Resources
How to Approach Businesses for Private Sponsorship
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This workshop provided tips and tools on how to achieve successful sponsorship partnerships and examine what should be considered when opting to partner with businesses. Including; Approaching sponsors, Writing sponsorship proposals, Assessing your assets & attributes & making the approach, Research techniques and Evaluating and maintaining the relationship
Run by Fern Potter started as a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher in New York City, touring in the USA and abroad, before moving into senior management roles in fundraising and development. Since then, she’s raised millions for arts organisations.
Practice Pitching an Idea
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This workshop focused on sharpening ideas and proposals, including what language to use, presentation skills and the power of networking. Plus tips on how to get in the room, what to do after you’ve pitched and common mistakes to avoid.
Run by Tom Keenan who is an executive producer/creator/writer of television and film and has pitched at various film and television markets all around the world, namely Cannes and Cartegna Film Festival in Colombia.
Running a Creative Space
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‘Everything You Need to Consider when Starting a New Creative Space’. This talk including everything from business plans, to premises costs (charges/rates etc), understanding leases, and things you might not have thought about.
Run by Anna Harding, who started her own art practice after a career supporting other artists. She originally studied History and History of Art at UCL, and then trained in the USA as a contemporary art museum curator before working for the Whitechapel Gallery, Hayward Gallery, Camerawork in London + Kettle’s Yard Cambridge.
She set up the Goldsmiths MA in Creative Curating which she ran from 1995-2003. From 2005-2021 she was CEO of SPACE
Getting started with Fundraising
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This training is for any creative individuals or organisations wishing to gain new skills in fundraising and receive helpful tips to build their knowledge and confidence in this area.
Run by Fern Potter started as a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher in New York City, touring in the USA and abroad, before moving into senior management roles in fundraising and development. Since then, she’s raised millions for arts organisations.
Finance for Creatives
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This workshop focused on what needs to be considered before starting a new venture from a financial perspective. Including; how setting up a new enterprise differs depending on legal structure, what filing and processes need to be considered and the financial part of a business plan.
Run by Sarah Livermore who worked in finance for over 25 years in a variety of industries. She has extensive experience in financial management as well as gaining AAT qualifications. She has been the Finance Manager for Metal Culture in Southend, Liverpool and Peterborough since 2022.
Useful Links
Consultation reports for Southend
Our creative network neighbours
Information on funding bids and opportunities
Generative AI Resource
Please see our Ai Resource Guide, which was created in March 2026, in response to several discussions about AI at our networking events. We welcome any feedback, comments and suggestions!
English