STORY BY JAIME POLMATEER
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY KELLY KARIUS
Students interested in the business of the arts will have a chance to pick the brains of Sheridan grads and business partners Friday. Arts and Innovation Day, part of Halton Entrepreneurship Week, kicks off at 8:15 a.m. in J102 in SCAET wing.
“What we are trying to do is inspire students to come out and learn from graduates and from our faculty around starting a small business in the arts,” said Kelly Karius, project manager for the Department of Sheridan Undergraduate Research, “whether it be a studio, a craft store or a digital media company.”
Some things they hope students will take from the day are practical tips about business – things like getting your name out there and building a network that might transition into clients or business partners.
“One of the other things we’re trying to encourage is that this is an event for students across the college,” said Karius. “Obviously there’s a strong link to the Faculty of Animation Arts and Design but we’re hoping to see business students come out and students from some of the humanities programs as well, because the work that we do is in developing graduate skills and it is very multidisciplinary.”
The event will also feature Dr. Michael Collins as the day’s keynote speaker. Collins is the former dean of FAAD and was also associate vice-president of academics and research at the college.
“He’s an artist himself and built a career in the arts,” said Carolina Salcedo, who is on the planning and organizing committee.
“The other speakers we’ve got coming to the event are for the digital media panel that we’re organizing. We got John Helliker, who is the director of Sheridan’s Screen Industries Research and Training Centre. He’s on the panel with two digital media entrepreneurs who have both started their own businesses and have both worked with Sheridan to grow it.”
Another aspect being promoted at the event centres on creative arts and aging. One of the presentations will be from the Sheridan Elder Research Centre, which has done research related to helping seniors have a healthy and inspired life through creative aging, including dance and other artistic pursuits.
Arts and Innovation Day is being hosted as part of Halton Entrepreneurship week, presented by Halton region and HalTech Regional Innovation Centre.
To register go to www.conta.cc/16AakmE
