COLCHESTER’S Mercury Theatre has started a new recruitment drive for its mentoring programme for budding creatives.
Mercury Creatives is a mentoring programme for early career creative businesses and arts freelancers across the wider Essex and eastern region.
Mercury Creatives will be coordinated from a central hub at the Mercury Theatre, with partners hubs at Clacton's Princes Theatre, Chelmsford Theatre and Harlow Playhouse.
The programme is for people experiencing barriers in skills development or looking for the next step in their career.
Support includes business planning, mentoring, networking, upskilling events, masterclasses and pitching.
The new round follows the 2020 to 2023 pilot programme, and will be funded by Arts Council England, Essex County Council and Tendring Council for the next three years,
The pilot programme saw 112 beneficiaries and created 124 jobs and brought more than £2.2million of new investment into the region as a direct result of support from the programme.
The Mercury Creatives online directory and resource portal has also been launched this week and is open to all artists, creatives and small businesses from the arts and creative industries across Essex and the East of England.
Users can sign up to create a free profile displaying their portfolio, skills, availability, testimonials and other promotional materials.
Antony Stuart-Hicks, senior producer at the 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.
“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.”
To register for any of the schemes visit mercurytheatre.co.uk/mercurycreatives and if you require support contact mercury.creatives@mercurytheatre.co.uk or call 01206 577006.
Mentoring programme submissions must be received by midnight on August 16 with shortlisted applicants being invited to attend a short online or in person interview starting August 19.
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