April 26th, 10:30AM - explore the world of creative electricity- "electro-discussion".
During the round table discussion young creative entrepreneurs and the experts and stakeholders of the creative industries are asked to share their 'recipes':
- experiences and lessons learnt overcoming challenges in building creative businesses,
- strategies, programmes and other tools that fosters creating enabling environment for developing career of creative professionals and establishing creative businesses.
Fionn Dobbin (moderator): “A good moderator stays in the background of a discussion, involves all the participants and lets the silents speak . As a result of this conclusion I developed a non verbal Socratic discourse moderation synthesizer . Not music but light unleashes the wisdom of its participants trough a beforehand written composition.”
Take a look in some of the recipes:
“It was way back in 1992 when I was living in the countryside in the outskirts of Latvia. There was not much to do as a teenager in a time when internet and cable TV was still a future (post-Soviet Union time, you know) and because my older brother was into music, I fell for the music too. And then on TV my attention caught at the time one of the newcomers in the Latvian music scene band called BrainStorm (Prāta Vētra in Latvian). Because of them time after time I was going to Riga, the capital of Latvia for Music TV show, the sole in our country at that time. Those travels and the band inspired me to move to Riga at the age of 16. After arriving in Riga I found BrainStorm fan club and started to work at first commercial TV at the music programme and soon started to go abroad to interview international acts like REM, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blur, Suede, e.t.c. It was time of change in Latvia and since everything my country had to start from the scratch, the creative industries were sectors where all young people get into. We did not have enough knowledge of course – and we did not have anyone to learn from since the way how music and media worked in Soviet times differed so much from the way in was in Western countries. But we had something very important - we had a passion and desire to do things and to make a difference! And this is one of the important things I carry with be – you have to be very passionate about what you do especially in the creative industries!
In year 1999 when BrainStorm was ready to go beyond the borders of native Latvia and because of my connection with the band and experience on TV I was invited to join record company “Microphone Records” to which band was signed back then. And again, none in Latvia before worked as International Exploitation manager and I had no guidance or set rules how to do my job, but I had the same passion and curiosity. Curiosity I have learned is so important and you always have to stay curious and find things to learn and to improve no matter how long you have been in the position you do. With BrainStorm we did unbelievable – we were first ever band from Latvia and The Baltic States to reached outside the region. I self-taught the way music business works outside Latvia and I learned that if you are coming from the country none really knows and where music business is small, you have to think out of the box to reach results. As a result of this lesson learned I was able for example to get BrainStorm support slot in Europe for REM and world-known photographer Anton Corbijn signed to do pictures with the band.
At some point I understood that what I was able to learn being in Latvia I have reached and there was needed something more to get to the next level. I made a decision to do my Master degree and found Music Business Management course at The Westminster University in London, UK where I enrolled in 2007 and graduated in 2008. In 2007 I was also lucky to be chosen as a finalist from Latvia to take part at British Council organized The Young International Music Entrepreneur of the Year. The experience in this programme and studies in London was just in time and I learned a lot. London taught me to receive an answer “no” as an answer, but at the same time not to give up when this “no” is received. Time in UK made my skin thicker indeed which is important in the music business.
After studies I came back to Latvia and returned to BrainStorm management at my previous position. Parallel I am involved in organizing music industry seminars, meetings and conferences in Latvia as knowledge and infrastructure development is very much necessary for a local industry to be able to compete in the European level. And it is crucial at the moment since we have much more possibilities only those possibilities have to be recognized and used smartly.”
“My belief is that to become really successful creative entrepreneur you should learn to do one thing, which is not considered as very creative – financial planning. I found that this is not obvious for young creative people to keep in mind that entrepreneurship is not only about creating and becoming famous. None of this will be possible without making money.
(British entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe, founder of Yo Sushi, in his “Book of YO!” advised to hair the best financial people you can afford.)
Other important skill is essential to learn for any creative person is working in team with different people with different backgrounds and personalities, not just other likeminded “creatives”. Diversity is very important ingredient for success in any project.”
“Don’t do it according to a recipe. Make your own recipe. I really think so.”
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