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Your Creative Future Week ignites creative careers
Tuesday, 7 May, 2024 — Earlier this spring all undergraduate students at Arts University Plymouth were invited to join our showcase of employability, enterprise, and entrepreneurship within the creative industries.
<p dir="ltr">Earlier this spring all undergraduate students at Arts University Plymouth were invited to join our showcase of employability, enterprise, and entrepreneurship within the creative industries. A carefully curated programme for students of over twenty sessions online and in person over five days was led by experts from across Arts University Plymouth and a host of industry guests, all offering valuable insights into planning your career path from academic study into a lifetime of creative practice.</p>
<p dir="ltr">From careers showcases in what creative employers are really looking for and chances to have professional headshots taken on campus to our student-led symposium on the ethics and implications of AI in the creative industries and a guide to the role of the socially engaged artist, the week offered something for everyone, with a focus on practical skills and tips to ensure students demonstrate the skills that employers and clients are looking for.<br /></p>
‘AI and the Horizon of Creative Practice’ student symposium
<p dir="ltr">Your Creative Future week started with the launch of our new professional CV competition, our Employability and Enterprise awards, plus exciting live brief opportunities for students, including a £500 logo design challenge.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Another notable opportunity was the relaxed Industry Insiders session, featuring experienced industry professionals including <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0241091/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rose Duignan</a>, Visual Effects and Associate Producer for ‘Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope’, also known for her work on ‘Star Trek - The Next Generation’, and Contemporary Artists’ Agent <a href="https://benjaminrhodes.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benjamin Rhodes</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Alongside communications and press experts from across Arts University Plymouth, the panel members shared their professional journeys and answered questions, offering a wealth of advice and inspiration from the heart of the creative industries.<br /></p>
Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Copyright: Lucasfilm.
<p dir="ltr">Rose Duignan said that if there was one tip that she could give to students hoping to work in VFX, it was this: “You need to have a showreel. In this industry, we hire based on your reel. We want to see your skillset, more than anything else, and for that you need to show us your showreel.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">The other tip that Rose shared for all Arts University Plymouth students was to network and collaborate with your cohort: “Eventually you’re all going to hire one another. Someone in your cohort is going to get a job and when they get there there’ll be a point where they need a compositor or someone with a certain skill set. If you have an eye for it, they’re going to be the one to help you get a job in the industry.”<br /></p>
‘AI and the Horizon of Creative Practice’ student symposium
<p dir="ltr">Other notable activities throughout the week included a workshop about ‘Making Money as a Creative’ led by Dawn Mellville & Elinor Eaton, delving into the principles of enterprise and entrepreneurship. Micronomy has been helping our graduates in Workroom to acquire new clients across the south west, with notable successes already including the achievements of BA (Hons) Illustration graduate Blue Skye.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Wednesday afternoon saw students coming together to lead ‘AI and the Horizon of Creative Practice’, a student symposium introducing the history of generative AI and giving students the opportunity to talk about their own experiences and research into the ethical implications and opportunities of these emerging technologies.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Your Creative Future Week culminated in a full day devoted to enterprise and entrepreneurship, in collaboration with <a href="https://www.digitalremit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Digital Remit</a>. This comprehensive day of training covered everything from branding and sales to pricing and raising finance, preparing students for successful careers as creative entrepreneurs.<br /></p>