Held as part of the British Council’s Creative Spark Project, the Loughborough Enterprise Network collaborated with Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan to organise the one-day conference.
Students took part in walking tours of different entrepreneurial spaces, alongside listening to 14 inspiring speakers from a range of different backgrounds in-person and virtually. Furthermore, staff members from the Careers Network held sessions providing tips on developing a ‘perfect match’ CV as well as how to ignite a creative career.
Recent alumni entrepreneurs offered personal insights into their own creative journeys, including how to manage multiple projects simultaneously, how to design and deliver ground-breaking stories and presentations, and how to master LinkedIn.
Keeping the conference on brand for creatives, there were interactive and engaging elements including a live performance to start the day from the keynote speaker Dr Adaku Jennifer Agwunobi, with her new single “HOME”.
In addition, attendees were able to get involved with a fashion showcase with Loughborough alumni Jess Strain (Overbloom) and Alice Burnhope (Alice Burnhope Design), offering the chance for students to get hands-on with their products, explore their business journey and ask questions on how they became a success. The final creative session was a jewellery-making workshop by Beth Underdown (The Happy Hedgehog), with attendees making their own personalised keyrings and bracelets.
The day received positive feedback from its attendees:
“…One of the greatest experiences in my time at university that I'll remember forever.” - Nemat Alizada
“An inspirational and motivating day full of eye-opening activities.” – Poppy Beech
“Each workshop was highly insightful and helped me to develop skills both for study and for my future career in the creative industry.” – Shana Ryan
The enthusiasm to learn, engage and network coming from attendees sparked a buzz throughout the whole day, as noted by LSU Enterprise’s Jamshid Tavallali’s blog ‘The Ignited Spark’.
Enterprise and Opportunities Officer Beth Underdown added: “Creative Spark presented the opportunity for attendees to get hands-on with activities throughout the day. By offering insights into different businesses and ways of working we were able to show potential career avenues for students. Also, guiding students along a roadmap as to what the next steps are to achieve this goal! It was a great networking day, meeting fellow like-minded and passionate creatives.”