Events Archive
Past Events:
March: Plymouth Visual Arts Consortium
Plymouth Visual Arts consortium (PVAC) is an association of individuals and organisations brought together by a shared vision for the visual arts in Plymouth (UK). It was formed with the objective of supporting development across the city, generating increased resources and improved infrastructure, and to promote visual arts activities. PVAC provides a platform for information exchange, acts as a public interface, and works in collaboration with other cultural, business and governmental organisations.
PVAC aims to:
- consolidate and encourage the development of visual arts across the city
- support and raise aspirations for artists and audiences
- lobby and promote visual arts in the city, locally, nationally and internationally
- provide a public interface and information portal on visual arts activities
- foster collaborations on major initiatives across the city
- contribute to other networks, research, and development of visual arts practice
PVAC works in collaboration with other cultural, business and governmental organisations currently including Arts Council England South West and Plymouth City Council.
February: Bringing order to finance
The importance of having the right financial systems in place when starting a business.
Every business is different but the accounting principles remain the same. With the right advice and correct provisions in place from the start your business can make informed decisions about its future and finances. Being organised with your finances will have a positive impact on many areas of your business such as:
• Better picture of your financial position
• Improve cashflow
• Tax planning easier
• Less stress, better time management
• Fully prepared for VAT, payroll, year end
This event was in partnership with Hardy Bookkeeping
December Connect Christmas party!
This informal event is an opportunity for Connect members, Formation Zone clients, university Knowledge Exploitation team members, and primary supporters of the Formation Zone to meet over some warming mulled wine and mince pies! We would like to encourage as many of you as possible to join us and help the Formation Zone celebrate recently reaching maximum capacity! It is also an opportunity to meet with our many new clients.
December - U:1 Studios present Art in the City
U:1 is a Plymouth based artist led initiative. Together we are a unique and dynamic collective of practitioners. Our work ranges from fine art, multi-media installation, kinetic art, street art, graphic design and illustration. We work collectively with the aim of promoting art and support artists within the city, especially emerging artists. We provide studio space and host regular events which provide a platform for artists to share their art, their ideas, good music, home cooked food, and a great atmosphere. All our events are collaborative and [audience] participatory. If you come, you get involved!
To find out more visit: www.u1studios.com
October - Knowledge Transfer schemes supporting business
This talk will highlight specific opportunities available through the University of Plymouth that may be of interest to you in the development of your business by accessing academic and graduate expertise supported by funding. Emma Hewitt will be here to outline the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme and related opportunities.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships is a UK-wide programme enabling businesses and organisations to improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance. It is a way for you to tap into the knowledge and expertise at the University of Plymouth and use that to benefit your business. A recently qualified graduate is recruited to work on a specific project or area of development and the great thing is that the cost of the whole project is part funded by Government which means less risk to you in developing your business. These funded partnerships can run from 10 weeks to 3 years allowing us to be flexible in responding to both tactical and strategic ambitions.
You might like to link to our success story with Zoeftig (PDF) to show how a company can benefit in a related sector?
Wednesday 30th September - How creative is your marketing mix? Presented by Fuel Communications Ltd
Back in the old media days, getting your message out to your target audience used to be fairly simple; press ads, some radio and (if you had enough cash) TV would probably do the trick. Trouble was, it was virtually unaffordable for small businesses. Fortunately times have changed. The number of communication channels have exploded and made things a good deal cheaper and far more targeted. All great news for small businesses, trouble is, where do you start? Even if you’ve made a good start, how do you stay ahead of the game? Fuel Communications will provide you with some thought provoking facts and offer up some practical tips to point you in the right direction.
Tuesday 25th August - FZ Connect summer party
Sunshine, strawberries and cream and maybe the odd Pimms thrown in too! This invitation only event is an opportunity for Connect members, Formation Zone clients and the university Knowledge Exploitation team get to know the many new faces now based within the Formation Zone.
Wednesday 12th August - IT solutions for start up businesses
Technology is constantly changing, and as a business owner it is difficult to keep up with the multitude of options that are available. Orange Crate presented their aim to take the stress and confusion out of IT by demonstrating a range of understandable and cost-effective solutions for start-up businesses. From Windows networks to web hosting; search engine optimisation to security.
Wednesday 24th June 5-7pm - Joakim Boren Photography showcase
Formation Zone client, Joakim Boren, presented examples of some recent photographic projects. Swedish born Joakim studied Design Photography in the UK and now works as a freelance photographer specialising in fashion, architecture and location photography.
Monday 18th May 5-7pm - Tapping into knowledge at the University of Plymouth
How the University of Plymouth can work with businesses to tap into the latest ideas being generated. Roger Hall, Knowledge Exploitation Project Manager will outline the commercial research and consultancy service at the university.
22nd April 4.30-6.30pm - Environmental Sustainability for Small Businesses
How can you make the most of the resources you have, reduce waste and make savings? Klaudia van Gool, Lead Environmental Business Adviser from Groundwork Devon & Cornwall will be leading this networking session. Groundwork is a leading environmental regeneration organisation, working in partnership for the benefit of local people, the local environment and local business.
March 25th 5-7pm - Intellectual Property - what is it and how to make the most of this asset for your business
Ben Travers of Ashfords Solicitors gave an informal presentation on what every creative enterprise should know about intellectual property.
What are design rights, copyright and trade marks?
How to identify what rights you have?
How to exploit those rights through licensing etc?
February 25th - TACSS, the Devon tourism skills network
The TACSS online toolkit has been developed by Devon County Council with Alchemy. This informal networking session attended by both tourism and creative businesses demonstrated the key features of the toolkit and promoted a series of workshops coming up that allow more in depth work to be done.
2nd December - On Form - the Formation Zone Enterprise Showcase
The enterprises in Formation Zone showcase their work and network. The launch party on the evening of 2nd December is by invitation only, but this showcase exhibition will be open to the public until 4pm on the 4th December so don’t miss this opportunity to find out what Plymouth’s hottest creative businesses are up to and how Formation Zone is becoming the platform that launches Plymouth’s creative talent.
27th November 2008: Speed Networking a connect networking event
Drake Circus shopping centre will be the location of this speed networking event from 6-7pm, following an exhibition by University of Plymouth Illustration students during the day. This event is in partnership with ArtsMatrix and Innovation for Creative and Cultural Industries
25th November 2008: Give your business ideas a lift
Drop in or make an appointment for the opportunity to improve your productivity with impartial business and training advice relevant to your creative business, provided by Business Link and Train to Gain. For more information please call Hailey Cattle or Sabrina Ward on 0845 6009966.
22nd October 2008: Media and New Media Symposium connect networking event
The University of Plymouth is bringing together businesses and students in the media sector from across the region in October for a special event. Formation Zone On Media takes place on Wednesday 22nd October from 12.30-7pm and aims to address current issues affecting the media and new media industries, share best practice, make new contacts, form collaborations and showcase talent. Please go to the On Media page of this website for more information.
Formation Zone Connect members are invited to attend the evening networking session at this event free of charge, please register your interest with the Formation Zone office.
18th September 2008: ArtsMatrix is in the Zone!
Come and share a drink with us to celebrate. This event welcomes ArtsMatrix, the creative development agency for the SW to Formation Zone. An opportunity to hear a short update on ArtsMatrix work and see feedback from creative practitioners who have accessed our services. By invitation only.15th September 2008: One Stop Ideas Shop
Got an idea? Want to know how to protect it and turn it into a business? Receive free guidance in a confidential setting from experts in the field including PATLIB UK, University of Plymouth, Business Link, NJ Akers & Co Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys, and Tamar Science Park.
9th July 2008: For Love and Money
12pm over lunch, venue @ HSBC Commercial Centre, Plymouth International Business Park. This event is in partnership with HSBC. Putting the fun back into subjects like cashflow, finding finance and bank accounts for new businesses; it’s a tough task but somebody’s got to do it. So if the financial side of running your business taxes you in more ways than one, this is the event for you. Event open to Connect members, please reserve your place in advance by calling 01752 588954 or e-mail formationzonebookings@plymouth.ac.uk.
2nd July: Meet the Commissioner - Sue Davidson, Five TV Commissioning Editor, Factual
2pm, Wednesday 2nd July 2008, Formation Zone, The Roland Levinsky Building, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, PL4 8AA
A chance for PM-P and Formation Zone Connect members to find out more about the commissioning requirements at Five TV. Sue Davidson will tell us all about Five TV schedule, target audiences, current commissioning requirements and commissioning procedures.
Sue Davidson is Commissioning Editor, Factual at Five. She is responsible for science within the factual department which includes Fives highly successful strand of documentaries; Extraordinary People. Sue also commissions general factual series ranging from observational documentaries to factual formats.