A Bath-based film and theatre director has launched an online gallery to make great art accessible to all, with help from business growth consultancy Cool Ventures.
Malachi Bogdanov, a former associate director of the English Shakespeare Company, has set up The Apple Gallery to represent up and coming artists, as well as more established painters.
The site, www.theapplegallery.co.uk, features work by specially selected artists from around the world and some of their unique paintings are now also on display at a temporary exhibition in Bath’s Guildhall.
Malachi is receiving specialist business advice from Sue Marchant and her team at Cool Ventures which delivers the Bath Business Support Programme.
The programme provides free intensive support to small and medium-sized businesses like Malachi’s.
Business owners benefit from one-to-one coaching from experienced advisers and access to workshops on key topics including strategy and business planning, finance, marketing and management.
Malachi said: “My ethos is to make quality art accessible to all by taking a low commission and offering some of the best original paintings from around the world at affordable prices. The one-to-one advice I’m receiving from Cool Ventures is helping me to realise this ambition.
“It’s been great to have someone to bounce ideas off and they can point me in the right direction when I need help. Sue put me in touch with their SEO specialist, who was able to help me improve my Google rankings for the gallery, and introduced me to the export team at the Department for International Trade.
“We are very much an international company and want to increase our global reach, so this introduction is crucial for us.”
Malachi added: “It feels like a real partnership with Cool Ventures and it’s good to know that they are looking out for me. The free advice I have received through the Bath Business Support Programme has been fantastic.”
Sue said: “We don’t just offer business growth advice to entrepreneurs like Malachi, we can also introduce them to our extensive contacts in the business world.
“We work closely with a wide range of organisations, which we have good relationships with, and can introduce our businesses clients to those that can help them.
“We wish Malachi every success with The Apple Gallery and his mission to make great art affordable for all.”