Please note that the work of the SLN Arts & New Media team was completed in August 2008

Our first year’s activities proved successful with progression agreements being established, and extensive connections being made with practitioners and employers.  Our 2007 conference, ‘Making it in the Creative Industries’ was well attended and received positive feedback. In 2008, we presented an equally well received session within the SLN conference, 'Three by the sea'. 

Our model has involved different institutions leading on each of our three strands, and in August 2008 we were joined by a new consultant for the Art and Design subject strand, Clare Chandler. The New Media consultancy was taken over in full by Paul Andersen, and we developed a slightly different operational and administrative model.

The focus for this year’s activities was as follows:-

• Progression agreements - establishing new agreements and widening those established
• Development of a business module, including review by employer organisations WiredSussex; the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership; Skillset, and the Creative and Cultural Skills Council  
• Four regional events to be held in Chichester, Hastings, mid Sussex and Brighton
• Participation in the work-based top-up development by the Performing Arts strand
• Review of additional CPD requirements relating to new foundation degrees and vocational progression at level 3
• Employer engagement and its impact on small/medium size enterprises      

The first regional event was held at the University of Chichester (UoC) on November 29th 2007.  It was a successful, lively networking event with practitioners from Further Education and Higher Education. The same style of drop-in event was planned for three further regional events, to be held in March in Hastings, April in mid Sussex, and May in Brighton.

Further employer engagement activity involved a joint Media Induction Day supported by the SSC Skillset, University of Chichester and SLN in the summer term. This was designed to offer up to 100 students a one day event with industry professionals, who would deliver skills, employment advice and information.

To support more interaction from small/medium enterprises (SMEs) in the creative industries, we have been profiling a successful partnership between a marketing and media enterprise outside Chichester and UoC. It is intended that this case study will be used for internal and external marketing of employer engagement among enterprise groups throughout the region. 

Linda Randall, August 2008