Creatives get entrepreneurial education

Making a living as an artist or a full time creative can be tough so an Australian university has created a two-year course to teach business skills and “an entrepreneurial spirit”.

UWSCollege and the University of Western Sydney have created a nationally recognised Associate Degree in Creative Industries to help creative people forge paying careers as well as give a leg up the career ladder to those working in creative organisations.

The program will take up to 30 students at a time with its first intake starting next year. The program includes units in entrepreneurial, innovation and management strategies, marketing and communication techniques and project planning and delivery methods. Students will see presentations from industry leaders and study a series of “real-world creative industries case studies.”

The program is full time but is delivered flexibly to accommodate students who are working.

The Australian creative industry is estimated to be worth over $30 billion dollars and employs approximately 300,000 people directly.

“There are many business courses available but none are tailored [to] the Australian creative industry,” says Dr Kerry Hudson, CEO of UWSCollege and Director of Education Partnerships at UWS.

“We went directly to leading creative industry organisations and professionals in Sydney and beyond to ask them what skills they valued and what they believed was essential for success,” Dr Hudson explains.

“The Associate Degree in Creative Industries provides tuition that is directly relevant to students’ working lives providing them with strong management, project planning accounting and business skills.”

Dr Hudson says the principles for conducting business may be similar across all industries, but those working in creative industries are often freelancers who must go it alone when negotiating rights and licensing agreements, navigating tax rules and OH&S laws and other employer responsibilities.

“Those working in creative industries need to have relevant skills across broad areas but they don’t necessarily need to have in-depth knowledge across different industry settings,” she says.

Peta Downes is the Executive Coordinator for the Associate Degree in Creative Industries. She says the undergraduate program being offered is unique in NSW.

“The program, which is only offered to 30 students each year, is designed to hone students’ business and entrepreneurial skills in a collaborative environment akin to the small to medium enterprises that are the backbone of Australia’s creative industries,” says Ms Downes.

“The real life industry environment extends to the final year project which involves the students applying the knowledge they have learnt to design, manage and deliver a series of community-based creative outcomes such as an exhibition, performance or event.

“It’s a unique opportunity for the students to practice their newly acquired entrepreneurial skills in the supportive environment of our creative industry partners but also to experience the pressures and challenges of delivering an engaging project on time and on budget,” says Ms Downes.

The Associate Degree in Creative Industries is a Commonwealth Government Supported (CGS) program and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. HECS-HELP and Austudy/Abstudy is available.
CareerOne.com.au.