Deadline for Cluster
4: February 27, 2015
The ACT | UJ Arts & Culture Conference, taking place
from March 8 to 10, 2015, offers great opportunities for entrepreneurs working
in creative industries.
As an exciting addition to this year’s conference programme,
creative entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to learn the art of the perfect
pitch. Participants will then have a chance to put this theory to the test in a
Live Pitch session, competing against fellow delegates for project funding
totalling R100,000.
“This year’s conference has a strong thematic focus on the
creative entrepreneur, and we would like to help ‘creatives make it happen’ in
practical ways as well,” says Arts & Culture Trust CEO Pieter Jacobs.
The presentation offered during the ‘Pitch Perfect’ session,
presented by business guru Michael Rubenstein, will help the business-minded
and inspired creative hone their idea-selling skills. Tying in with the
conference’s overall purpose, the workshop will be utilised to present
attendees with practical methods to maximise their own ideas, and how to put
these into practice within their respective environments.
Pieter Jacobs adds, “The practical application of theory is
vitally important to the learning process, as personal experience often leads
to a deeper understanding of a concept. ACT and Nedbank Arts Affinity are
delighted to give conference delegates an opportunity to put their new pitching
skills to the test.”
Michael Rubenstein has spent the last 20 years in various
marketing roles including a 13 year stint at the SABC (South Africa
Broadcasting Corporation) and 6 years at financial services company,
BankservAfrica. His passion is around services marketing and B2B marketing with
a special interest in building brands. He is currently a marketing strategist
at BrandQuantum a brand consistency business and is also a social entrepreneur
– mentoring and guiding various arts organisations on business, marketing and
creative strategy.
Sponsored by the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) and Nedbank
Arts Affinity, three grants to the value of R10,000, R30,000 and R60,000, will
be made available to the winning projects.
Delegates registered to attend Cluster 4: ‘LEARN IT powered
by Business and Arts South Africa’, or attending this cluster as part of the
full conference package, are eligible to participate in the programme.
Applicants are required to complete an online application form via the
website, no later than February 27. Candidates will then be required to
participate in the ‘Pitch Perfect’ training session that will be presented as
part of the conference.
Shortlisted projects will be given three minutes to pitch
their ideas during the Live Pitch that follows that afternoon, where
individuals and representatives of organisations and/or businesses will have
the opportunity to sell their creative project idea(s). This will be followed
by a Q&A from the panel of judges, and the winners will be announced at the
closing party that evening.
The 2015 conference presents an invaluable chance for people
working at different levels and in different contexts in the sector, to meet
and learn from one another. By engaging with entrepreneurs, artists,
manufacturers, consumers, policy makers and implementers, the conference will
showcase alternative ways of cultivating business ideas in a contemporary South
Africa.
The ACT | UJ Arts & Culture Conference is presented by
the Arts & Culture Trust, UJ Arts & Culture and British Council Connect
ZA, with support from the Department of Arts and Culture, Business and Arts
South Africa (BASA), SAMRO Foundation, Pro Helvetia, the European Union, the
SA-UK Seasons 2014 & 2015; and media partners Classicfeel magazine and
UJfm.
The conference will run from the 8 - 10 March 2015, based at
the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Tickets are now available via www.webtickets.co.za.
Ticket prices range from R200 for one cluster, to R1,000 for a full conference
pass (Clusters 1 to 5). Student passes are R350 for attendance of clusters 2 to
5. To stay up to date with information and opportunities, click on the conference advert at the top right hand side of this page or visit www.creativeconference.co.za
@actujconference #creativesmakeithappen