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Spark was a FREE, one-day symposium, which took place at the Royal Spa Centre on Friday 14 February 2020.

It aimed to turn creative talk into creative action, and galvanise our creative business community around a common purpose; promotion and growth of the sector.

Delegates were introduced to just some of the exciting organisations, projects, and initiatives in the area – and shared information about their work and plans for the future.  

Spark Main House Image

Spark Studio

The Programme

The day’s content was structured around five core themes; Voice, placemaking, pathfinding, engagement, and innovation, and was presented via a series of presentations, workshops, discussions, networking opportunities, and performances and exhibitions. 

You can download the presentations by clicking the following links:

Our programme of arts included:

Spark 1

Spark 1

Spark 2

Spark 2

Spark 3

Spark 3

Spark 4

Spark 4

Spark 5

Spark 5

Spark 6

Spark 6

Spark 7

Spark 7

Spark 8

Spark 8

Spark 9

Spark 9

Spark 10

Spark 10

Spark 11

Spark 11

Spark 12

Spark 12

Who was the event for?

Spark was attended by people who worked in or are interested in craft, film, TV, video, radio, photography, museums, galleries, libraries, music, performing arts, visual arts, advertising and marketing, architecture, gaming, product design, graphic design, fashion, IT software and service, and publishing.

The event largely focused on Warwick District, but was open to anyone who wanted to find out more about the area’s creative scene and how they can help celebrate, promote, and grow the sector.

Why did the event happen now?

It’s widely accepted by the sector* that there is a wealth of creativity in the area – but a lack of connectivity between creatives and creative organisations. Spark aimed to connect people, celebrate creativity in the area, and ignite new collaborations. We know it was never going to solve all of these challenges, but we believe it’s a step in the right direction.

*Earlier this year, the Council commissioned BOP Consulting, an international consultancy specialising in culture and the creative economy, to explore the scale and impact of the cultural and creative sector in Warwick District. You can read the full report here.

Feedback

Thank you to the 88 people who took the time to complete our event feedback form; we really value your comments and suggestions.

Here is a summary of the results:

  • 100% of respondents would like to see Warwick District Council deliver more events like Spark in the future.
     
  • 91.6% of respondents would recommend Spark to a colleague or friend. Only 1 person would not and 3 were unsure.
     

The Programme

  • The main stand-out moments are the day were Mark from Vitsoe’s presentation, the food, the social prescribing session, and Motionhouse’s performance.
     
  • Inspiring, fun, and interesting were the top three words respondents used to describe the event.
     
  • 77.4% of delegates rated quality of speakers and session content as between 8 and 10 out of 10, where 0 is poor and 10 is excellent.
     
  • 72.6% of delegates rated networking opportunities as between 8 and 10 out of 10, where 0 is poor and 10 is excellent.
     
  • Any future events should make more time for networking, have sessions spread-out throughout the day, include more diverse speakers, and there should be fewer speakers on the panels
     

The App

  • 334 (81%) people downloaded the app, which includes 1,064 messages, 58 discussion groups, 105 photos, and 5 meet-ups
     
  • 55.4% of delegates would use the Whova Symposium app again, whereas 37.5% would like a mix of on and offline content. Only 2 respondents would not like to use it in the future.
     

The Venue

  • 89.2% of respondents rated customer service as between 8 and 10 out of 10, where 0 is poor and 10 is excellent.
     
  • 86.9% of respondents rated the venue’s facilities as between 8 and 10 out of 10, where 0 is poor and 10 is excellent.
     
  • Any future events should have shorter lunch queues, more tea and coffee stations throughout the building, and improved WiFi.
     

Tickets

  • 50% of delegates would pay for an event like this in the future. 40.9% are unsure and 6 would not.
     
  • The majority of respondents (75%) who would pay to attend Spark, would pay between £5 and £20 a ticket.

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