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Develop your arts-based business idea in our pre-incubator programme

Uniarts Hub pre-incubator programme will help you get started in setting up a business and becoming an entrepreneur in the creative or arts industries. Application guidelines for the autumn 2024 programme will be published soon.

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About the Uniarts Hub pre-incubator programme

Are you a creative or arts professional, producer or intermediary, who is planning to set up a business? Or are you part of an artistic team contemplating on the same thing? Do you already have some ideas for your business plan, want some information about starting and running a company or do you just want a clear info package on entrepreneurship in arts as an option?

If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, our pre-incubator programme could be just the right environment for you for making future plans and preparing to establish a company.

The programme, which begins twice a year in the beginning of the semester, will give you a comprehensive understanding on entrepreneurship in artistic and creative businesses. You will get to know experts in creative industries and the arts, and build a community of peers and colleagues within the participating group. We have recruited a good list of experienced professionals from business and creative sectors as lecturers, workshop instructors and mentors.

The program is best suited to professional artists already in profession or in later stage of studies. Previous studies in Uniarts Helsinki are not required.

The program will take around 10 weeks and consist of on-site and online lectures and workshops, networking events as well as tailored mentoring for the particular needs of each participating person or team.

Programme content

Uniarts Helsinki’s first pre-incubator programme covers the following themes:

  • Business planning and establishing a company
  • Entrepreneurial identity of an artist
  • Managing a business
  • Customer experience and branding
  • Product/service development
  • Copyright issues
  • Everyday routines of managing a business
  • Funding opportunities
  • Sales and marketing
  • Pitching skills
  • Foresight: how to plan your future

Weekly programme:

  • Weekly 2-hour workshop lectures at one of Uniarts campuses
  • Weekly 2-hour online lectures
  • 2-3 mentor meetings during the programme. Participants will be assigned their personal mentor in the beginning of the programme, and working methods are set by the mentor and participant together
  • Weekly homework
  • 80% attendance in lectures required

The programme is in English and in hybrid format as described above. At the end of the programme, participants will pitch their ideas to experts and an audience in a live event. This event will be produced together with other university incubators in the Helsinki region.

During the programme, we will have discussions with the participants on what future steps they could take with their business idea after the pre-incubator and what options they have in the Helsinki region. The pre-incubator programme is part of the Campus Incubators Programme, which is funded by the City of Helsinki. In addition to Uniarts Helsinki, the programme partners include Aalto University, Arcada, Haaga-Helia, Hanken, the University of Helsinki and Metropolia. Some of these schools provide business incubator services for already up-and-running businesses.

How to ap­ply

Application via online form in August 2024. It is recommended to book a meeting with program leader Riitta Huttunen before sending the application. One-to-one meetings will be available in the beginning of August.

An information session will be held in the Zoom during the application period. To register for the info session, please send an email to the programme planner Emilia Forss. The call for applications will be recorded and can be viewed afterwards.

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