18 October 2022
Following on from a highly successful pilot program, the Helpmann Academy Creative Innovator Program returned in 2022, with nine local creative businesses taking part.
In an event hosted at Pridham Hall on Thursday, 13 October 2022, recipients of the major seed funding were announced by The Honourable Andrea Michaels MP, Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs and Minister for Arts.
The CRAM Collective were presented with $20,000 in start-up funds, which will be invested into their independent arts company that has a focus on “cramming” a range of creatives and art forms together to create ground-breaking, brave, new work.
“This program has really opened our eyes to the world of creative business. We learnt our creative skills at university, but the business side of things doesn’t come naturally to us. We have come a long way over the past 8 months and have a much stronger understanding of what is required to continue to run our business successfully, and what a self-sustainable future for CRAM looks like,” says CRAM co-founder Aarod Vawser.
The Creative Innovator program provides participants with; $2,000 in seed funding, matched one-on-one mentoring from an established arts practitioner, access to workshops and masterclasses delivered by leading business professionals, contact with a pool of industry experts and business advisors, access to a co-working space, and networking and pitching opportunities.
Generously supported by a group of philanthropic partners and donors, Arts South Australia and Creative Partnerships Australia, the program takes inspiration from the technology sector, where incubators, labs and accelerator programs help to foster new business ideas, and applies it to the creative industries.
CRAM was selected by an esteemed panel of judges consisting of Alexandra Dimos, Managing Director, Nunn Dimos Foundation, Eloise Leaver, ThincLab International Incubator Program Manager & Manager, ThincLab Waite, The University of Adelaide, Jane Andrew, Senior Lecturer & Director Match Studio at University of South Australia, and Verity Kingsmill, Interim Lead – Flinders University New Venture Institute, Flinders University, after pitching their business idea in a shark-tank style pitch event.
A number of participants were also gifted spots in the prestigious incubator spaces at Helpmann Academy’s partner institutions, the University of South Australia, the University of Adelaide and Flinders University.
The recipients on the night were:
- CRAM Collective – $20,000 in seed funding and mentorship with State Theatre Company
- Bridie Walsh – mentorship with Match Studio and the Innovation & Collaboration Centre
- Chloe Tornow – incubator space at the University of Adelaide’s ThincLab
- Felicity Boyd – incubator space at Flinders University’s New Venture Institute
- Tim Whiffen – incubator space at the University of Adelaide’s ThincLab
Congratulations to all the participants.
The 2022 Creative Innovator Program participants
☑️ Bridie Walsh of Kosi Kids
☑️ Brooke Bowering of Brooke Bowering Films
☑️ Chloe Tornow of Tornow Equestrian
☑️ Connor Reidy, Ren Williams, Aarod Vawser and Melissa Pullinger of CRAM Collective
☑️ Emily Eilers & Hannah Ranger of Upheaval Media
☑️ Felicity Boyd of MOTUS Collective
☑️ Sophia Torchia of Baratto
☑️ Susie Althorpe of Sublime Lighting
☑️ Tim Whiffen of Whimsy Productions
A huge thank you to the team at Perks for their ongoing support of the creative innovator program. Thank you to the following business mentors for sharing their knowledge and time:
- Andrew Camens
- David Tidswell
- Harry Collison
- Jenny Dunn
- Sanja Hiziak
- Tim Haslam
And, a final thank you to our creative mentors:
- Ben Eblen
- Bonnie McBride
- Daniel Principe
- Dean Toepfer
- Julian Hobba
- Kate Irving
- Leah Shelton
- Nick Rasmussen
- Nicole Haack
- Tiff Manuell
Image: Mark Roderick, Chair, Helpmann Academy Board of Govenors, The Honourable Andrea Michaels MP, Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs and Minister for Arts, and Helpmann Academy, CEO, Jane MacFarlane join the 2022 Creative Innovator Program participants. Photo by Thomas McCammon.