The Evolve Programme is a year long Business Growth programme for the creative industries run by Blick Studios and funded by Belfast City Council with support from the European Union Regional Development Fund through the Northern Ireland Sustainable Competitiveness Programme.

 

Aimed at small and start up creative businesses the EVOLVE PROGRAMME is free and has been designed to offer relevant high quality support specifically for leaders of small creative businesses to enable them to meet their growth potential.

 

The EVOLVE PROGRAMME aims to encourage businesses to look inside their business, understand their business plan, define their market position, perfect their sales proposition and set more ambitious goals for their business to grow. 

 

The programme will contain a unique mix of workshops, talks and clinics delivered by academic experts and experienced and inspiring practitioners.  You can pick which clinics suit you and your business and attend whichever is relevant.

 

There will be extensive opportunities for peer learning between entrepreneurs facing similar challenges and with complimentary experiences as well as expert advice available. 

 

Please visit our website www.evolveprogramme.com for details of all the events we will offer as part of this programme.

 

The next event date is Friday 12th August. Check out full event details at www.evolveprogramme.com

 

Belfast Fashion 2.0 - Business Fashion & Online

After the success of the Fashion Forum in December 2011, and as part of Belfast City Council’s Independent Retail Week, Blick Studios are hosting another fashion event which will address how the industry utilizes online media and technology to sustain and develop their business.

 

Business Fashion & Online will take place on Saturday 10th March and will run from 3pm to 5pm. It is an informal gathering for independent fashion designers, retailers, the digital community and members of the public. It will take the form of a series of 15 minute presentations by four invited representatives of the fashion industry followed by an open floor discussion and the chance for networking and refreshments.

 

The event's purpose is for people from the fashion, retail and digital industries to meet, network, and learn from each other. This includes fashion designers, bloggers, film makers, software developers, game developers, musicians, photographers, make up artists, costume designers, stylists and independent retailers and any members of the public with ideas, innovations or experience they want to share.

 

Our guests include:

 

Cathy Martin, Founder & Director of Belfast FASHIONWEEK & Managing Director of CMPR

Cathy Martin is the founder and managing director of CMPR, one of Northern Ireland’s leading PR companies. With fashion clients that have ranged from House of Fraser, Miss Sixty and French Connection, CMPR specializes in creative communications within the arts, retail, fashion & food sectors. Cathy also owns and organises Belfast FASHIONWEEK, which is back for its eighth year in March 2012.

 

www.cathymartinpr.com

 

Martin Neill, director of AIRPOS

Martin Neill is the director of AIPOS, which produces free ePOS software for retailers. From traditional bricks-and-mortar, to ecommerce, and eventually to mobile commerce, AirPOS offers real-time access to current and accurate inventory and financial data, helping retailers to better serve their customers, lower operating costs and increase sales.

 

www.airpointofsale.com

 

Sean-Henry Fitzsimons, Fashion Designer

Sean-Henry Fitzsimons is a young, up and coming fashion designer who specializes in knitwear. Fitzsimons worked as a freelance fashion and textiles consultant whilst running a sample business in Manchester before returning to Belfast where he is utilizing online media to focus on running his own business as a full time designer.

 

Carol Murphy, director of Cult Mountain

Carol Murphy is a writer/director who comes from a background in fine art, film theory and film journalism. She is currently artist in residence at Digital Arts Studios in Belfast. After Murphy hosted the Fashion Forum at Blick Studios in December she realized that there was a market for fashion films in London. She combined her talents with Fashion Stylist and Editor of NEUHQ magazine, Britt Cormack, to form the creative duo and production company Cult Mountain, which will be launched with a series of fashion films. Murphy will screen Cult Mountain’s first fashion film directed by Murphy, styled by Cormack, featuring twin performers My Bad Sister who will wear the work of the fashion designer Marry Me Jimmy Paul.

 
Email info@blickstudios.org or phone 028 9020 7832 to register to attend.