creative bedfordshire - creative networking - rural business - march 2016

Welcome!

Creative Bedfordshire!3rd March 2016 !

Jordans Mill, Langford Road, !Broom, Bedfordshire, SG18 9JY!

7 – 9 pm !

Rural Business!hosted by Sandra Dartnell !for Bedford Creative Arts!

Our focus for March creative networking is rural business. What are the needs of rural creative business? !

How is rural funding accessed? !How can rural businesses and creatives collaborate? !

The evening will be an open discussion of these questions and more!

Mentions!Bedford Creative Arts !@wearebca!

Business TimeBank [email protected]

Culture Challenge!Are you a creative or cultural practitioner with something to offer young people or schools? http://www.culturechallenge.co.uk/!

@CreativeBeds !#CBNetworking!

Mentions!Sole Traders Tax!Handout!

Claire !@AddisonAccounts!

Matthew!@acuriousjoy!


We encourage you to talk about the meeting and connect with the people you meet tonight on social media and LinkedIn.!

http://linkedin.com/company/creative-bedfordshire!

http://slideshare.net/CreativeBedfordshire!


http://instagram.com/creativebeds/!

#creativebeds #bedfordshire #centralbeds !

http://facebook.com/groups/creativebedfordshire/!

https://twitter.com/creativebeds/!

Steve Mackie!Business Development Manager at Jordans Mill will speak about how rural funding restored the property and redefined the business, and about collaborating with local creative business.!

@Twitter Handle!Paul Byass!Founder, The Design Orchard, a product design consultancy based in Clophill, will talk about how a Rural Development Programme transformed an agricultural building into a creative studio.!


@JordansMill!

http://www.jordansmill.com/!

@DesignOrchard!

http://www.design-orchard.co.uk/!

Bridget Lewis!Bridget Lewis, founder, Card Crush Greetings, based in Stotfold and Network Leader at WIRE BEDS will join the conversation on behalf of her business and Women In Rural Enterprise Bedfordshire network. !

@Twitter Handle!Lisa King!Rural Development Manger at Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC), will join the conversation from the perspective of a development agency working across Bedfordshire. !


@CardCrush!

http://www.cardcrushgreetings.com/!

@bedsrcc!

http://bedsrcc.org.uk/!

@Wire_Bedford!

http://www.wireuk.org/networks/bedfordshire-wire-network/!

This evening includes an open discussion of the needs of rural creative business, a chance to shout-out about your latest work, and to chat informally.!Tonight there are people in the room including Steve Mackie, Business Development Manager at Jordans Mill; Paul Byass, founder of, The Design Orchard, a product design consultancy based in Clophill; Lisa King, Rural Development Manger at Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC), Bridget Lewis, founder, Card Crush Greetings, based in Stotfold and Network Leader at WIRE BEDS; Rachel Atkinson of Bromham Mill, Sally Annett, Snakes and Ladders Urban: Rural, Angela Kingham, Wood End Gallery Pertenhall. !


Steve Mackie!.!


Business Development Manager at Jordans Mill will speak about how rural funding restored the property and redefined the business, and about collaborating with local creative business!

@JordansMill!

Before Holmes Mills!


About the restoration!@JordansMill!

After – In 2014!


About the restoration!@JordansMill!


About the business redefinition!@JordansMill!

How does funding for the mill help the local economy and local business!


About the role of rural funding!@JordansMill!

Current!

Vision !

Call for collaborations !


About collaborating with local business !@JordansMill!

Storytelling!

Art and craft workshops!

Themes markets!

Networking venue!


About collaborating with local business !@JordansMill!

Paul Byass!.!


Founder, The Design Orchard, a product design consultancy based in Clophill.!

@DesignOrchard!

Paul Byass!.!


Paul will talk about how a Rural Development Programme transformed an agricultural building into a creative studio.!

@DesignOrchard!

Where Based in Clophill in converted farm building of family’s old apple orchard.!

What !Product design and development with model making and low volume prototype and production runs.!


About Design Orchard!@DesignOrchard!

Background!Trained as a draftsman with the MOD, went to university to study Industrial Product design, started freelance work straight after university which turned into a model making business before buying out my partners to run The Design Orchard. !


About Design Orchard!@DesignOrchard!

The business couldn’t grow (or even work effectively) without a clean, warm and dry facility and without the funds to develop the building properly I searched for any applicable grant funding and struck it lucky with a Greensands Ridge development fund!

http://bedsrcc.org.uk/category/rural-development/greensand-ridge-lag/!


The decision to access rural funding !@DesignOrchard!

How it worked!It was around 50% match funding for projects up to £100k. !

There were two rounds of application, firstly a proposal to match the criteria and assess suitability and if approved a fully detailed business, project and financial plan had to be submitted. !

Current information!https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rural-development-programme-for-england-leader-funding!


About the rural development programme!@DesignOrchard!

Who was involved!The grant delivery programme was run by Beds Rural Communities Charity (Lisa King, the programme manager, was my main contact there) who were fantastic in supporting a novice through the process.!



@bedsrcc!

http://bedsrcc.org.uk/!

Any problems? – Loads! !Building work always has unforeseen issues and we had our fair share. There was a lot of business disruption but we were lucky to have room on site to move everything into and still operate as normal, if a bit slowly. !

Cash flow was also difficult to manage as the grant funding didn’t cover VAT.!

Any tips – Plan for every eventuality (beforehand and as the project progresses) and watch the cash flow like a hawk!!




The workshop before rural funding !@DesignOrchard!


The workshop after rural funding !@DesignOrchard!


A break. If you’d like an introduction please ask me. !


Over to the room. !

1.  What are the needs of rural creative business?!2.  What questions do people have about rural

funding?!3.  How can rural business and creatives

collaborate?!


A summary of needs that arose:!

_networking / shared peer-experience to grow business and combat isolation!_fibre optic coverage!_affordable workspace in particular artist studios!_maintaining post offices in rural communities particularly for business pick-up / secure delivery of high value items (eg. one attendee was a jeweller)!_venues for exhibition and display!


Over to the room. Who wants to say something about their individual creative business or creative need? Artist Joanne Bowes gave an introduction to Artists Network Bedfordshire !http://www.artsnetbeds.org.uk/ and https://twitter.com/artistsnetbeds!

Angela Kingham, promoted the Wood End Gallery Pertenhall http://www.tabwood.co.uk/ and https://twitter.com/woodendgallery!


Over to the room.

Paul Pibworth promoted 2016 Lutonia Festival, in particular his project at the event happening on Sat 2 Apr Luton 2016: Ireland 1916, The Poet's Rebellion!

Luton Irish Forum, with support from Heritage Lottery Fund presents a special commemorative programme for Lutonia. The Easter Rising of 1916 (an armed rebellion in Ireland during Easter week) paved the way towards independence and nationhood. It is of significance to all Irish people, especially those in larger Irish communities such as Luton. The event will reflect the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme’s five overlapping themes: Remembering, Reconciling, Presenting, Imagining and Celebrating and will include visual and performing arts, literature and music.!http://www.lutonculture.com/luton-libraries/lutonia/ and https://twitter.com/paulpibworth!


Over to the room.

Sally Annett sent apologies and information to promote the launch of Contemplation Seats!The only working stretch of the old ‘varsity’ line between Bedford and Bletchley sees the installation of a new interactive artwork designed by artist Sally Annett. Working with support from London Midland, Network Rail, Arts Council England, Luton and Bedford Community Foundation, Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership and Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, the project will launch on 24th March, the first day of spring of 2016 and run as a pilot for one year.!

http://www.sallyannett.com/ !https://twitter.com/SalAnnettSandL!

News from Bedford Creative Arts !@weareBCA!


The BCA team will be at The Lane in Bedford town centre on 12th March from 10am together with well-known local artist David Litchfield, creative agency We Can Creative, a Lone Morris dancer (yes, we're intrigued by how that will work too), musicians and lots of pens for you to help us create our new look.!



Open Forum 2016 is a series of FREE events for practicing visual artists offering advice and support. The aim of Open Forum is to provide advice to artists in regions where the commercial sector is less visible.!

How do artists establish themselves? !Panel Discussion: Sunday 20 March 2016!Panelists: Emma Hill (Eagle gallery) Catherine Hemelryk (NN Contemporary Art) Alex Michon (Transition gallery) Chaired by Matt Roberts. !A few spaces available. Please speak to Emily. !



Follow BCA on Facebook !https://www.facebook.com/Bedford.Creative.Arts!

Annual Conference!


The focus this year is Growth. The day kicks off at 9.30am with a series of talks covering key business topics across Pricing, Finance, Intellectual Property, Briefing Social Media, Pitching a Business Collaboration from well known local guest speakers!

Addison Accounts, Stanmore IP!Bedford Creative Arts!Keeping It Social!Pavilion at the Park!

A social lunch will be followed by a panel discussion. The panel members include the founders of two thriving creative businesses in Bedfordshire and a regional business support advisor: !

Arabel Lebrusan, Bespoke and Limited Edition JewelsNila Holden Artisan Cakes and CookiesAruna Bhagwan, Velocity Business Adviser North Bedfordshire. !

Save the date!Creative Bedfordshire5th May 2016!7 – 9 pm!Venue TBC!Central Bedfordshire location TBC!


Keep in touch!

http://linkedin.com/company/creative-bedfordshire!

http://slideshare.net/CreativeBedfordshire!


http://instagram.com/creativebeds/!

#creativebeds #bedfordshire #centralbeds !

http://facebook.com/groups/creativebedfordshire/!

https://twitter.com/creativebeds/!

Thank You!

Creative Bedfordshire is a network of creative people and businesses in Bedfordshire and offers regular networking events

and professional development opportunities. Sole traders, freelancers and creative businesses of all kinds are welcome to

attend. It is funded by the economic development teams at Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council and is run by

Bedford Creative Arts. For more information email [email protected]!

Follow us on Twitter @creativebeds or join our mailing list by emailing [email protected] with ‘Creative

Bedfordshire’ in the title.!

CreativeBedfordshire