The Accelerator
Learn the business side of creative work in our 9-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.”
General Overview
Pedagogy
Learn the business side of creative work through interactive seminars and deep-dive labs centered around the Center for Cultural Innovation publication: Business of Art: An Artist’s Guide to Profitable Self-Employment (3rd Edition). You will work in cohort sessions and small group coaching circles to develop your own Business Model Canvas. All of these approaches will help you to develop various aspects of business modeling for an arts practice, project, or venture.
Cost
- $350 for Individuals and Organizations/Projects (if applying as an organization, a max of 3 people can participate all covered by this one fee)
- $300 for Intersection Members (if applying as an organization/project, a max of 3 people can participate all covered by this one fee)
- 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
- A copy of Business of Art: An Artist’s Guide to Profitable Self-Employment (3rd Edition)
- Confidence and clarity on your vision, mission, values, and goals
- A Certificate of Completion
- Network of peers in your learning cohort
Format
- Wednesdays: May 4 – June 29, 2022 from 10am-1pm PST
- Nine 3-hour seminar & lab sessions totaling 27 hours
- 1:1 coaching with an Accelerator graduate
- All sessions take place virtually over Zoom
Contact
Questions? Reach out to Amy Kweskin Professional Development and Organizational Strategy Director, at amy@theintersection.org.
Past Schedule – Stay Tuned for Our Upcoming Dates
1: Get Inspired - May 4, 2022 - 10am-1pm PST
- Cohort Development
- Lifestages on the Arts Business/Career Lifecycle
- Vision + Values = Mission
- HOMEWORK
2: Get Focused - May 11, 2022 - 10am-1pm PST
- Share homework
- Goal Setting, benchmarks, success indicators
- Introduction to Business Model Canvas (BMC)
- HOMEWORK
3: Get noticed - May 18, 2022 - 10am-1pm PST
- Share homework
- Customer Segments & Empathy Maps
- Value Propositions
- HOMEWORK
4: Get PROMOTED - MAY 25, 2022 - 10AM-1PM PST
- Share homework
- Branding, Customer Relationships & Channels
- Product, program and service offerings
- Features & Benefits
- HOMEWORK
5: Get savvy - june 1, 2022 - 10am-1pm PST
- Share homework
- Cost Structure: Your Value, Your Capital, Your Goals
- Diversifying Revenue Streams
- HOMEWORK
6: Get Grounded - JUNE 8, 2022 - 10AM-1PM PST
- Share homework
- Budgeting
- Cash flow
- Balance sheet
- HOMEWORK
7: Get funded - june 15, 2022 - 10am-1pm PST
- Share homework
- Grant research
- Grant narratives
- Grant budgets
- HOMEWORK
8: Get strategic - June 22, 2022 - 10am-1pm PST
- Share homework
- Business & Strategic Planning
- HOMEWORK
9: Get COACHED - june 29, 2022 - 10am-1pm PST
- 1:2:1 Coaching with Accelerator Graduates & Professional Coaches
- Graduation and certification
Meet the Instructors
Meet the Alumni
Check out the people and organizations that have invested in their growth:
2022 Graduates:
Annah Sidigu
MK Chavez
Carmina Eliason
Michelle Krumland
Melissa Bolger
Antara Brahma
Sarah Taborga
Dear Queer Dancer
Tanja Geis
Jonathan Lowe
Caroline Nicola
Maria Trogolo
2021 Graduates (Arts Council Santa Cruz County, Tannery Arts Center):
Mohamed Aoualou
Misty Aoualou
Noelle Correia
Paul DeWorken
Monica Galvan
Joe Mailloux
Abi Mustapha
Irene O’Connell
Devi Pride
Rica Smith de la Luz
Jason Joseph Santiago Lacour
Jaime Sanchez
Asha Tobing
2020 Graduates:
Alejandra Ramirez
Alina Trowbridge
Anna Flurry
Catherine Sherman
Eric Garcia
Christian Cerrito
Christine Donley
Darcie O’Brien
Elizabeth Etienne
Liz Harvey
Evan Johnson
Franchesca Enzler
Gisela Insuaste
Ileana Tejada
Jamin Warren
Jaya Griscom
Jenny Bitner
Julie Douglas
Kate Cole
Katherine Vetne
Leslie Tai
Marcia Kailian
Tonya Amos
Midori Midori
Tanya Vlach
Rashida Chase
Suzy Borhan
sya warfield
2019 Graduates:
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 Graduates:
Klanghaus
Maddy Clifford
Celeste Chan
Matatu
Jazz Education Ensemble
Bay Area Dance Collective
The Walk Discourse
2017 Graduates:
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 Graduates:
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, Arts Council Santa Cruz County and Tannery Arts Center.
Email Amy Kweskin, Director of Professional Development, at amy@theintersection.org with ideas and questions.
“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.”
