Training for Culture Professionals
David delivered interactive creative business training for culture professionals in Trenčín, Slovakia, in October 2022.
Trenčín will be European Capital of Culture in 2026. The RUNWAY Program offers training for culture professionals and others in preparation for 2026.
David designed and delivered an interactive workshop in “Strategic planning and creative approaches to business in the cultural industries.”
The objective was to help culture professionals to combine their cultural expertise with creative business techniques. This will help to ensure that cultural organisations and events during European Capital of Culture 2026 are even more successful.
David was invited to deliver the training because he is an expert in creative entrepreneurship and business in the cultural and creative industries. He has extensive professional expertise and international experience of training culture professionals and creative entrepreneurs. More information about David’s work is below.
Interview: David was also interviewed by Trenčín 2026: Strategic business thinking involves deciding what NOT to do
About the workshop
The interactive workshop was designed especially for cultural managers, to help them devise creative strategic plans. This includes adapting and using smart business techniques in harmony with their cultural objectives and values. Using group discussions, participants learnt from each other and generated new ideas.
The main focus of the workshop was strategic planning methodologies. Creative business models, marketing, intellectual property and competitive advantage also featured in the workshop.
By the end of the workshop, participants had a toolkit of techniques they can use to make their own cultural organisations even more successful.
David used examples from his own experience as a cultural manager, plus international case studies featuring creative business strategies.
All participants received a paperback copy of David’s book: “T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity”.
Comments from Host and Participants
“David shared his vast and valuable experience with participants of our educational program in a very practical and understandable way. They appreciated his knowledge very much.”
– Michaela Kučová, Project Manager. Trenčín 2026 European Capital of Culture
“David was excellent! I will read both books written by David. It was a great pleasure for me to meet such an expert! Thank you!”
– Barbara “Bari” Zajaček. Culture Management. City of Trenčianske Teplice. Slovakia
“David was great! I loved all of the examples from real life, from people who struggled before and found their way. Thank you very much for bringing some wisdom to Slovakia.”
– Julia “Joe” Gavačova.
Other comments from participants included:
“The workshop was very complex but clear and understandable” “David was well focused and friendly” “David was very nice, full of relevant stories and examples” “Thank you very much for bringing some wisdom to Slovakia” “I appreciated David’s way of presentation and friendly English” “Very professional” “David Parrish was inspiring” “Thank you very much for coming and sharing your knowledge and life stories” “David was very interesting, on point, clever and inspiring”.
Free Information and Resources for Cultural Managers
The following online resources are published for workshop participants and others, to complement the content of the workshop and as useful information for culture professionals in Slovakia and worldwide. This information adds to David’s training for Culture Professionals in Trenčín.
Free Online Courses for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurs – Strategic Planning and Marketing.
Two kinds of Creativity: ‘a-Creativity’ and ‘i-Creativity’. Article and video from TEDx Napoli.
T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity (Free eBook in English)
The free eBook version in English is available here.
Competitive Advantage. Article, video, diagram and examples online here.
‘Designing Your Creative Business’ toolkit publication.
The complete toolkit publication in full-colour PDF format (16 pages) – online here.
RE-Designing your Creative Business. A video-based online course and toolkit online here.
Create Your Own Business Formula (article)
Free article about devising a winning business strategy in the creative industries. In English and several other languages available here.
The 3Ms of Marketing – an article and example to explain the technique.
Precision Marketing – a video based online toolkit.
Intellectual Property Rights – an overview. Videos online here.
‘Ideas in Action’ articles
Various articles illustrating cool business techniques from creative entrepreneurs around the world, available here. Including “Don’t sell it; rent it” and “Co-opetition: friendly competition.”
Book: Good Strategy/Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt. Details on Amazon.
Here’s a link to a complete list of free online resources for culture professionals and creative entrepreneurs. Video-based courses and toolkits, books and other products are online here.
About David Parrish
David works with cultural managers and entrepreneurs worldwide, helping them deliver their cultural objectives by using smart business techniques that fit with their values and mission.
He has worked with Culture Liverpool, the EU-Eastern Partnership Culture and Creativity Programme, Creative Georgia, Think up Culture!, Artbox Armenia, and many more clients and projects in the cultural industries worldwide.
David has written about the Business of Culture in articles and in his two books and several other publications especially for cultural and creative businesses. His Creative, Cultural and Digital Industries Guide is available as a free download.
He brings his own experience of setting up and growing businesses in the creative and cultural industries. (Read David’s story.) David is actively involved in the creative and digital industries as a company director and management consultant. He also shares the learning he has gained from working with hundreds of successful creative enterprises around the world. His books are available in paperback, eBook and Audiobook formats. They have been translated into several languages and published in various countries in several continents.
David has academic and professional qualifications in his field. He is an expert creative industries business adviser, management consultant, trainer, coach and mentor. He provides professional creative industries business advice to creative businesses in the following sub-sectors of the creative and digital industries: advertising and public relations, architecture, product design, designer fashion, film and video, music, publishing, software and computer games, web design and e-commerce, television and radio, visual arts, photography, graphic design and illustration, crafts and the performing arts. Also, as an international creative industries speaker, his speeches are relevant to these audiences.
David’s experience and expertise has been used in countries and cultures as diverse as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Curaçao, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Holland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea (South), Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, USA, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
Further detailed information about David’s international experience and professional expertise is available on this website.
To find out more about his personal background in the creative industries and business, read his story.
David’s Training for Culture Professionals
Training for Culture Professionals and Creative businesses. Organisations and enterprises worldwide have achieved greater success by attending David’s creative business training workshops and webinars for entrepreneurs in the creative, cultural and digital industries.
Some Creative Business Training workshops devised and delivered by David include ‘Creative Advantage’, ‘Creative Focus’, ‘Creative Marketing’, ‘Creative Finance’, ‘Focusing Creativity’, ‘Designing Your Creative Business’ and a range of seminars, workshops and presentations on topics including Marketing, Pricing, Business Strategy and Development, Intellectual Property, Leadership, Business Growth Models and Marketing, Strategic Planning and Managing Change.
Read more details and what clients say about David’s interactive training workshops for cultural managers and creative entrepreneurs.
Some examples include: “Doing Business in the Creative Industries” [PODIM, Slovenia]; “Marketing – from Strategy to the Sale (without selling out)” [Big Idea, New Zealand]; “Creative Pricing” [Networks, Bosnia and Herzegovina]; “Designing Your Creative Business” [HUBBA, Thailand]; “How to Make Money while you Sleep: The Art of Generating Cash from Creativity” [Chamber of Commerce, Curaçao]; “Business Growth Strategies for Creative and Digital Businesses” [Donegal LEO, Ireland]; “The Numbers: Making it all add up, financial planning for creatives” [The Academy, UK]; “Creativity and Business: How to Succeed as a Creative Entrepreneur” [BCCF, Indonesia]; “Leading Creative Cultures” [MILE, Saudi Arabia].