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HSDC’s UAL Level 3 Creative Enterprise students have become regulars at the annual Portsmouth Light Festival Art Market, and 2024’s was no exception. 19 students from the Creative Enterprise course and 9 students from the Mini Creative Enrichment Group participated in the Market, which is always a fantastic opportunity for students to sell their incredible pieces of art.

However, this year, HSDC’s students were involved in the new Young Creatives Market, separate from other traders at the event. It was a truly special opportunity to explore and celebrate the fantastic achievements of these aspiring creative entrepreneurs. Hosted at Pitt Street Skate Park, the market often attracts up to 80,000 customers per year, making it a wonderful opportunity for the students to gain real world experience of the creative industry and celebrate their talents.

HSDC’s students were selling a variety of unique art on the day, with their products including: prints, customised tote bags, t-shirts, baseball caps, resin shells, ceramics, bookmarks and Christmas ornaments. The sheer variety on offer is a testament to the incredible diversity of the College’s students’ talents, with these pieces garnering a lot of interest from customers at the market.

The course collaborated with Portsmouth City Council and Portsmouth Creates to make the event so successful. This meant that each student received £50 to kickstart their own creative enterprise, with the results being on display at the market. Overall, these students generated over £1,000 in revenue!

HSDC students selling their wares at the Portsmouth Light Festival Art Market.

Course Manager Paul Parsons was incredibly proud of his students, saying:

"To be with these students from the moment they conceived their ideas, through the design and packaging process, was incredible. But the most special moment was witnessing their realisation when they sold their work. Seeing the light in their eyes as they understood they could take raw materials, add their creativity, and sell it for profit was truly rewarding. This year’s cohort has fused creative talent with ambition and taken their success to a whole new level. "

It is experiences like the Young Creatives Market that makes studying at HSDC so rewarding and enriching, and highlights the College’s commitment to taking young people’s education beyond the classroom.

For more information about studying an Art & Design Course at HSDC, please visit: https://www.hsdc.ac.uk/course-finder/?interest=1069

For information about the market, please visit: https://www.portsmouthcreates.co.uk/weshineportsmouth/.

HSDC’s Budding Creative Entrepreneurs Shine at Portsmouth Light Festival Art Market