Enterprise Page

Currently the MA Design By Practice is wholly funded by a fee structure paid for by the individual, employer or supporting organisation. Ideally, current relationships within the University of Wales Newport would be built on and cemented with a view to recognising the many benefits to the university as a whole a regular end-of-year MA / MFA show would bring about.

As a key stakeholder in this process, I would like to see an internal budget requirement agreed by the Art and Design department to cover (at a minimum) any venue hire costs and marketing / promotion, where the incentive was to build the reputation of the course among its peers and future students. This would help enable the course and show to be sustainable by creating a ‘flagship’ event, which would engage, promote, and attract.

In addition, I would like to see a more active approach to support the notion of a dedicated MA/MFA Design website (within the http://amd.newport.ac.uk presence) providing a public facing space and opportunity for the course students to host / promote their work under the UWN MA / MFA course banner, and engage with others nationally and internationally. This would compliment the Design Futures blog, build on the show-only simplexityapplied.org and help generate interest and enthusiasm for the end-of-year show.

I would also like to see efforts made to identify commercial opportunities arising from the university’s business links, where potential practical benefits could be realised.

In the meantime. . .self-sustenance

Where funds are sought from students to facilitate the end-of-year show, I have looked at a variety of funding channels which in part have a ‘general’ approach where others have a bias towards my area of study and are perhaps subject specific. My starting-point would be a contribution from my current employer (financial or hardware support), but I have also considered the aid of other potential governmental and public groups and I’ve listed these bodies below.

The financial concern for paying for the end-of-year show seems uppermost in peoples minds, and of course this is crucial. However for me, value would also come from tying the research into any organisation such as the National Institute for Adults Continuing Education (NIACE) or the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). The latter could provide potential funding streams but both would certainly provide significant kudos to the research as well as subsequent avenues to publicise the work to the whole sector. This in turn might realise wider recognition of the works outcomes (whatever they might be).

The “Useful Websites’ list is a general reference point and is not exhaustive where the intention would be to scrutinise and build on this where listed groups were approached for either individual or organisational funding or sponsorship to help meet costs presented by the end-of-year show.

Useful websites

Arts Councils

Governmental

Education

  • Higher Education Funding Council For Wales – www.hefcw.ac.uk
  • National Institute of Adult Continuing Learning – www.niacedc.org.uk
  • Department for Children Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (Welsh Assembly Governement, including Education & Skills, Funding & Grants, and the Customer Research Programme) – www.wales.gov.uk
  • Joint Information Systems Committee – JISC inspires UK colleges and universities in the innovative use of digital technologies, helping to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in education – www.jisc.ac.uk

European

Lottery

Sponsorship

Charitable Trusts and Foundations

This is by no means a comprehensive list but offers a selection of UK charitable trusts who make grants to arts organisations and projects.

In addition to those groups listed above, private sector businesses could be approached for individual or group support. I have informally approached those businesses where the practical set-up and production costs would be sought. For example, in addition to projected images detailing some of my work, I am also considering digital signage solutions. For both projection and signage cases I have approached known (to me) FE / HE suppliers, where their business name would be highlighted at my stand and would also be included in any promotion. These have verbally confirmed that this is possible on a customer trial basis, where the items would be returned post-exhibition. These businesses are as follows:

For printed items, such as agendas, business cards, posters and boards, I would also seek the support of printers known to me, where in return their business name would be highlighted. A range of businesses would be approached. However two of the larger businesses known to me would be approached first on the premise that they would be able to better absorb any support outlay and therefore perhaps more likely to agree to any request I might make.

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