Local company Oddsocks Productions was one of first 23 firms to complete an eight-week DCMS-funded course which supports creative businesses.
Theatre company owner Elli Mackenzie gained a new outlook on her business - and a vision for its future - through completing the East Midlands Create Growth programme small business growth programme.
Elli is the Creative Producer and the Co-founder of Matlock-based Oddsocks Productions - one of 23 firms that has recently completed the first cohort of East Midlands Create Growth. Starting out as a company of clowns. Oddsocks Productions was set up by husband and wife team Elli and Andy and has played many roles over its 30+ year history. The company was one of the first to make up the inaugural East Midlands Create Growth cohort. Those on the course ranged from marketing and design agencies, architects, theatre companies and video producers.
Elli explains...
The most useful thing I have found has been taking an outside view of the busines . When you run and work for your own business it’s easy to become engrossed in it all and miss certain things. The programme has presented me with the opportunity to take a wider view of how things are; working alongside other creatives has meant they have also been able to make suggestions and share ideas that I might not have thought of.
We took the plunge and bought a disused chapel and it means that the business has taken on yet another direction. We’re growing, in that we will eventually have a company base that we haven’t had before - it felt like the right time to sign up for the support on offer through Create Growth and I’m glad that I did.
The aim of the programme, organised and led by the East Midlands Creative Consortium (EMC²) and funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is to move creative businesses to investment readiness.
Businesses completed an initial business health check, attended a full day business bootcamp and networking event, and logged on to eight virtual masterclasses covering themes including leadership, marketing, sales, finance and business planning.
As well as the 90-minute masterclasses - delivered by industry experts - all participants on the course were assigned intensive investment readiness support and five hours with an industry-specific mentor.
Applications for the programme are open - anyone interested in applying can find out more here.
