With the start of the ESA Arts Sponsorship Certificate only three months away, we asked Course Director, Peter Raymond to give us some background and an idea of what lies ahead for those thinking of taking the Certificate this year.
What’s the origin of the Certificate?
The ESA Arts Sponsorship Certificate was created because, despite the success of the ESA Diploma (now the sponsorship industry’s ‘right of passage’ qualification in its sixth year with over 300 industry practitioners qualified and rave reviews), there were very few people from the arts world registering on the course. It became apparent that a dedicated course was necessary to provide a more focused training solution for this specialist area.
Why is it required?
Quite simply, those involved with arts fund-raising find sponsorship challenging. As public funding remains tight, organisations increasingly need alternative ways of raising revenue. Learning how to earn income from developing mutually beneficial commercial relationships with the corporate sector has become a professional necessity. The Certificate delivers all of the insights and learnings necessary to become a confident practitioner in this challenging, but rewarding, part of marketing.
How’s it going so far?
The Certificate started in 2015 and in our first two years 25 people have qualified. Each year we ask the students to complete a post-course questionnaire and we’ve had some fantastically positive and constructive feedback, which has reassured us that we’re fulfilling people’s needs. It’s also helped us to re-evaluate the structure and direction of the course, so we’ve made a few changes for 2017, which we firmly believe will be our best to date.
What lies ahead for those taking the 2017 Certificate?
Some elements remain the same. The course takes place between mid-September and the end of January. It comprises three modules, an assessment process consisting of assignments and a project, and monthly seminars to enhance the learning experience. This year, we are changing the structure of the assignments and seminars to reflect a more practical and relevant approach to learning. The assignments will be based increasingly around the students’ own working environments and involve more choice. The seminars will concentrate more on teaching the skills required to mount successful sponsorship sales campaigns and to retain long-term partnerships.
What were the highlights of last year’s course?
Last year’s seminar speakers included senior marketing representatives from The Old Vic, Nielsen (Arts) and The Science Museum, as well as a digital marketing expert. In addition, we held a ‘Sponsorship Sales Masterclass’ which discussed the vital ingredients necessary to mount successful sponsorship sales campaigns. The course project challenged the students to prepare a sponsorship strategy for the unique, canal-based, touring theatre company, Mikron.
What advantages are gained by qualifying for the Certificate?
We are moving towards our ambition of establishing the Certificate as the most highly valued and revered qualification for those wishing to practice sponsorship in arts and culture. Achieving the ESA Arts Sponsorship Certificate undoubtedly identifies the recipient as someone with the requisite knowledge and confidence to have a fruitful career in sponsorship and is increasingly being sought by employers operating in this field.