After a countrywide search spanning almost a year and involving the scrutiny of 1084 creative proposals by expert judges, India’s Creative Future 2007 will be announced on 8 February 2007 in Mumbai.
The aim of the British Council’s Creative Future programme was to identify and nurture a new generation of Indian young creative entrepreneurs with exciting business ideas. A total of 1084 applications received from across India were whittled down to 18 after interviews by and presentations to a select panel of judges. Eighteen hopefuls from India are now vying for the coveted title of Creative Future 2007.
The winner takes away £3,000 and a trophy specially crafted as a creative collaboration between Kate Jones from Gillies Jones Glass, UK and Indian textile designer Jigisha Patel. We are looking for a marriage of commitment to realising the project, sound entrepreneurial skill (solidity of business / marketing / staff plans) and pioneering vision – not just for the idea itself, but for the industry from which it stems. There are also cash awards of £1000 for the most Pioneering Vision, Outstanding Entrepreneurship and Most Market-Ready Project.
At the award ceremony in the Experimental Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai, creative industries champion Chris Powell will be giving a presentation on creative industries in the UK followed by one on the India-UK collaboration by Sanmit Ahuja, Head of India Affairs Commonwealth Business Council. International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year (IYMEY) finalist Jaspal Singh share his experience followed by Project Bombay, Jaspal’s audio-visual showcase on Mumbai city which will be presented by VJ Juxta (Mike Stirling) from Ninja Tune.
This has been a journey of self-discovery for all Creative Future candidates. Each of them boasts of a creative idea backed by a strong business proposition in varied sectors including film, design, music, TV, publishing, fashion, photography, radio, traditional Indian art and software. Since the ideas were to be pitched to business angels who, if convinced of their potential, might make them a reality, all these candidates were taken to the Creative Future School at IIMB between 13 and 27 August 2006 where they were coached by an expert tutors from India and the UK.
Three creative candidates Aparna Rao from Bangalore, Nila Madhab Panda from New Delhi and Sheetal Sudhir from Mumbai also got a chance to go on a week-long, individual, tour followed by two days in London to share their experiences and prepare their pitches to the UK investors. The pitches took place on 14 November in London.
To know more about the 18 selected candidates and the award ceremony, please log on to the Creative Future's website.
The creative sector in IndiaIntegral to the Creative Future Programme, is the Spread the Word series, which involves visits by high profile UK creative entrepreneurs whose ventures have revolutionised thinking about the role of the creative sectors in the UK economy. In May 2006, Elizabeth Calder, Managing Editor of Bloomsbury Publishing, spent a week in New Delhi and Kolkata, sharing the experience of the success of the Bloomsbury Publishing House with young publishers, conducting master classes and interacting with students.
In January 2007 Doug D’Arcy, creator of the reputed music consultant, management and investment company Songlines visited Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore and met with leading music companies, record studios and upcoming music entrepreneurs to share and relate his experience to the Indian context.
Chris Powell, Chair of NESTA and of the Think Tank of The Institute of Public Policy Research and a creative industries champion will tour Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi in early February 2007 along with Ian Livingstone, leading pioneer of Interactive Games.
Partners and SponsorsThe Creative Future program from the British Council has been developed with the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Creative Industries Development Agency, UK, leading UK experts and the Commonwealth Business Council.
The Creative Future School has been developed by independent UK expert Lee Corner, Sian Prime of NESTA and Professor Ramnath Narayanswamy of the IIMB for the British Council.
The Business Angels Pitches are being developed by the British Council in partnership with the Commonwealth Business Council.
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