Last year the FuseBox opened it doors to the creative, digital and IT community in Brighton and Hove. Building on research findings from the Brighton Fuse Report, we identified the need to support individual innovators and start-up businesses in radical new ways. Inspired by the arts/humanities and digital technology, we ran the FuseBoxAmp as a pilot learning programme over a month in summer 2013 with nine innovators and early stage start-up businesses. We learned that we’d successfully created a supportive learning environment with many ingredients, chief amongst them effective leadership and facilitation, the strength of the participants’ peer network created and the value placed on access to experienced people from the sector who kindly shared their time and wisdom.
We’ve taken time to reflect and established that a longer programme is now required, one that allows the participants more time to reflect on personal and professional development and more time to really test and iterate their business concepts. So to that end, we’re designing The FuseBox24 programme to run over 24 weeks and give successful applicants 24 hour access to the FuseBox.
Progamme activity including knowledge sharing, coaching and mentoring from the creative and wise, as well as personal and group development will occupy two days a week with the remainder of time given to developing and iterating start-up business concepts. We believe this form of incubation will help innovators gain the confidence, courage and connections required to make starting a business in the CDIT sector a reality in 2014.
The programme will commence after easter and be led by Curator Phil Jones, (MD of Wired Sussex) with support from Facilitator, Jim Byford (FuseBox Researcher in Residence). In addition, we’re expanding our expertise network of individuals and organisations that share our vision of a thriving CDIT sector that fuses arts/design and technology to create resilient businesses that will transform communities and disrupt markets.
We’re open to early expressions of interest, either as an innovator/start-up or from those who’d like to join our expertise network. Get in touch via thefusebox@wiredsussex.com