Advice & Guidance
Our Clinics, Workshops, and Drop-in Sessions are open to all RCS students, staff, and alumni. Explore upcoming sessions below and book your place.
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1:1 Clinics
Clinics are one-to-one sessions where you can meet with a specialist advisor to talk about your projects, your career, and your professional development. Our advisors have years of experience supporting creative practitioners in their respective fields.
Please note that Clinics are released on a rolling basis. If there are no available slots on the online booking system, please check back later. To receive the latest updates and Clinic availability straight to your inbox, sign up for our CEDO newsletter
Career Clinics with Rachael Arnold
Led by our Entrepreneur in Residence, these Clinics provide a space to discuss life as a freelancer, starting a company, and managing creative projects. As Co-Founder of Creative Entrepreneurs Club, Rachael has extensive experience supporting creatives to build impactful businesses.
Freelancer & Founder Clinics
Led by our Entrepreneur in Residence, Rachael Arnold, these clinics provide a space to talk about anything related to life as a freelancer, starting a company, or managing creative projects. Speak to Rachael about:
- Knowing your audience or customer
- Understanding your value
- Planning your projects
- Strategies for success
- Making the right connections
Career Clinics
Knowing better than most that a creative career can take many twists and turns, Briana Pegado’s clinics focus on balancing your creative practice with other work you may need to take on to become and stay financially sustainable. Speak to Briana about:
- Understanding your transferable skills
- Creating a skills bank
- Tailoring your CV for different roles
- Balancing part-time, full-time and freelance work
- Aligning work with your values and needs
These sessions are neurodivergent friendly, queer friendly, and BPOC friendly.
Legal Clinics
In this 45-minute online clinic, you can ask Philip Hannay of Cloch Solicitors general legal questions directly related to your creative career and practice, such as:
- Legal and employment contracts – Are you contracting other freelancers or employing a small team to make your work with you? Have you been presented with a freelance contract that you are uncertain about signing?
- Intellectual property – Have you considered protecting your creative work? Do you have work that you’d like to patent, take out trademarks, design rights, or copyright?
- Company structures – What kind of company structure best fits the kind of work you want to make?
- Simple procedural actions – Do you need to defend a court action related to your business? Are you thinking about going to the Civil Court to claim money you’re owed by a person or a business?
In this clinic you cannot:
- Discuss things unrelated to your creative practice – For example, a parking ticket, dispute with your landlord, etc.
- Make confidential disclosures to Philip – A confidential disclosure is private information that is shared with another party, either orally or in writing, with the expectation that it will not be made public or shared with third parties.
Legal clinics are available by referral only. If you’d like to attend one, please book a signposting meeting with our CEDO Manager, Stephanie Edwards, who will guide you through the next steps.
Finance Clinics
In this 45-minute online clinic, you can ask David Nicholls of Brett Nicholls Associates general finance or accounting questions directly related to your creative career and practice, such as:
- UK taxes for freelancers and small companies – How the UK tax system might impact you and HMRC related topics.
- Business structures – What business structure will ensure effective financial processes without burdens?
- Self-employment – Best practice and use of systems available to you.
- Effective financial planning – Projections for your freelance work or company.
- General money management
In this clinic you cannot:
- Discuss things unrelated to your creative practice – For example, your mortgage, investment tips, etc.
- Make confidential disclosures to David – A confidential disclosure is private information that is shared with another party, either orally or in writing, with the expectation that it will not be made public or shared with third parties.
Please ensure you read this disclaimer before attending.
Finance clinics are available by referral only. If you’d like to attend one, please book a signposting meeting with our CEDO Manager, Stephanie Edwards, who will guide you through the next steps.
Workshops
Our hands-on workshops help you develop practical skills and approaches to get your ideas, projects, and collaborations off the ground and into the world. These interactive sessions are welcoming and accessible, with no previous experience needed. Just come along, and our expert speakers will guide you through the topic, leaving plenty of space for questions and conversation.
More events coming, please check back soon.
Industry Guest Days
We regularly invite a range of practitioners to host guest clinics that provide specialist advice and guidance from a particular industry, discipline, or practice.
Film Clinic with barry crerar
In Term 3, we are welcoming Rosie and Ciara from BAFTA nomindated film production house barry crerar.
Their latest title is Everybody to Kenmure Street (2026), a feature documentary by Felipe Bustos Sierra which won a Special Jury Award at Sundance Film Festival 2026 and is currently on release in UK cinemas.
In this 45-minute online clinic you can speak to Rosie and Ciara about:
- Developing a career in the screen industries
- Nurturing stories in film & TV
- Producing in film & TV
- Sales & distribution in film & TV
UPDATE! Our Film Clinics are completely booked out for the year! If you wish to be added to the waitlist to be emailed if spaces become available please email cedo@rcs.ac.uk
Music Clinic with Paul Tracey
In Term 2, Chief Executive at Chamber Music Scotland, Paul Tracey, was our industry guest. In this 45-minute online clinic, you can speak to Paul about:
- Building a sustainable freelance or portfolio career
- Commissioning and creating new work
- Working across genres (classical, jazz, folk, theatre)
- Working with festivals, ensembles and arts organisations
- Meaningful engagement beyond the concert hall
Theatre Clinic with Julia Taudevin
In Term 1, we welcomed award-winning theatre artist Julia Taudevin as our industry guest. In this 45-minute online clinic, you can speak to Julia about:
- Managing a career across stage and screen
- Leading projects as a multi-role artist (writer/director/performer)
- Finding alternative ways to use the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to work for your show
- Self-starting and managing projects as a lead artist when you’re not a producer
- Centring well-being and a nurturing style in your creative process and leadership
FAQs
How do Clinics work?
Clinics are one-to-one sessions tailored to your needs and situation. Most Clinics take place online, allowing you to join from anywhere in the world. The booking form asks what you’d like to discuss so your advisor can prepare and make the most of your session.
After booking, you’ll receive an automatic email with a Zoom link and any joining instructions. You will also receive a short form with some questions about your study and work circumstances. This must be completed before attending your appointment.
Please let us know if you have any access needs.
How many Clinics can I attend?
You can attend a maximum of two sessions with each advisor per academic year. This allows you to have an initial meeting and, if needed, a follow-up session to check in on your progress.
After two Clinics, we encourage you to put the advice and guidance from your sessions into practice as you continue working towards your goals.
There is no limit on the number of Workshops you can attend.
What if I need to cancel a booking?
If you need to cancel your booking, you must do so at least 24 hours in advance. This allows us to offer the space to someone else in the RCS community. Late cancellations leave valuable slots unused, so we appreciate your consideration in giving us enough notice to reallocate your space.
What can I discuss in a Finance Clinic?
Finance Clinics are designed to support general finance and accounting questions directly related to your creative career and practice. You can discuss topics such as UK taxes for freelancers and small companies, HMRC related topics, business structures, effective financial planning, and general money management.
Finance Clinics cannot provide advice on matters unrelated to your creative practice, such as personal mortgages or investment tips. They are also not intended for making confidential disclosures to David.*
Please ensure you read this disclaimer before attending your session.
*A confidential disclosure is private information that is shared with another party, either orally or in writing, with the expectation that it will not be made public or shared with third parties.
What can I discuss in a Legal Clinic?
Legal Clinics are designed to support general legal questions directly related to your creative career and practice. You can discuss topics such as legal and employment contracts (e.g. reviewing a contract you’ve been given to sign or contracting others to work with you), intellectual property (e.g. copyright, patents, trademarks, and design rights), company structures, and simple procedural actions (e.g. defending a claim against your business or pursuing money owed through the Civil Court).
Legal Clinics cannot provide advice on matters unrelated to your creative practice, such as parking tickets or disputes with your landlord. They are also not intended for making confidential disclosures to Philip.*
*A confidential disclosure is private information that is shared with another party, either orally or in writing, with the expectation that it will not be made public or shared with third parties.
