The Accelerator

Learn the business side of creative work in our 8-week arts business program.

“HELPED ME REDIRECT MY CREATIVE SPIRIT TOWARDS ENTREPRENEURSHIP”

“The Accelerator program was rigorous yet fun. It helped me redirect my creative spirit towards entrepreneurship. Not only was I able to be in the company of a cohort of talented artists—from curators, to dancers, to musicians—but all of the facilitators presented highly informative and engaging content. I’ve kept in touch with my cohort and have even collaborated on two shows.”

Maddy Clifford, MADLines

2021 individual workshops

 

We’re breaking down our Spring 2021 Accelerator program into 6 individual workshops + a networking session. Join us for one or multiple workshops and learn the skills you need to improve, grow, and accelerate your arts business.

NOTE: This series is underwritten by San Francisco Grants for the Arts and intended for arts organizations and fiscally sponsored projects based in San Francisco. It is not intended for individual artists.

 

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Winter 2020 Program

 

Pedagogy

Learn the business side of creative work through interactive seminars and deep-dive labs centered around the Business Model Canvas. You will work in cohort sessions and small group coaching circles, as well as generate short videos of your solutions between sessions. All of these approaches will help you to develop various aspects of business modeling for an arts practice, project, or venture.

 
Cost
  • ​$300 for Individuals and Organizations (if applying as an organization, a max of 3 people can participate)
  • $250 for Intersection Members (if applying as an organization, a max of 3 people can participate)
  • TIP: Individual artists in California may be eligible to apply for CCI’s Quick Grant to cover the cost of this course. Applications due on the 15th every month.
 
What You Get
  • Adaptable business model canvas for your art practice, project, or venture
  • Confidence and clarity on your vision, mission, values, and goals
  • A Certificate of Completion
  • Network of peers in your learning cohort
 
Format

Five seminars & three labs for a total of 8 sessions. All sessions take place virtually over Zoom.

 
Contact

Reach out to Amy Kweskin, Director of Professional Development, at amy@theintersection.org with questions.

 

 
Winter 2020 Schedule
Seminar 1: Get Focused

THU, OCT 22, 2020, 9-11AM PST

Presenters: Amy Kweskin and Steven Crane

  • Introduction to Business Model Canvas (BMC)
  • Lifestages on the Arts Business/Career Lifecycle
  • Vision Impact Goal + Values = Mission
  • Telling your story – “current = as is” and “future = to be”
  • Using Mural and creating videos
  • HOMEWORK: Prepare your “as is” and “to be” BMC story (video)
Lab 1

THU, OCT 29, 2020, 9-11AM PST

Coaches: Amy Kweskin, Steven Crane, Randy Rollison

  • Breakout rooms: Share your BMC “as is” and “to be” BMC story video
Seminar 2: Get Grounded

THU, NOV 5, 2020, 9-11AM PST

Presenter: Anthem Salgado

  • Customer Segments with Pains/Gains Empathy Map
  • Value Proposition
  • HOMEWORK: Prepare BMC Customer Segments & Value Proposition (video)
Lab 2

THU, NOV 12, 2020, 9-11AM PST

Coaches: Anthem Salgado, Amy Kweskin, Steven Crane, Randy Rollison

  • Breakout rooms: Share your Customer Segments & Value Proposition video
Seminar 3: Get Connected

THU, NOV 19, 2020, 9-11AM PST

Presenter: Pavan Singh

  • Customer Relationships & Channels
  • Product, program, and service offerings
  • 3 Keys: Partners, Resources & Activities
  • HOMEWORK: Prepare product, program, and service offerings with BMC: Customer Relationships, Channels, 3 Keys (video)
Lab 3

THU, DEC 3, 2020, 9-11AM PST

Coaches: Pavan Singh, Anthem Salgado, Amy Kweskin, Steven Crane, Randy Rollison

  • Breakout Rooms: share product, program and service offerings with BMC: Customer Relationships, Channels, 3 Keys (video)
Seminar 4: Get Funded

THU, DEC 10, 2020, 9-11AM PST

Presenters: Yesenia Sanchez and Steven Crane

  • Revenue Streams
  • Cost Structure
  • HOMEWORK: BMC: Prepare final video presentation story
Seminar 5: Get Started

THU, DEC 17, 2020, 9-11AM PST

Facilitator: Amy Kweskin

  • Final video presentation stories
Meet the Instructors

Yesenia Sanchez

Anthem Salgado

Randy-Rollison

Amy Kweskin

Steven Crane

Pavan Singh

Meet the Alumni

Check out the people and organizations that have invested in their growth:

2019 Cohort

  • SF Urban Film Fest

  • Collective Action Studio

  • Cathy Lu

  • Anna Lisa Escobedo

  • The Collective (The Cllctve)

  • Eva Piontkowski

  • Priya Narayana

  • The Drawing Room SF

  • Hannah MacKenzie-Margulies

  • Kurt Ribak

  • Daniel Neville

  • Rapid Descent

  • ReVolt Labs

  • TECHNO-TAMALADAS

  • Vibrant Productions

  • Write Now! SF Bay

  • Rosalie Cavallaro

  • XiDao

  • Patrick Malabuyo

  • Aliencranberry Arts

  • Marcos Mion

  • Leah King & Juan Carlos Rodriguez Rivera

  • ANdrew ALBIN

2018 Cohort

  • Klanghaus

  • Maddy Clifford

  • Celeste Chan

  • Matatu

  • Jazz Education Ensemble

  • Bay Area Dance Collective

  • The Walk Discourse

2017 Cohort

  • Antic in a Drain

  • Chinese Whispers

  • Colored Ink/Lyrical Opposition

  • Embodiment Project

  • Emerging Arts Professionals

  • Jazz in the Neighborhood

  • Strider Patton

  • Quinan Street Project

  • SF Zine Fest

  • 3rd Space Lab Collective

2016 Cohort

  • Irish American Crossroads Festival

  • Mi Cultura

  • Arts Ed Matters

  • Eugenie Chan Theatre Projects

  • Alphabet Rockers

  • Awesome Orchestra Collective

  • Mugwumpin

  • Real Time & Space

Interested in bringing our Accelerator

to your community?

 

Our Accelerator has been replicated at California College of the Arts (CCA), Mills College, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, and Arts Council Santa Cruz County.

Email Amy Kweskin, Director of Professional Development, at amy@theintersection.org with ideas.

 

“Pushed my practice to the next level”

“The Arts Accelerator gave me the courage I needed to embrace business knowledge as a vehicle that can elevate, strengthen and push my practice to the next level. I learned alongside other visionary and incredibly talented artists, many of whom I remain in contact with. Intersection offers a support setting that understands and focuses on artist’s needs.”

Astrid Kaemmerling, The Walk Discourse