Gateway to Strengthening the Creative Sector

She has created The Switchboard Network, an online booking platform that makes accessing and finding services more efficient. Its main objectives are to support venues in post-covid recovery with venues and organisations diversifying their income by exploring other ways of utilising and advertising their spaces and to support artists in continuing on their professional journey by showing them what’s available and the price points.

Rebecca, who grew up in the creative sector, felt there was a gap in the market during the pandemic and the framework of the company was designed in 2020 via a questionnaire which asked artists and creatives what they felt was lacking in the industry.

Rebecca said: “At such a pivotal time, it became apparent that funding/financial aid was needed and also that many individuals felt they couldn’t afford to access the industry. “This became increasingly concerning as funding was suspended and we all became house-bound. Individuals felt they couldn’t access the sector due to severe financial constraints as a result of the pandemic and being self-employed.”

Rebecca added that the sector continued to “fracture” and it became concerning to everyone in it that it may not be able to recover, particularly theatres and small creative companies. “I felt an obligation to do what I could to support artists, I knew that it would be challenging to get politicians and those with significant sway to step into the shoes of a self-employed freelance artist living in Northern Ireland. But I refused to let my hopes and aspirations for post-covid recovery be left in the hands of those who are so far removed from the reality of the sectoral collapse.”

Rebecca began investing her own money into trials and experimenting herself with technology to try and evidence that there would be a need and a benefit to a system like The Switchboard Network post-covid. After an uphill battle, especially when funding was tight, Rebecca’s determination with multiple applications, hundreds of hours of trying and failing, she successfully obtained a grant with Future Screens.

“The grant enabled me to develop The Switchboard Network and complete research into the viability of a company like this. As much as I would love to say it was plain sailing… it wasn’t! I had to double down on my work, invest more time, money and energy into getting people to believe in me and the site.”

Rebecca worked tirelessly to get an initial cluster of venues signed up including Lyric Theatre and The MAC, and began to push on elements such as networking, meetings and marketing materials. Most recently, successful funding with Innovation UK means Rebecca will be able to avail of further website development and company growth.

“I have poured my own finances into the company because I believe it will strengthen the sector and now, thankfully, it is gaining momentum. The systemic issues of the sector have come to my door more than once and so I feel a sense of obligation to do what I can to strengthen it. The Switchboard Network is only the beginning.”

As a Woman in Business, Rebecca confessed that she has faced a lot of challenges and feels that if it wasn’t for her own self-determination, The Switchboard Network would not be in the position it is today. “I have the additional complexity of having ADHD and Bipolar Type 2. There is stigma around both of these, being a woman (especially in a tech world) and being someone with severe mental illnesses I’ve had to work incredibly hard to get to where I am.”

The site itself welcomes venues and organisations from across UK and Ireland to advertise and register on the site. It allows organisations whether small, medium or large to run their own bookings, availability and income. Rebecca further explained that small venues such as church halls and community centres have experienced “tremendous income loss” in rental/hire of the spaces they typically hire out. And The Switchboard Network aims to support these organisations.

“The site is user friendly and therefore makes it easy for a local community to find and book the services any given company offers. For large and medium organisations the site operates efficiently as you are free to determine the cost, time, date and day of when your spaces are available. This optimses on the income that the venue can have and welcomes new customers and new revenue streams as well as making it easier to book. It provides an opportunity to streamline bookings and make managing those bookings more efficient.”

Clients can easily set up an account and begin entering information on their venue, pricing, availability and so on. Once this is completed it is then sent on to be approved. Once approved, it will appear on the main site for customers to book. When a booking has been made, the customer will pay directly to the organisation through the site and the organization will receive a confirmation booking email. This can be synced to a calendar of your choosing so the bookings can automatically onlay. Current categories include, Rehearsal room hire, Creative work space, Stage hire, Gallery hire, Community spaces and Equipment.

The Switchboard Network is offering new clients who use the code PRESS an initial 3 month free trial.

To find out more go to www.switchboardnetwork.com