Creativity is such an important skill and is heavily valued in many areas such as marketing, design, multimedia, drama, dance, craft and literature. Some students are aware of their creativity while in school, while others become more aware of their creativity later in life. Creativity comes in many forms and can be explored at any stage in life.
Many of these creative subjects such as Film and TV production, sound production and fashion design can be studied as a PLC at the Galway Technical Institute (GTI ). For anyone wishing to explore their creative side or hoping to pursue a career in a creative industry, a PLC course is a great way to get a good introduction and understanding of the industry and the requirements that a job in a specific industry requires.
For those, who are certain that they would like to study for a degree in the creative industries, the University of Galway offers undergraduate courses such as the B.A in Music, Film and Digital Media, English and Creative Writing, and Global Media. Many of these courses can be studied at postgraduate level as well. ATU offers courses in Animation, Architectural design and Jewellery design.
With increased investment from the Irish government in the Arts, Cultural events and Heritage areas, there is a greater demand for people working in these industries, especially with Macnas and the Galway Arts Festival being based in Galway. Many people ask me how they can break into these creative industries. I would advise anyone who is thinking of pursuing a career in the creative industries to try and volunteer in their preferred area, whether it is with a society or an event itself and see if it is a career they want to pursue after this experience.
Many charities and student/volunteer organisations look for volunteers with creative skills. Volunteering in these organisations also looks great when applying for paid positions. Sometimes people have hobbies and passions, but when they get an insight into the working world of their passion they often change their minds.
A variety of roles
It is important to note that many people working in these creative industries have carved out what is called a ‘portfolio career’ meaning their career is based on a variety of roles rather than one specific job or organisation.
This is why I would advise anyone, who is thinking of a career in the creative industries to develop a few skills while also developing their network, which will ultimately provide them with more employment opportunities. For example, I meet many people who like photography and want to carve out a career in photography, but with the advancement in technology and most people having cameras on their phones, the demand for photographers has decreased. In this instance, I would advise anyone in this situation to consider developing a range of skills in areas such as videography, digital marketing, e-learning, podcast development, publishing, copywriting and editing, to name a few.
Many MA courses offer many skills within one programme. For example, the MA in Journalism at the University of Galway and the MSc in Emerging Media at DCU, allow graduates to choose what they want to specialise in upon completion of the masters.
There are many industries such as Youth work, Education, the Arts, Sports, Leisure and NGO’s that are continuously seeking people with creative skills.
These jobs are advertised on activelink.ie, OPW, Screen Ireland, Starnow and Visual artists.ie The Arts Council also offers funding to creative artists and organisations provided they meet the funding criteria. In some cases, the local enterprise office (LEO ) will also support those wishing to start their own creative business, but terms and conditions apply.
Although many in the creative industries would have described the industry as difficult to break into initially, with many having to go abroad for specific contracts or work, most would say that they thoroughly enjoy working in creative industries and there is no other industry they would rather work in.
