ARTventure: accelerating creative entrepreneurs

ARTventure: a new approach to accelerating Auckland’s creative entrepreneurs

A leading-edge entrepreneurial acceleration programme, ARTventure, was introduced to Auckland business leaders on Thursday 22 March in the Spiegeltent. The venue provided a fitting atmosphere to celebrate the launch of New Zealand’s first programme focusing on the unique business aspirations of entrepreneurs and producers in Auckland’s creative sector.

ARTventure brings together the arts, business, education and investment communities to back high-achieving creative entrepreneurs and producers.

Developed by ART, Arts Regional Trust, an arts and creative industries development agency in Auckland, ARTventure supports the growth of a creative sector that is confident, globally connected, forward-thinking and prosperous.

“ART is delighted to invest in and drive the development of the ARTventure” said Peter Shand, ART spokesperson. The programme enables ten creative sector entrepreneurs working in Auckland to access the resources they need to meet their business aspirations and goals. The programme pushes them to the next level of entrepreneurial success,” he said.

“ARTventure is a power-packed programme that provides a continuous flow of networking, learning, career and business development to accelerate business initiatives already underway in the creative sector.”

“The ten entrepreneurs selected for 2007 are leaders in Auckland’s creative sector. They represent a wide range of creative industries and disciplines. In the selection process, they have demonstrated an absolute understanding of industry needs, of commercial realities and how the global networked economy functions,” he added.

A key feature of ARTventure is a high-level mentoring exchange and network. Leading creative entrepreneurs drawn from all sectors of Auckland’s business, education and public sectors in the network will work with ARTventure participants, sharing experiences, knowledge and enterprise possibilities.

“We are very keen to engage with Auckland’s arts, business, education and investment communities. There are many ways they can assist and become involved. The creative sector is vital to business, and business to the creative sector,” Shand said.

“ARTventure represents a significant opportunity for investment that will result in lasting benefits for the sector. It’s a Programme anyone interested in the development of creative and intellectual talent and ideas should become involved with,” he urged.

ARTventure 2007 started in February 2007 for the ten successful candidates and will finish in mid-December. It will be offered again in 2008.

Background to Arts Regional Trust (ART):

ART is an arts and creative industries development agency, creating and investing in programmes that develop capability and capacity in Auckland’s creative sector.

The City Councils of Auckland and Manukau created the Arts Regional Trust Te Taumata Toi-a–iwi (ART) in 2000 to manage and grow their combined share of funds provided through the disestablishment of Auckland Regional Services Trust.

To date, ART has invested in a number of significant projects in partnership with other organisations such as the city councils of the Auckland region, universities and government agencies. The capital fund has grown to $8.4 million under ART’s stewardship.

The Chairperson of ART is Dr. Hinemoa Elder.

About Auckland’s Creative Sector: *

Auckland city is the fastest growing centre of the creative industries in NZ

The Auckland region has critical mass in the creative industries: of NZ’s estimated 36,540 creative sector full-time employees, 18,730 are located in the Auckland region

Auckland is the centre of the television, advertising, commercial radio, commercial music and publishing industries; and the largest media market in New Zealand

Auckland city is the national leader based on creative sector size and employment.

* Source: Snapshot: Auckland’s creative industries, Auckland City report, 2006.

ENDS

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