Generator show at LCP
Generator is the title of the exhibition for students completing the Enterprise Management in the Creative Arts (EMCA) one-year certificate course at The London College of Printing, Elephant and Castle.
The exhibition will show the work of 15 artists from a diverse range of creative backgrounds including film, fashion and costume, dance, community workshops, cartooning, glass design, greeting cards, ceramics and fine art.
These artists have come together on the EMCA course in order to learn and put into practice business and interpersonal skills, the skills that will enable them to survive and succeed in today's world of art and enterprise.
The EMCA course specialises in business input for creative led enterprises and concentrates on such areas as the business plan, law, IT and web site design, finance, marketing, operational management and communication methods.
As well as the formal taught element, a seies of seminars with particular relevance to the student cohort is organised, this year invited guest lecturers have included art consultants, e-commerce specialists, copyright lawyers, accountants, independent artists, arts administrators and creative led business managers.
Past students from the EMCA course have managed to set up their own creative led enterprises, some have been able to win grants or secure external funding, others have exhibited at international interior design shows or sold their work to reputable companies and retail stores, most have been able to ear proper money from their creativity and one ex-student is now actively employing people to help with the work load of her business.
All round the EMCA course has been successful in educating and developing artists into becoming more self sufficient,independent and capable of planning their careers.
One important and necessary element of surviving as an artist or new business is getting outside money for projects and exhibitions, this year the EMCA students have worked extremely hard at raising significant funds for their group exhibition, the Generator Show. Sponsors include Nat West Bank, Tesco Metro, GF Smith for paper and Photobition for the show's display material.