Connect ZA launches Young Creative Entrepreneur Initiative

The initiative forms part of the Young Creative Entrepreneur (YCE) series that supports and connects the most exciting entrepreneurs across the globe who are innovating the creative and cultural industries.

Connect ZA offers five awards over the course of 2014, to young South African entrepreneurs between the ages of 20 to 35 who have been running creative businesses. The awards are in the following areas: Digital Publishing, Live Music, Broadcast, Culture, Fashion and Design.

Through an online application and interview process, the judging panel will identify emerging leaders in creative businesses who are able to make international connections and to use these to benefit others by having a positive economic, cultural and social impact in communities.

The prize for winning the award is a curated trip to the UK for a unique programme of meetings with UK industry experts, international peer networking, practical business skills workshops and attendance at key UK industry events.

"The impact of these awards and the possibilities they create have been really positive, and we are looking forward to what this year's SA winners do with these opportunities," said Tom Porter, head of arts, South Africa.

Applications are now open for the first two awards of the year.

Young Creative Entrepreneur Award, Digital Publishing

We're looking for exciting new pioneers in digital publishing, who are using new technology to engage with and respond to their readers; people who are using cross media ideas to bring publishing to life; companies building innovative businesses in the digital publishing sector.

The winner will travel to London in April 2014 to meet up with other country winners from China, Malaysia, Spain, Portugal, the UAE, China, Egypt, Malaysia, Columbia, Brazil, Russia and Spain for the tour. A major element of the tour will be attendance at The London Book Fair (LBF), where each country winner will be asked to pitch their businesses to a panel of experts.

Deadline of the South African online application is 24 February 2014.

Young Creative Entrepreneur Award, Live Music

We looking for exciting young promoters of live music, who are looking to present new music in innovative ways or spaces, who are using new or old technology to engage with and respond to their audiences; festivals that are looking to do more than bring people to a field to party; organisations using live music to engage with cultural and social issues and companies building innovative businesses in the live music sector.

Country winners will participate in a shared tour of the UK's live music sector, including three days at The Great Escape, Europe's Leading Festival for new music. The programme allows the winners to gain unique access into the UK industry, and act as a springboard for future business collaborations between the UK and internationally. The tour will run from 4-12 May 2014.

Deadline for application is 10 March 2014, for Live Music.

For more, go to http://connectza.tumblr.com or email az.gro.licnuochsitirb@senoj.ainivel.