THE BUSINESS OF ART: Career Skills for Artists

WHAT IS THE BUSINESS OF ART?
This is an intensive hands-on course with industry experts that will give you the skills to take control of your career and plan for success.

Artists call upon a combination of vision, creativity, intuition and discipline to plan and problem-solve their work. This course will give artists the knowledge to transfer those artistic planning skills to career and business applications.

This unique course has been developed by Cultural Careers Council Ontario (CCCO), host of the popular website WorkinCulture.ca and the human resource council for Ontario’s entire cultural sector. CCCO wants to strengthen the skills and knowledge of individuals working in the sector to help them sustain productive and long-term careers in arts and culture.

WHAT WILL I GET OUT OF IT?
By the end of the course, participants will
- Understand the business planning process
- Produce a personal business plan to guide their career
- Have a network of colleagues to share experiences and ideas

WHAT WILL I BE LEARNING?
Through classroom sessions and at-home assignments artists will learn the essential elements of the business plan: visioning and values, market research, marketing action plans, financial planning, and small business management.

At the end of the course, each participant will produce and present a personal business plan. Professional instructors from the field will review each plan.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Artists from all disciplines with at least two years experience working in their field.


WHO WILL BE TEACHING ME?
Each session will be led by a senior industry expert. Each instructor has wide experience across the different arts sectors, as artist, freelancer, teacher, consultant and senior leader in arts organizations.
 

WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT?
Each sessions will run three hours. In addition, participants should be prepared to put in at least 2-3 hours weekly on class assignments.

At the end of the course participants will prepare their own business plan for presentation to the class and for feedback from the instructors.

COURSE DATES AND LOCATIONS

Wednesday Feb 24th 2010 Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Getting Started
Wednesday Mar 3rd Time 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Business Planning: Setting goals
Wednesday Mar 10th Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Market Research
Wednesday Mar 17th Time 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Marketing Action Plan
Wednesday Mar 24th Time 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Financial Planning and Control
Wednesday Mar 31st Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m - Small Business Management
Final Presentation Date: TBA

Location: Factory 163
163 King Street, Stratford, Ontario

COST
The course costs $125 per person (includes manual/workbook and feedback on business plans).

HOW DO I APPLY? 

If you are interested in taking part in this workshop please email:
 
Sylvia Pietras-Gorczewski at:
spietras@visitperth.ca  or
Call at 519-603-3723

Please Reserve your spot in this workshop as soon as possible space is very limited.


HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?

Contact:

Sylvia Pietras-Gorczewski at spietras@visitperth.ca 
Call at 519-603-3723


Instructors
Jack Cunnigham – Getting Started

Jack Cunningham is a Writer, Performer, Arts Business Coach and Adult Educator. He performed his one-person musical Jassy’s Sassy Cabaret in the 2006 Fringe Theatre Festival and in 2007 performed on stage with Rufus Wainwright in London, Ontario. His play See No Evil, Hear…was produced at the Tarragon Theatre and his award-winning Wisp In The Wind continues to be staged in various countries. He has had several original dramas produced on CBC-TV and wrote scripts for the popular sitcom King of Kensington.

Jack created and co-produced Montreal’s Instant Theatre, the world’s first professional lunchtime theatre, later developing into the Centaur Theatre. He produced, wrote, and directed PEEP, a feature film starring Don Harron and the late Lois (Moneypenny) Maxwell shown on CBC and Radio Canada. At one point in his career he was Marketing and Publicity Director for Toronto Arts Productions (now CanStage). Later, as Jack Cunningham and Associates he promoted theatrical and film productions, including Erica Ritter’s long-running comedy Automatic Pilot.

Jack moved on from full-time work in the cultural sector at a transitional time in his life. After studying and receiving various accreditations, he qualified for the various roles he has played over the past 25 years: Professor, Curriculum Designer, Career Counsellor, and Training Consultant to business and industry. As the designer of CCCO’s The Business of Art course and one of the workshop facilitators, he combines his experience as a Business Coach with SEB (the government’s self-employment program), his arts background, and adult training. He currently facilitates career and employment-related workshops for the Toronto District School Board.


Peter Messaline    

Peter has prepared artists’ taxes and advised on career choices for twenty years. He is the most-published Canadian arts career writer, an 'original drafter' of Making It, the CHRC guide to arts careers, and a co-writer on Tax Kit 2000+ and The Actor’s Survival Kit, now about to go into its fifth edition. 
He not worked outside the entertainment industry in forty years. He has appeared on stage across Canada, including both Festivals, in the States, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He voiced the Daleks in the first ‘Dr Who’, and has played principal and guest star villains, with the occasional good guy, on 'Traders', 'Goosebumps', 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?', and 'Above And Beyond', and many, many commercials.
With Miriam Newhouse, he presented the first Canadian curriculum-based Acting-As-A-Business course, and he has taught artrepreneurship at Ryerson, George Brown, Randolph Academy, Canadian Opera Company, and as a Course Director at York University.

BIO JUDI RIDDOLLS

Judi, a native of Guelph, Ontario is recognized for her dedication, work and training related to small business development. At present she is the Executive Director of the Guelph Business Enterprise Centre, a facility that offers support, information and counseling to people stating or operating small businesses. In the past, she has held positions such as: Physical and Health Education Consultant, Executive Director of the  Downtown Guelph Board of Management, National Director of Public Relations and Promotions, Management Trainer and General Manager Elmira Gold Club. She owned a company specializing in color and styling trends for the fashion industry and major Canadian retailers. Over the years Judi has developed and operated five businesses of her own. In 1997, she was the recipient of the “Mach Warrior” award for recognition of excellence and was the 1998 Woman of Distinction Business Professional. Judi is a recognized motivational speaker and workshop facilitator. She developed and offers a program through the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade on the Business of Becoming An Artist. In her 20+ years as small business advisor, she has been hands on in the launch of several hundred businesses.

Funding for this program is provided by: Perth County Visitors’ Association, Perth Community Futures with the support of Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario