A stunning calendar showcasing the talents of a top school’s art department is going on sale this week after a Dragon’s Den-style build-up.
The Ysgol John Bright Calendar has been put together by a team of four budding young entrepreneurs, two from Year 12 and two from Year 10, using images produced by art students at the school.
The project has been made possible by a grant from the Llwyddo’n Lleol – Succeeding Locally – project which is funded by the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund to help young people across Conwy and Denbighshire develop their career paths.
It has helped the embryo business, Annual Art, buy the equipment they needed, including a high definition camera and a printer but, first the team had to prepare a realistic business plan to show how they were going to make money – then it was down to them.
Sian Rees, the school’s Head of Performing and Expressive Arts, said: “It’s been a really good exercise because our Year 12 students in the Sixth Form have been working on enterprise as part of their Welsh Baccalaureate and now they are mentoring Year 10 pupils on how to run a business.
“We gave them the task of using the phenomenal work done in our Art Department and they have come up with the calendar which is really spectacular and which they have developed from scratch, designing it, even getting quotes for printing it as well as marketing the calendar.
“Llwyddo’n Lleol have been wonderful, paying for equipment and offering incredible support both in this and other projects so that students have had the benefit of top quality advice and training at workshops which Llwyddo’n Lleol have sponsored.
“The money they hopefully make will be ploughed back into making this project happen again next year and the skills they have gained will be cascaded down to the rest of the school.
“We want to encourage students to teach students and peer mentoring as the ability to pass on knowledge and skills is an important one.”
The four-strong team, all from Llandudno, is Liam Clair and Millie Shields, both 16, from Year 12, and Hannah Brownson and Nathan Jones, both 14, from Year 10.
Liam said: “Our aims were to showcase the art done in the school and to raise money as well and we want it to be an on going project so that after we have left it will still carry on.
“We carried out market research to see what sort of price was being charged for a good quality calendar and on average they’re about £10 so at £6.50 our calendar is very competitive.”
Millie added: “We had to get quotes for everything from the camera to the printing and we have worked on the design to send to the printers and then on producing flyers to advertise the calendar in the school.”
The 100 calendars went on sale this week though some busy marketing activity from Hannah and Nathan means there has already been keen interest.
Hannah said: “The Art teacher asked for volunteers for the project and Nathan and I put our hands up and we actually got the quotes from the printers and we’ve been distributing flyers as part of the marketing campaign.
“We’ll be setting up a stall in the Mall in the school and selling during break and also on the school website.”
Jenni Edwards, Llwyddon’n Lleol Project officer for Conwy and Denbighshire, said: “The students had to complete a business plan which is important because they have to look at the planning and the skills they will each bring and the roles they will have within the company.
“We’re trying to get students to think about entrepreneurship and starting their own businesses as a future option as it’s not really happening enough here in North Wales although it is often easier for young people because they have less to lose.
“It is vital in North Wales not only that we build a strong and skilled workforce but also that we have young people starting up their own businesses because that will create a vibrant economy for the region and in turn create more opportunities for the future.”
