From the beginning of Boom! part of the vision was to provide headspace for the local creative community, somewhere that ideas could be explored, challenges discussed and solutions found.

The Trade project emerged out of conversations that have took place at Boom!, in 2015 we piloted bringing the conversations together and to a wider audience. We are giving creative practitioners permission to think, discuss, develop and plan your practice, whatever it looks like.

Now we are 2 years old we have a better understanding of how artists, designs, makers work. We know that a creative practice can work in an array of different ways. We also know that “business” doesn’t need to be a dirty work in the creative sector and there are may skills, techniques and ideas that can be borrowed from different sectors to make your practice flourish.

We have invited a range of different people to Boom! (some connected and some not) to share their knowledge and experience. Through February and March we are hosting 5 coffee mornings will be very informal with discussion guided along a particular theme, by a host with experience in that area.

We are also hosting 4 masterclasses will be more hands on with an opportunity to gain skills in a particular area. All the details can be found through the link to our website here: www.boomstudios.org.uk/book-a-workshop

All the hosts and facilitators are local, which means you can keep the conversation going.

• 9/2/17 “Communications” Masterclass 7pm – 9pm
• 17/2/17 “Doh!” Coffee Session 10.30am – 12pm
• 23/2/17 “Get-Started, how to turn your art ‘practice’ into an art ‘business'”. Masterclass 7pm – 9pm
• 1/3/17 “Why?” Masterclass Ian Sansom 7pm – 9pm
• 3/3/17 “Creating and Managing Events” Coffee Session 10.30am – 12pm
• 9/3/2017 “Financial Toolkit” Masterclass 7pm – 9pm
• 17/3/17 “Business Tools” Coffee Session 10.30am – 12pm
• 31/3/17 “Creating Space” Coffee Session 10.30am – 12pm

Boom! Studios, Bangor, County Down.