The N17 Creative Callings programme, created in 2019 to provide continual development and growth of creative businesses and start-ups in the Tottenham area of north London, has now closed.
Fashion-Enter Ltd and Collage Arts worked extremely well collectively to deliver hand-held mentoring support and business advice with the aim to enhance business growth and prosperity.
The project was, however, launched at a time of unprecedented uncertainty due to Covid-19 – this meant that the programme needed to respond to the changing dynamics and the challenges facing the creative sector throughout and post Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore delivering a business and participant growth programme in a pandemic resulted in the theory of change having to pivot and change at pace. The focus became more aligned to maintaining interest and connection in the programme over achievements due to the unprecedented global turbulence. The focus also changed to survival over growth for many businesses with the challenges that the pandemic brought.
That being said the program served participants well with through its innovative approach and industry pragmatic advice, enterprise support and mentoring. Both FEL and CA had to shape-shift the original offer planned to deal with the new and multiple emerging challenges being faced by businesses and workers during the Covid 19 pandemic.
The programme supported 51 micro/SME businesses and 130 individuals were enrolled on the programme.
MJ commented on being part of N17 Creative Callings: “Jenny and I worked closely together through a series of meetings where I was able to ask Jenny’s advice on several topics which pertained to the business side of my work. This was incredibly useful as before joining the N17 programme I had no exposure to manufacture and retail beyond that of bespoke / sample selling. In particular, Jenny’s suggestion for me to centre myself within the branding and marketing of my work was a big change of mindset for me, which I have since implemented.”
AP added on her favourite parts of N17 Creative Callings: “It was the Individualised support, meeting in person with new people, team working and collaboration that was really great, the sense of fun was a theme that run through the support from N17CC.”
Fashion-Enter Ltd and Collage Arts were voted as one of the best European Social Fund programmes, tap here to view the short video with Fashion-Enter CEO Jenny Holloway about the N17 Creative Callings programme shown at the ESF celebration event in 2022.