- A platform for ideas
- A platform for development
- A platform for collaboration
- A platform for sustainability
- A platform for your future
In 2018, AYCH Platform launches. The UK wide-project is part of a collaborative pan-European project – Atlantic Youth Creative Hubs (AYCH) – designed to support entrepreneurship across the broader creative industries and inspire businesses to think more creatively. Based in our home city of Liverpool, we will support the western-half of the UK, as part AYCH, through Platform.
Platform is both a physical workspace, a network and a call for new entrepreneurial ideas to meet a series of challenges. We’re focusing on ideas around sustainability, the environmental and social responsibility, inspired by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We want you to bring your ideas to Platform to develop on our programme, to share your business stories, to help support and mentor a new generation of entrepreneurs and creators. Sign up here to stay in touch and to find out about details of our upcoming engagement events:
Platform is facilitated by Pacificstream, and part of AYCH. For more than 19 years, we’ve worked with ‘creative’ entrepreneurs at different stages of their journey – from pre-start up to scale up. We’ve supported more than 800 new businesses and ideas; and worked nationally and internationally to support entrepreneurs. We also operate Basecamp, a co-working space and business incubator in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, which has over 30 active members.
In the first half of 2019, we will open our new co-working space in the Baltic Triangle; host four ‘creative jams’, a series of workshops and informal gatherings and build our online network. We’re growing a network of 800 of individuals and organisations to come together to share ideas, launch new things and collaborate to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our cities, and the world at large.
Our space will provide a platform for people to gather and connect, to come to work and to share ideas. It will be the home of our creative jams, workshops and events and – along with our online network – will be a place to spark discussion, create ideas, case studies and best practice and to share opportunities. All of these will also be shared on our website www.pacificstream.info.
Platform is more than the sum of its parts. Our mission is to empower individuals to bring their ideas to the surface and imagine big things; foster collaborations and help people start a path towards entrepreneurship, secure clients or employment. We do this through support to develop your ideas, with a network of mentors and industry champions. And we do this by building a network of networks – not in competition with what already exists – to link people from all sectors to create a diverse network of citizens.
Our programme themes are based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the broader themes of health and wellbeing, cities, environment and education and future work. These themes will be discussed at workshops, in our workspace and online by the broader community, and refined into challenges which will form the basis of our creative jams.
The SDGs are universal; relevant to hyper-local communities and internationally, they represent the challenges faced by all of humanity today.
There are a number of ways to get involved with Platform:
- Bring an idea to develop as part of the programme
Develop your idea in the workspace, at workshops and creative jams. Find local, national or international collaborators and customers.
- Sign-up to our network, attend events, say hello!
Don’t worry if you don’t have a big idea just yet – there will be plenty of people in Platform that have ideas and are looking for support for theirs – maybe you could help? Or maybe, inspired by a workshop, event or creative jam – or learning more about the SDGs – your big idea is just ahead of you.
Full details of our programme will be shared on our social media channels and newsletter.
Or just drop in and say hello when our co-working space opens in early 2019.
- Mentors and sector experts
We need a number of voluntary and paid mentors to support Platform, ranging from informal mentoring opportunities to business specialists offering specific support to members.
- Business champions
We’re looking for a number of case studies of businesses of all sizes who have build products and services within our key themes – health and wellbeing, cities, environment and education and future work. These examples will be used throughout the programme, online and at meetings and workshops. We’ll also invite people and businesses to Liverpool to talk through their ideas at events throughout the programme.
- Networks
We’re looking to connect with business networks across Liverpool City Region and nationally, which would be interested in partnering with us. We’ll signpost members to additional business support and opportunities and use Platform to share and promote existing great entrepreneurship support.
If you are interested in any of the above opportunities, please get in touch at info@pacificstream.info or sign up to our newsletter to find out more.