The Mercury Theatre in Colchester has announced that applications have opened for the new cohort of mentors and mentees for the return of their acclaimed Mercury Creatives Mentoring Programme, with an application deadline of midnight on Friday 16th August 2024. Applications can be made at https://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/mercurycreatives/opportunities/.
The Mercury Creatives Mentoring Programme is a one-of-a-kind, free programme focusing specifically on business development, support and skills for early career creative businesses and arts freelancers working in the arts and creative industries. With a focus on Essex, with hubs in Colchester, Harlow, Tendring and Chelmsford, the programme is aimed at professionals experiencing barriers in skills development or looking to progress their career to the next stage.
Mercury Creatives will be coordinated by a team at the Mercury Theatre, with delivery partners across Essex including Harlow Playhouse, Princes Theatre Clacton and Chelmsford Theatre. These venues will drive the programme in their areas and can act as experts – holding those relationships with their audiences and communities. Mercury Creatives returns following the 2020-23 pilot programme funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with additional funding support from Arts Council England (ACE) and Colchester Borough Council. The pilot programme welcomed 112 beneficiaries, created 124 new jobs and brought over £2.2 million of new investment into creative industries in the region as a direct result of support from the programme.
Applications are now open for anyone who wants to gain 1:1 support over a nine-month period, including business planning, funding and pitching guidance, networking and masterclasses.
The economic contribution of the UK creative industries grew by 6.8% last year to reach £124.6bn with an increase of 15% in employment since Covid. The creative industries are one of the most successful parts of our economy, but early career creative professionals often identify business skills as an area they lack knowledge and confidence.
The Mercury Creatives Online Directory & Resource Portal, which has officially launched, is a legacy of the inaugural programme and is open to all artists, creatives, SMEs from the arts and creative industries across Essex and the East of England. Users can sign-up at at www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/mercurycreatives to create a free directory profile account displaying their portfolio, skills, availability, testimonials and other promotional materials. Employers will be able to search the directory for Crafters, Marketers, Producers, Directors, Technicians, Stage Management, Administrators, Practitioners and more.
In addition, the portal will give users access to a collection of local and national resources, updated regularly in response to user needs. Resources include contract examples, HR and employment, governance, budget templates and marketing advice.
Antony Stuart-Hicks, Senior Producer at Mercury Theatre, said, “Mercury Creatives strives to be its own network of peers who critique, inspire and challenge one another to be the best they can, whilst collaborating and developing exciting new work that brings people together to create life-changing creative work. Skills development will be tiered to allow the widest access with some only wanting to attend events, masterclasses and conferences whilst others who are looking for or need the more structured format of mentoring or skills workshops can apply for mentoring support”.
Steve Mannix, Executive Director & CEO of Mercury Theatre, said, “We are thrilled to be able to continue Mercury Creatives. We identified the need within Essex and chose to work with trusted local partners who are as committed to growing local talent as we are. With the ongoing issues of skills shortages in the industry we want to make Essex a thriving hub for the arts and show people that opportunity and success can be had in the county – Mercury Creatives will enable and support early careers creatives to develop sustainable businesses, gain funding and thrive in our industry”.
