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's 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?