Ayrshire College launches Hello Creatives network
A network for people studying towards or working in the creative industries has been set up by Ayrshire College, with support from the Ayrshire College Foundation.
Hello Creatives was launched on World Hello Day – Thursday 21 November – at the college’s Ayr Campus, where the majority of Ayrshire College’s creative courses are delivered.
Ayrshire College students past and present will be able to benefit from becoming a member of the Hello Creatives network.
Hello Creatives will introduce students to the creative industry, local employers and mentors, through a regular series of informal events designed to engage, motivate and inspire.
The events also aim to highlight the scale of the creative industries, and the wealth of opportunities available across a range of disciplines. This will encourage students to seek the right creative path for them, while giving them the confidence to pursue it, knowing it can be a viable career goal.
The launch event involved guest speakers from the performing arts, graphic art, media, and photography industries. These were:
- Mary Cahill, Creative Director at Gosh Creative
- Graham Cochrane, Scotland Manager at Adlib Audio Hire
- Steven Cosh, Partner at Cosh Niven Marketing
- Eric Joseph, CEO at Mediaspec
- Laura Kerr, South Ayrshire Arts Partnership
- Richard Longmuir, Creative Director at Launch Digital
- Mick McAvoy, Head of Factual at Two Rivers Media
- Tommy McCormick, Development Manager at Scottish Music Industry Association
- Pamela McIntyre, Project Development Officer at South Ayrshire Council
- David McKinlay, Freelance Broadcast Producer
- Shelagh McLachlan, Head of Marketing at Ayrshire College
- Doug Paisley, Technical Production Manager at Edinburgh Playhouse
- Emma Pollock, Co-founder at Chem19 Studios
Emma Pollock, who is also a singer-songwriter and founding member of The Delgados, said: “It is essential for an educational centre offering vocational courses in the creative arts to create effective links with industry. Students want to take a lot of their ideas that they’ve just been introduced to, and apply them in a real-life setting. You’ve got to be given the opportunity to start meeting people to make that happen.”
Julie Thorne, Head of Learning & Skills for Arts & Fashion at Ayrshire College, said “Last month the Scottish Government published their policy statement for the Creative Industries where they stated that their vision was one where the sector is considered to provide a rewarding career.
“We want our students to be able to access a rewarding career, we want them to know what opportunities are available to them and we want them to know what it takes to be successful.
“This means connecting with employers and practitioners in the sector, which is what we are hoping to achieve with our Hello Creatives Network.”
If you are interested in participating with the Hello Creatives network, you can find out more information at www.facebook.com/groups/HelloCreatives.
22 November 2019
Share this post
