Winchester artists and creative businesses to receive free business advice
Winchester City Council’s free advisory service for arts practitioners based in the Winchester area has been extended due to popular demand.
Surgery sessions will take place in the city’s Artcafé in Jewry Street on Thursdays from 9am to 1pm: 28 January, 25 February and 31 March.
Entrepreneurs operating a creative business, or considering a start-up in either fine-art, textiles, graphic design, dance, theatre, film, video games, music, media, sculpture, jewellery, poetry or new writing, will continue to benefit from this free business support.
The arts advisory service can assist with professional development, including support with preparing business plans and cash-flow forecasts, marketing and communications advice, support with creating and maintaining a professional online presence, advice on publishing work and approaching agents, writing grant applications and funding advice, networking and finding opportunities to showcase their work.
The service does not critique work, but aims to support artists in their journey to becoming sustainable and profitable businesses.
Winchester City Council is liaising with the expertise of the Creative Eastleigh team at Eastleigh Borough Council to provide this free advisory service on its behalf.
Artists can opt to attend one of the surgery sessions or attend a longer session with an advisor at their offices which are located at any one of the Creative Eastleigh hubs: The Point, The Sorting Office or the Tec-Hub.
Cllr James Byrnes, Winchester City Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Local Economy, said:
The popularity of this service, through both the surgery sessions and the office-based appointments shows how the artistic community is growing and developing. Winchester City Council is delighted to be able to provide this service.
Those wishing to use the arts advisory service must be based in the Winchester District and should complete an initial enquiry form which can be downloaded online here: www.winchester.gov.uk/community/arts/new-arts-advisory-service/