A new partnership between HSDC and Havant Borough Council is opening doors for young creatives to turn their talents into thriving micro-businesses – an approach that reflects HSDC’s wider commitment to preparing students for the world of work through practical, hands-on industry experience.
Paul Parsons, Course Lead for the UAL Level 4 Creative Enterprise course at HSDC South Downs, has teamed up with Havant Council’s Economic Development Manager, James Maw, to explore opportunities for local young artists to showcase and sell their work in genuine commercial settings. Their collaboration with the Meridian Centre in Havant has opened the door to a series of student-led Pop-Up Markets, offering invaluable entrepreneurial experience that mirrors the College’s mission: equipping learners with the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for a successful career. Rob Fryer, Centre Manager at the Meridian Centre, played a key role in securing a prime spot inside the shopping centre for the students’ Pop-Up Market, allowing them to test their products, pricing and branding in a live environment.
Paul Parsons, course lead, said: “We have 12 students from Creative Enterprise who came down to showcase their products, which is impressive when you consider the course only started 12 weeks ago. Students sold illustrations, screen prints, cards, canvas artwork, stickers, books, tote bags, and clothing such as T-shirts, plus much more. Everything is priced affordably, from £1 to £30. On the course, we believe it’s really important to keep pounds in Pompey by supporting local talent.” The Creative Enterprise course, along with every other course at HSDC, is designed with employability and practical experience at its heart.
Across the College, students are able to benefit from real-world projects, employer involvement and opportunities to apply their learning in meaningful contexts, echoing HSDC’s priority to deliver high-quality learning experiences that prepare students for ambitious futures.
Among the exhibitors was student Serina Van-Allen, who has used the skills she gained on the Creative Enterprise course as a springboard to launch her own successful clothing line. Serina said: “After achieving my Level 3 qualification at South Downs, I was a little unsure what to do next. I then discovered the Creative Enterprise course, a course where you take your art skills and turn them into a passion.
From day one we’ve been encouraged to turn the classroom into our own studio and create work we truly care about. Some people are making jewellery, others are illustrating children’s books, but I wanted to build my own clothing brand.” Experiences like these are deeply aligned with HSDC’s commitment to ensuring that students develop not only creative skills, but also the professional behaviours and confidence needed for the modern economy. This commitment was further demonstrated through a third market hosted at PLAYLAND in Portsmouth.
This gave five Creative Enterprise students another opportunity to showcase and sell their work. With strong footfall and a supportive creative audience, the students not only achieved increased sales but also gained valuable experience in customer engagement, pricing, and promotion, alongside important networking opportunities with fellow creatives and industry professionals. Reflecting on the event, Paul Parsons said: “The PLAYLAND market was a really positive experience for our students. Being part of a professionally organised creative event helped build their confidence, and it was great to see them selling more, making connections, and learning first-hand what it takes to operate within the creative industries.
These kinds of opportunities are exactly what the course is about.” This festive run of events was rounded off with a final Pop-Up Market at South Downs Campus during the final week of term, giving students a brilliant opportunity to sell the last of their stock before Christmas. This event allowed them to demonstrate everything they’ve learned on the course so far: entrepreneurship, communication, branding, pricing and customer service. These are exactly the kinds of skills that HSDC fosters as learners prepare themselves for future employment. Paul Parsons added: “This year’s students have taken their hard work and passion to another level.
Through these markets, they’ve gained valuable industry knowledge, developed their communication and confidence, and learned what it really takes to present and sell their work all while earning a little extra spending money for Christmas. It’s been fantastic to see them grow so quickly and embrace these opportunities.” All products from the markets can also be viewed online via Instagram at @hsdc_creatives, where visitors can follow links directly to the students’ individual artist accounts to browse and purchase work online.
This online presence forms yet another step in the development of our students’ real world development – helping them to understand digital marketing, brand identity and online sales in an economy that places increasing value on all three of these skills. These creative marketplaces encapsulate the true value of studying at HSDC – real experience, real employers and real opportunities.
