An Epic Arts Adventure
For those of you that don’t know, Brighton
holds the largest Arts Fesitival in England every May. One unusual
feature of the Festival is the Open Houses where artists across
the city throw open their doors each weekend to the general public.
Private gardens become public tea shops as Brighton residents mingle
and admire the sculptures. This year Epic also became an Open House
venue as part of the ‘Open Business’ initiative.
People paid (the money goes back to the fringe) to see how a company
like Epic works on the inside. Members of the public could visit
Epic and see over 150 staff at work producing our award winning
e-learning programmes. As part of the visit they could take part
in our simulations and see if they could cut it as a Royal Military
Police Officer, Salesperson or Nurse in a busy A&E Department.
The participants were then given a goody bag. Though they ranged
from 16 years olds to pensioners, all seemed to enjoy the experience.
There was also a tour of Epic’s Georgian building and a chance
to talk to scriptwriters, graphic artists and designers about current
Epic projects for clients ranging from major retail banks to universities.
Epic CEO, Donald Clark, is on the board of the Brighton festival
and was keen to get the company involved in something real and practical.
He commented, “workplaces are often seen as dull and hidden
zones. In fact, they can be fascinating and vibrant places. We thought
we’d simply open our doors and invite anyone in".
The event was a major success and the Epic Open House is likely
to become a permament fixture of the Brighton Festival. Why not
call in for a cup of tea next year?
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