We are delighted to announce that the Creative Industry Finance team will be heading to Nairobi in Kenya on the 29th February for a 5 day Creative Enterprise Skills Exchange with the HEVA Fund.
HEVA Fund is an East African organisation that believes in the transformative, social and economic potential of the creative economy in their region.
Devised by Creative United and the HEVA Fund with support from the British Council, the exchange promises to deliver an enriching and unique opportunity for us and HEVA Fund to work on a project together, sharing learning and best practice.
Sarah Thirtle, our Head of Business Lending Programmes said:
“From our first chats with our friends at the HEVA Fund in Nairobi we knew that we shared ambitions to foster the growth of creative enterprise and promote its importance for artistic development, as well as for local and national economies. This fantastic opportunity, made possible with the generous support of the British Council in the UK and The Nest in Kenya, enables us to share learning and ideas across continents, building international partnerships and opening up new opportunities for Creative United, our supported businesses and those we will meet in Kenya.”
We are taking two of our supported businesses; Blank Inside and Waffle Design who are very enthusiastic about sharing their experiences of being on our programme and to discover more about design values, business ethics and challenges in a different cultural environment.
Also joining the Creative Industry Finance team will be Business Advisors Remi Harris and Stuart Balmer. With more than 35 years of experience in the creative sector between them, Remi and Stuart are keen to offer their insights about growing a successful creative enterprise.
During this 5 day visit the Creative Industry Finance team will meet with creative businesses which have been supported by the HEVA Fund, as well as delivering tailored workshops on business planning, growth strategy and brand development.
We hope that this exchange will allow us to gain a further insight into alternative finance and business models to develop more funding solutions for creative businesses in the UK.