Students from HSDC’s Level 4 Creative Enterprise course are transforming their artistic talents into real-world businesses, thanks to a new partnership with Portsmouth Creates known as the Young Creatives Initiative. This partnership offers students the opportunity to develop creative start-ups, gain industry experience, and showcase their work at local events, including the Portsmouth Light Festival pop-up market and Victorious Festival.
The Pop-Up Market provided these students with the chance to showcase and sell their wares.
Owen Lane, a current Creative Enterprise student, has launched a popular line of black-and-white T-shirts featuring designs inspired by Portsmouth. Owen has found that the Young Creatives initiative was vital for his success, expressing his gratitude for the partnership:
“I’m so happy that Portsmouth Creates teamed up with the Creative Enterprise UAL Level 4 course to help turn our classroom into a studio and then gave us a platform to sell our artwork. Making my first sale as an artist will stay with me for a long time, and now I have the drive to make more.”
Course leader Paul Parsons believes that these opportunities are just the beginning for future students to develop essential industry skills:
“With the Young Creatives initiative, we help artists form ideas, develop outcomes, and, through financial support from Portsmouth Creates, bring their concepts to life. It’s vital to keep pushing and improving the course, and I’m incredibly proud of this new collaboration, it’s really going to help the students thrive.”
The program also brings in industry experts to mentor students. One such mentor is Maisy Fifield, an HSDC alumna who works as a toy designer at Roblox. Her insights have been invaluable in bridging the gap between education and industry.
On Thursday 12 June, the Creative Enterprise students were given the opportunity to showcase and sell their wares at a Pop-Up Market at South Downs Campus. This gave the students an excellent opportunity to celebrate their work, network with local businesses and put their entrepreneurial skills in action.
A variety of clothes, paintings, board games and so much more was on sale, highlighting the hard work of the students. Thanks to the Young Creatives Initiative, Creative Enterprise students at HSDC are able to take advantage of events like these to apply their knowledge and get a foot in the door of the industry.