Join the club

The Hospital Club in London’s Covent Garden is now accepting applications for its Creatives in Residence programme for 2011.

The programme was launched in 2009 by the ‘philanthropic’ department of the creatives-only club, and sees between eight and ten individuals taken on each year from the worlds of film, music, fashion, theatre and opera, visual art and architecture. Two new categories – dance and digital art – have been added for 2011.

Through the initiative, the chosen Creatives in Residence are mentored and coached by experts in their specialist field.

Laurelene Chambovet (aka Lolo), philanthropic manager at The Hospital Club, explains, ‘We help them look at the commercial aspects of their projects, and help build understanding of the business and the industry at large.’

This is achieved, she says, through workshops and lectures on presenting skills, body language, presenting an idea and defining the concept of a ‘brand’.

She adds that the Creatives in Residence are put in touch with The Hospital Club members, allowing them to strengthen their professional (and social) networks, and ask questions to people who have already ‘made it’ in their chosen careers.

The Creatives will also be given access to The Hospital Club’s facilities, which include music and television production studios and a cinema.

Chambovet says, ‘We open the doors to our building – our building becomes their playground.

‘It’s allowing new ideas to come into the club- everyone involved gets something out of it.  We’re supporting the next generation of talent.’

During their time as a Creative in Residence, each artist is expected to create one project which engages with the club’s members, either inside or outside of The Hospital Club premises.

Last year’s intake included visual artist Alex Shepherd, a Camberwell College of Arts graduate who works with film, sculptural installation and photography; and architecture graduates Jordan Hodgson and Niall Gallacher, who co-founded House of Jonn, a studio for creative engagement within the city.

Industry experts involved in this year’s programme, which started in March, include Stephen Beddoe, Artquest Programme Manager; Rukhsana Jahangir, head of the art department of the Museum of Everything; designer Lee McCormack and Mark Prescott, cultural campaigns manager at the Mayor’s office.

To apply, people need to log on to the Club’s website and fill in an application form at www.thehospitalclub.com/cir/apply. The deadline for entries is 31st October 2010.