Business management workshop held for creative industry entrepreneurs

By Linda Straker

MORE than 20 persons involved in various areas of the Creative Industries are now more knowledgeable about writing proposals as cultural entrepreneurs as a result of a two-day workshop undertaken by the OECS Export Development Unit.

Held at the Coyaba Hotel Conference Room last Friday and Saturday, the session was facilitated by Dr. Jo-Anne Tull, who is a writer, researcher and consultant in the creative industries. She is a lecturer in the Department of Creative and Festival Arts at UWI, where she co-ordinated the BA in Carnival Studies programme and teaches business of the arts courses.

A few of the participants having a discussion
during the Business management workshop.

Some of the more than 20 persons who participated
in the Business management workshop.

Business Development Officer for the Creative Industries, Sobers Esprit, said that from all accounts the people of the OECS have seen and somehow come to accept that the creative industries can be fun, but also in reality is another sector that can have significant positive impact on the GDP of the region, once the proper mechanism is put in place.

“The creative sector is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world and we believe that as we
in the OECS transit our economies that there are possible ways which the Creative Industry can make a real contribution to the GDP of each island. So that is why we need to take a closer look at the development of enterprises in the Creative Industries,” he said, while explaining that it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry, but the OECS is yet to put the proper mechanisms in place to truly benefit.

“The Creative Industries have increasingly become one of the main sources of greater production and employment in many countries and there is no reason why we in the OECS should be left behind,
but as you will know and agree with me, success requires working together,” he said.

The participants had a number of sessions which included: Managing your cultural enterprises – the key to success; Creating a spirit of entrepreneurship; The building blocks of strategy; Formulating project ideas, cultural enterprises; and Mapping support mechanism for marketing and financing the creative project.

They were also introduced to useful terms and concepts such as the SLEPT Framework, which categorises environmental influences; and the COWS Analysis, which summarises the key issues from the external environment and the internal environment that are most likely to impact on strategy development.

There were similar workshops undertaken already in the islands of Dominica, St. Vincent and St. Lucia. These national training programmes receive financial support from the European Union through the 10th EDF Economic Integration and Trade of the OECS Region.