The Skills Exchange Programme ran from September 2024 – June 2025 and had two strands:
1. A series of free open talks and workshops for local emerging and established creative professionals of any age in Crawley, West Sussex and Surrey.
Each month a free event took place in Crawley covering different aspects of work in the creative industries.
Weds 16th October 2024 Telling Your Story with Matt Turner
Sat 9th November 2024: Producer Gathering
Sat 8 Mar: Using Archives in Creative Practice with Clod Ensemble
Sat 26 Apr: Inclusive Facilitation with Access All Areas
Thu 1 May: Introduction to Evaluation with Beckie Smith from Flying Geese
Thu 19 Jun: Using the Numbers to Make Your Project Happen with Sophie Eustace
We also ran a series of creative career workshops with schools in Crawley reaching nearly 500 young people and their teachers at schools including Thomas Bennet Community College, Ifield Community College and four primary schools.
2.A part-time practical training and Skills Exchange Programme taking place in Crawley from September ‘24 to June ’25 and is for people aged 16 – 30 years who want to get more involved in the creative industries.
See HERE for information about the 2024-25 cohort.
Have a read of Skills Exchange Programme participant Zikora’s blog post, reflecting on her experience of taking part in the programme.
Participants worked with creative professionals in a range of arts spaces, from recording studios to galleries, they developed new skills, contacts and ideas to help them get a job that they love.
This was not a programme for people who want to act, sing or dance. It was for those who want to make things and shape things, from behind a sound desk or a sewing machine or a computer. It was also for people who want to produce, curate, direct or choreograph and want to find out how other specialisms work. (This is not an exhaustive list, they could be a florist who wants to move into make-up design or a student who doesn’t know what they want to do yet but think it might be something creative).
At the end of the programme, the cohort collaborated to make 4 new artworks. You can find out more about them HERE
Read a blog post about them HERE
The programme was be shaped by the selected participants. They were encouraged to step outside of their specialism and try new things. The programme encouraged a multi-disciplinary approach.
The participants will meet musicians from AudioActive, theatre makers Suzy Wilson, Rob Watt and David Rosenberg, visual artist Sarah Maple, and work with professionals from the National Theatre, Creative Pod and many more.
They learnt how to set up a new creative business and become a freelancer, manage and raise funds, market your work, and ensure it’s both accessible and sustainable.
Each recipient was be paid £14 per hour up to £2000 to take part in the project.
The Skills Exchange Programme was part of The Creative Village; a pilot project based in Crawley to test the potential of creative hubs, workforce development and the creative economy in Crawley, West Sussex.
It was managed by Creative Crawley in partnership with Theatre Centre and AudioActive. Funded by Arts Council England and supported by Crawley Borough Council’s Shared Prosperity Fund and Gatwick Airport Ltd. Other partners include Crawley College and Crawley Library.
