' fortnight of events. The fortnight of events starts this Monday, 11th October, right through until Thursday 21st October. Sessions include: Routes in to Teaching for Artists and Designers, Personal statements for the PGCE, PGCE Interview prep, Alternatives to Teaching, and many more related options.
To book a place, click on Teaching Fortnight and just follow instructions: http://www.derby.ac.uk/careers/events

University of Derby Volunteering Fair in November 2010

The only Volunteering Fair in the East Midlands

Find great opportunities to get great experience at our Volunteering Fair!

Our sixth Volunteering Fair will be on Wednesday 3rd November 2010 between 10am - 2pm.
Remember, that even if some of the volunteering organisations are not creative industries, they welcome the creative skills that artists and designers can bring and often rely on your skills to promote them.
 www.derby.ac.uk/careers/volunteering-fair

Don't forget to regularly check my Twitter feeds and the Derby Creatives web page for vacancies, events, competitions and other opps. You can see the twitter feeds down the side of my blog or look on Twitter.
Here are the addresses you need:
www.twitter.com/derbycreatives
www.derby.ac.uk/careers/creative-arts

Thank you for following my blog!
Debbie.

See you soon!

Here at the University of Derby Careers, we don't just wait for you to come to us for advice, information and guidance, we come to you too. We contact your programme leader/other tutors and offer to deliver sessions as part of your course. The sessions are often housed in Professional Practice/PDP/Context modules and we will usually offer to deliver 2 to 3 sessions each academic year.
The range of sessions we deliver vary according to your needs and the requests of your tutor and we are usually trying to plug any gaps that we find on your course that nobody else is delivering. Typical topics covered are: Choosing a career to fit in with your ethics and work values, Work, life balance, The options beyond your course, How to recognise and sell your skills, Networking, Postgraduate and other further study, Knowing your industry to maximise your chances of success, Job search and the hidden job market, Issues surrounding business start up and related self employment topics - such as Business games, networking games, Sources of support for Business Start up, CVs, Making applications, Interview prep and techniques and much more...

If you have not heard if we are coming in to your course and you feel you would benefit from us doing so, check with your tutors, talk to your course Rep and contact your link Careers Adviser. Find out more about me and take a look at the careers team.






Look out also for our regular drop in advice sessions at Britannia Mill, coming soon. Check our website and noticeboards at Markeaton Street and Britannia Mill for details.

Applying for a PGCE through the GTTR website? The site is now open for 2011 applications. Closing date for Primary applications is 1st December.
No set closing date for Secondary but apply earlier rather than later as some courses for some subjects get full quickly.
There are some reports of problems with the website but GTTR are working to sort out the glitches.
http://www.gttr.ac.uk/

Why not come along to my session 'Routes in to teaching for artists & designers' on Friday 15th October 2010, Markeaton Street Room 014, 1 - 2 pm. Call 01332 591316 to book your place.

A to Z reasons for looking at Derby Creatives Twitter

The A to Z reasons for looking at my Twitter page: www.twitter.com/derbycreatives

Awards Business start up info Competitions Designer info Events Funding Grants creative Hubs Internships Jobs Keep up to date Local creative contacts Makers info Networking Opportunities Portfolio advice Quad updates Residencies Support bodies Training courses Undergraduate opportunities Vacancies Work experience eXchanges You don't want to miss out Zillions of other stuff...

Go on... take a look....

How to survive and thrive as a creative professional after University

Just finished a university creative course and want to develop a creative career, either in house or freelance?
Feel like you are living in a creative desert and need some creative inspiration?
Need to develop your skills and build your portfolio?

 Read on for my top tips on 'how to survive and thrive as a creative professional after university'.
In no particular order!

• Use the free services on offer from your University Careers Centre for three years after you finish. Most universities offer free services. Here at Derby, we offer individual guidance interviews with specialist art, design and media careers advisers. You can discuss working for yourself as well as in house jobs. You may have no ideas at all, we can still help.  Book a session at www.derby.ac.uk/careers
• We also have careers advisers specialising in helping unemployed graduates and managers. Register your interest at www.derby.ac.uk/onetoone
• You can also access workshops, programmes and initiatives such as Mentoring, Graduate Internships, our Leadership and Work Experience Award and Volunteering. More at www.derby.ac.uk/careers
• Open all summer!

• Look at creative careers information sites to research ideas. Start with my Creative Arts and Design page on our website. This is the hub for all other brilliant creative careers information too, plus live Twitter feed www.derby.ac.uk/careers/creative-arts
• Sign up to email newsletters and vacancy bulletins. These often feature on Facebook and Twitter.
• Here are two to start you off: http://www.arts.ac.uk/student/careers/about-creative-opportunities.htm
• http://www.artsjobs.co.uk/

• Use Social Media,  Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or all of them! Get inspired by blogs. Find opportunities, events and competitions. Connect with creatives on line , brilliant if you hate the idea of networking in person. Find a job! The most common place to post a vacancy now is on a social network site, so don't miss out and remember employers will be looking at applicants social network sites so be careful how you portray yourself and as Davina would say 'please don't swear'. Consider separating personal and professional sites. I recently asked a creative graduate whether she minded mixing business with pleasure on her social networking sites and her answer was" If you are a creative and looking for work, you have to"
• Twitter page for Derby Uni art & design students and graduates www.twitter.com/derbycreatives
• More about social networking and job search here http://lnkd.in/R4PCRm

• Network - in person too...ugh, yucky word for just starting and maintaining relationships with other creatives. Suveys show that 90% of creative graduates get their first position through a personal contact, so you really need to make some. Start by going to monthly informal network meetings for local creatives, such as Social Boom www.creativeboom.co.uk/derby and Creative Coffee morning http://www.creative-cin.co.uk/ 
• Tell people you are looking for work.
• Connect with other creatives and consider working collaboratively,maybe to exhibit for example or to apply for some funding.

• Keep learning. Take any opportunity you can to boost your skills and knowledge. Take courses, ask a friend to train you or teach yourself. Keep your eye out for free and inexpensive training courses, often listed on social network sites, university careers websites and local press. There are practical and technical skills programmes, theory based courses and creative business start up programmes. Contact your local college and adult education department too.
• http://artsbowl.com/
• www.derby.ac.uk/creative-exchange

• Get relevant work experience. Even if you try and fit it in alongside a paid job. OK, so it looks good on the CV, but the main reasons are to make useful contacts, give an insight in to a work area and maybe lead to a job. To be honest, if you want to work in the Creative Industries, it is expected that you will have had some form of relevant work experience. Hopefully it will also be enjoyable and will boost your confidence and self esteem no end. It doesn't have to be unpaid, look out for creative internships for graduates.
• http://www.arts.ac.uk/student/careers/internships.htm
• Check out our web page on work experience, mentoring and volunteering here:
• http://www.derby.ac.uk/careers/workexperience
• http://www.derby.ac.uk/careers/volunteering

• Work on your self promotion. Ensure that potential employers and or buyers of your work are clear about you and what you are offering. Consider having your own brand to follow through on all of your self promotion materials ie: CV, letters, website, business card, portfolio, social network sites. Make it eye catching but clear. You get approx sixty seconds to make an impact on your CV for example. Consider writing a blog. Always have your business cards with you, as you never know when you may bump in to someone who could offer you something useful.
• Great tips here: http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/index.cfm?articleid=21917

• Finally, keep positive and keep being creative. Stay up to date with developments within your chosen area. Visit exhibitions, read, go places to get inspiration, try and socialise with other creative people and keep making work.
• Don't be down hearted, it can take time to kick start a creative career. A survey tracking creative graduates destinations showed that virtually all of them ended up working in a creative field, but it took time to get established.
• Read this blog 'Art Graduate, What next?'...http://www.riseart.com/blog/view/217

• Good luck,! Debbie Longridge, Art and Design Careers Adviser. University of Derby.

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This was Futurising!

Let me set the scene for you... astro turf, raffia umbrellas, balloons, Pimms, DJ, a double decker bus with a cinema on top deck,bar below, endless sunshine and the best creative buzz coming from hundreds of artists and designers. Combine this with creative professionals talks and workshops and an exhibition of stands from various creative support agencies and employers. This was Futurising - the FREE two day creative opportunities festival held on 29th and 30th June 2010 led by LCC at the University of the Arts, London.

Didn't manage to go? Take a virtual tour of the workshops and talks here and get the tips passed on to the audiences:

http://futurising.tumblr.com/

Top tips I like:

• Have a sensible email address - don't embarrass yourself or put potential employers off you


• Be careful who you do unpaid work experience for - limit the time you spend in one place


• Makers and designers, pick your trade shows carefully to ensure you reach the right buyers


• You don't have to stay within your creative specialism, ' I was a dancer, now I'm an animator'


• To succeed you need tenacity, persistance and vision and pitch for as many projects as you can


• Communicate passion and enthusiasm for your chosen area


• Be bold, be brave and consider a one page CV if you are just starting out


• Be careful with social media and exploit it to your advantage, employers will look at Myspace,Youtube, Twitter and Facebook

I wanted to take a party of Derby students and graduates down to Futurising in a mini bus for the day, but unfortunately couldn't get enough interest! I hope this has whetted your appetitie for next year and please come and keep me company... I may even share my jug of Pimms with you!