Enterprise
Enterprise through Art and Design
We have on our database a number of self-employed designers from a wide range of artistic disciplines who are able to work with pupils on enterprise projects.
Through working with practicing designers and crafts people students learn practical real world aspects of working in the creative industries and different issues related to enterprise e.g. cost of materials, overheads, labour, concepts of profit and loss, analysis of the market, risk-taking etc.
We have worked with St Patricks High school Eccles for the past 3 years on an Enterprise in the Creative Industries project outlined below.
Enterprise and Creative Industries project with St Patrick’s R.C High, Salford
Small groups of pupils worked with 20 self-employed artists from a wide range of artistic disciplines over 3 days to produce artefacts that they then sold to parents and pupils in order to make a profit.
Pupils worked with the artists to choose a project that was achievable within the time given and that would sell. They discussed the basic principles of enterprise, identification of costs for production and produced a full business plan and costings that they then presented to a representative from a bank, in a ‘Dragons Den’ type scenario. Successful presentations were given up to £100 to buy materials with following a successful presentation. Pupils who’s presentation was considered less successful were given less money than they had asked for.
Pupils then worked with the artists to produce their chosen products, advertise and market their products and prepare a stall to sell them. The products were then sold in an after school bazaar.