ART Venture, a leading-edge entrepreneurial acceleration programme, was introduced to Auckland business leaders this week in the Spiegeltent at Britomart Square. The unique programme has been designed under contract by The Big Idea Trust for ART - Arts Regional Trust. A special breakfast event celebrated the talents and unique business aspirations of ten exceptional entrepreneurs and producers in Auckland's creative sector.

Image: Jamie McLellan, designer, entrepreneur and Art Venture participant.ART Venture, a leading-edge entrepreneurial acceleration programme, was introduced to Auckland business leaders this week in the Spiegeltent at Britomart Square. The unique programme has been designed under contract by The Big Idea Trust for ART - Arts Regional Trust. A special breakfast event celebrated the talents and unique business aspirations of ten exceptional entrepreneurs and producers in Auckland's creative sector.

Image: Jamie McLellan, designer, entrepreneur and Art Venture participant.ART Venture brings together the arts, business, education and investment communities to back high-achieving creative and entrepreneurs and producers.

Developed by ART, Arts Regional Trust, an arts and creative industries development agency in Auckland, ART Venture supports the growth of a creative sector that is confident, globally connected, forward-thinking and prosperous.

"ART is delighted to invest in and drive the development of the ART Venture," says Peter Shand, ART spokesperson. "The programme enables ten creative sector entrepreneurs working in Auckland to access the resources they need to meet their business aspirations and goals. The programme pushes them to the next level of entrepreneurial success.

"ART Venture is a power-packed programme that provides a continuous flow of networking, learning, career and business development to accelerate business initiatives already underway in the creative sector.

"The ten entrepreneurs selected for 2007 are leaders in Auckland's creative sector. They represent a wide range of creative industries and disciplines. In the selection process, they have demonstrated an absolute understanding of industry needs, of commercial realities and how the global networked economy functions," he adds.

The entrepreneurs chosen to participate in this year's programme are designer and visual artist Caroline Robinson; Kog Transmissions founder Chris Chetland; Executive Director of MIC Toi Rerehiko Deborah Lawler-Dormer; designer Jamie McLellan; Executive Director of the Auckland Readers & Writers Festival Jill Rawnsley; Managing Director of Diversity Works Group Philip Patston; architect, visual artist, designer and publisher Quentin Roake; architect Richard Reid; choreographer, dance-film producer and director Shona McCullagh; and producer Stan Wolfgramm, best known for Style Pasifika - the world's largest indigenous fashion show.

"One of the strengths of the programme is that it legitimises my passion for combining business, social change and creative innovation," says Philip Patson. "It provides me with opportunities to work with other people in the creative sector who are in the same exploratory space." One of Patson's current goals is to see a major international symposium on Disability Arts held in Auckland that will bring together artists with disability from all over the world to show work and to discuss common issues.

A key feature of ART Venture is a high-level mentoring exchange and network. Leading creative entrepreneurs drawn from all sectors of Auckland's business, education and public sectors in the network will work with ART Venture participants, sharing experiences, knowledge and enterprise possibilities.

"We are very keen to engage with Auckland's arts, business, education and investment communities. There are many ways they can assist and become involved. The creative sector is vital to business, and business to the creative sector," Shand says.

"ART Venture represents a significant opportunity for investment that will result in lasting benefits for the sector. It's a programme anyone interested in the development of creative and intellectual talent and ideas should become involved with," he urges.

Says Lawler-Dormer, "The picture of the future for success in the arts sector is one of diversity in terms of communities served, products created, funding and investment secured, strategies used and business models activated." In her role at MIC Toi Rerehiko, Lawler-Dormer has led the way in showing how not-for-private-profit organisations can successfully engage in enterprise development as part of their fundraising activities.

ART Venture 2007 started in February 2007 for the ten successful candidates and will finish in mid-December. It will be offered again in 2008.