Synapse
Entrepreneurial Thinking: Ambition into Impact
About us
What is Synapse?
In 2010, the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE) launched Synapse – a workshop programme designed to offer students across all Goldsmiths’ departments the opportunity to explore their ambitions, networks as well as knowledge and skills and work with entrepreneurial tools to ‘map their futures’.
This is not necessarily the same as tools for enterprises or business ‘start ups’ but a means to equip students with the skills to think about their future and the impact they hope to make.
Synapse within Goldsmiths aims to enhance graduates' employability within their sector, and their potential to realise personal projects and impact. These workshops are designed to support and complement any already existing professional preparation that departments might offer. Synapse is run by Goldsmiths’ academics; Adrian De La Court, Course Director of the MA in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, with Siân Prime, lecturer and Academic Lead for Enterprise and lecturer Ashley Evenson who joined the team in 2021.
The team saw the potential for Synapse to be adapted and swiftly expanded the offer to engage with organisations and enterprises beyond Goldsmiths, working with businesses locally and regionally in the UK as well as internationally. Synapse has supported governments, cultural organisations and creatives in over 25 global territories.
The team
Adrian De La Court
Director of SYNAPSE, Director of Goldsmiths’ MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship and Business Development Scheme and Co-Curator of SELFestival.
Siân Prime
Programme Leader on SYNAPSE, Deputy Director for Goldsmiths’ Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE), Academic Lead for Enterprise, Co-Director of Goldsmiths' Business Development Schemes and Co-Producer of SELFestival.
Synapse Contributors
A number of Goldsmiths academics and practitioners have contributed to the development and delivery of the toolkits and pilot Fair Growth programme including Nicola Turner, Deborah Williams, Susan Aktemel and Gill Wildman.
Our toolkits
Creative business process
Business Startup Toolkit
The resources in this Startup toolkit are co-created and based on the work we’ve done with over 10,000 entrepreneurs, as well as our extensive reading, and generous inputs from our local and global communities. We’ve worked to ensure that no matter where you are on your path towards sustaining your own enterprise, there’s something in here to propel you forward.
Finding that job
Employability Toolkit
The approach in this kit is to engage you with energy and creative curiosity to develop opportunities for your employment. Searching for your first job, your next job, or even a change of position can be daunting. This toolkit will help break the process down into a series of manageable and hopefully enjoyable tasks.
Sustainability and creativity
Fair Growth
Fair Growth builds on the success of Synapse’s work in supporting start-ups and Goldsmiths’ expertise in developing sustainable creative, cultural and social enterprises. Synapse Fair Growth understands and addresses the challenges of innovation, growth, and talent acquisition and retention in the creative sector. The programme has the ambition of fostering systemic change and cultural shifts, through inclusive and equitable practice.
Testimonials
“It's been great to see the similarities between all of the participants on SYNAPSE, and I think it's really highlighted some challenges and possible solutions that all of us, regardless of the business that we work in, can take forward and create real change.”
— Forest Morgan, Mercury Theatre
“I've already suggested this to my artistic community, where people feel like they're running solo, trying to make decisions and I’ve told them you need to be part of this, this could be really good for you. Everyone here is now part of a community.”
— Helen Edwards, East End Prints
“SYNAPSE has been helpful in figuring out how we take our existing culture and our existing staff and just bolster it and move it into that next phase piece by piece. Breaking it down into different areas rather than trying to understand what it means as a whole, which can be quite overwhelming.”
— Jason Page, Migration Museum
“It's sparked some ideas for me to take back to the team to see if the way we're doing what we're doing works or whether there's a better way to do it, and to just try and open those conversations.”
— Ginene Meek, Woolwich Works
“No matter what level you’re at with your business, whether you’re a grassroots start-up, or if you're funded, like the CPP is by Arts Council, there's something here that can really help you with going forward, progressing and thinking differently as well.”
— Victoria Jones, Creative BasildON
Contact
All Synapse content can be tailored to suit the needs of your organisation. Please contact the Synapse team to discuss creating a bespoke programme.
Enquiries
- synapse@gold.ac.uk
Find Us
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross, London, SE14 6NW