Solent Partners aims to boost region's creative sector with free management skills training.

A new management skills course is aiming to help creatives in the Solent enhance their career prospects.

The Creative Management Skills Bootcamp, funded by Solent Partners and run in partnership with the University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Creates, is aiming to upskill the creative sector’s workforce, offering valuable insights into areas such as project management, digital marketing and leadership.

“The programme really exceeded my expectations,” said former participant Alice le Page, owner of The Brightside – an organisation working with local museums to celebrate their achievements which make a big impact on local communities.

She explained: “Each day, I met lots of creative people and took something away from every session, which was very valuable. I immediately started to reach out to some of my networks and use my new skills to reconnect with people. I also experimented with my social media output and developed my own website, creating a vision of what I wanted my business to be.

“The practical parts of the course were useful in that we were working through real life situations, creating a business model, doing cash flow projections and really thinking about our customers. I came away with something so developed I could instantly put it into practice.

“The skills bootcamp gave me a lot of confidence, time to think and the motivation to really focus on my vision and go for it.”

Alice added: “My advice to anyone considering enrolling is: Just do it!”

The Creative Management Skills Bootcamp is tailored to meet the unique needs of artists, designers, writers, and other creative professionals. Participants gain practical knowledge and hands-on experience, enabling them to manage projects more effectively, market their work digitally, and lead teams with confidence.

Another participant is book illustrator and animator Vivi Markatos who says the training helped her find her unique selling point (USP) and to learn useful skills which she is now incorporating into her work.

“I was lacking a lot of business knowledge and terminology, so I was very excited to attend this course,” she says. “It was unique, it had a lot of creative aspects and it was interactive – it really helped my confidence.”

The innovative course not only supports individual career growth, but also strengthens the overall creative economy in the Solent region.

Rachael Randall, Chair of Solent Partners, said: “Solent Partners’ Creative Management Skills Bootcamp is a crucial step in empowering local creatives and enhancing the vibrancy of our creative sector in the region.

“By providing targeted training and resources, we are helping individuals thrive in their careers and contributing to the cultural vitality of our community. This initiative reflects our commitment to driving positive change and economic development locally.”

The two-week intensive programme features specialists delivering workshops alongside creatives and guest speakers from across the industry. Participants will receive guided mentoring, work shadowing and mock interviews. Sessions will focus on developing CVs and portfolios, creating business models, and building business connections.

Enrolment for the next Creative Management Skills Bootcamp is now open. For more information about this Skills Bootcamp and the full suite of training courses available, visit the Solent Partners website https://solentpartners.com/our-services/business-and-skills-support/skills-bootcamps/

Click on the relevant link to watch short films about the Creative Marketing Skills Bootcamp, with testimonials from:

Alice le Page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNl4P5aPfhk

Vivi Markatos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeLoj_ZsbGE