Entrepreneurship
Theme: Entrepreneurship
Cross-cutting themes covered: - Tailored business support, Networking opportunities
Name of project: Hidden Art
City: London
Who is it? Hidden Art is a membership organisation that promotes entrepreneurship among designer-makers in London, while offering companies and members of the public access to original design. 60% of Hidden Art’s clients are women, and 20% are from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
Where is it? Hidden Art Head Office now covers the whole of London, but started in East London where it is still based.
What is it? Hidden Art promotes business support for designer-makers in London, offering them access to markets through an online platform for exhibiting and selling their work, and enabling an exchange of ideas and networking opportunities. Hidden Art is the trading name of the not-for-profit support organisation Mazorca Projects Ltd.
Who funds it? • Funding has come from central and regional government, such as the Department of Trade and Industry’s Phoenix Fund, which is designed to promote enterprise in deprived urban areas.
How does it work? Showcasing opportunities: Hidden Art’s mission is to promote and support designer-makers, enabling them to access new markets. Under the Hidden Art brand, the project enables designer-makers to sell their work globally (wholesale and retail) and get in touch with potential suppliers, manufacturers, other service providers, and consumers.
Building confidence: Through a range of showcasing opportunities, Hidden Art works to build confidence among its members. Hidden Art’s established presence at design events in London and Milan guarantees new designer-makers exposure to international trade customers at reduced or shared stand rates. Many successful designer-makers have launched new products under the Hidden Art brand.
Anything else? Networking opportunities: Hidden Art offers an opportunity for designer-makers to exchange ideas and network through its monthly networking events and annual Forum. It offers opportunities and equal access for all designer-makers and aims to reach the local and wider communities in which designer-makers work. There is no selection procedure for membership.
What are the results? Over the past ten years the benefits to designer-makers in East London, and now London-wide from Hidden Art, have been quite dramatic. The organisation began in 1994 as a small ‘open studios’ event to promote quality work by 43 designer-makers based in the London Borough of Hackney. A decade on, it has promoted and supported over 1,800 designer-makers and built links between the creative and manufacturing industries and their clients.
Is it successful?
Is the model transferable ? The Hidden Art model is transferable directly through the setting up of a social franchise. A social franchise of the model, Hidden Art Cornwall, is currently in its pilot phase in the South West of England. Franchising can bring this tried-and-tested business support model to a wider audience, utilising the valuable lessons already acquired. It enables local networks of businesses/key partners to provide a very similar service at a local level, while benefiting from the national and international network and expertise.
How does social franchising work? Through franchising, the Hidden Art model can be adapted to respond to local requirements. A new franchisee is initially contracted to run Hidden Art's core services, but thereafter can select additional services depending on the needs of local designer-makers. The core services consist of running a local satellite of the Hidden Art website (www.hiddenart.com), a membership scheme with a series of benefits, and regular Networking Sessions and Tailored Training. Franchisees also benefit from the national and international network and expertise that Hidden Art offers.
What are the barriers to transferability? Not all areas will be able to run a Hidden Art Franchise. A franchise works best if a general business support structure exists and organisations already work together, but there is a gap in support. It should have designer-makers based in the area, plus basics of the industry supply chain.
