Aunique program designed specifically for creative practitioners and arts professionals that combines all the benefits of a business incubator, start-up accelerator, creative collaboration and networking opportunity will head to Mount Gambier this month.
ARTSELERATE SA involves two-day in-person incubators five weeks apart on September 27 and 28 and October 25 and 26 full of tutorials, resource sharing, fascinating guest speakers, both solo and group practical activities and peer mentoring for the weeks in between.
ARTSELERATE SA has been completed by over 60 creatives across Adelaide, the Barossa and the Adelaide Hills and is now being made possible in the region by Creative Plus Business, City of Mount Gambier and the South Australian Government.
It is being led by program creator and creative business expert Monica Davidson – and the Mount Gambier program supported by local artist, producer and community builder Alysha Herrmann.
Ms Herrmann will be joined by two amazing special guests mentors – visual artist Jeff McCann, whose work has been seen across the country and Adelaide-based fashion designer Frida Las Vegas (Stavroula Adameitis) who has worked with partners as diverse as Disney, the Sydney Opera House, Kate Miller-Heidke and Sex and the City stylist Patricia Field.
“ARTSELERATE is a program that supports artists to up-skill around the business side of it,” she said.
“A lot of people do not always realise and sometimes even artists themselves, that if you are an artist you are also a small business.
“Part of having the guest speakers like me and a couple of other people is to share that perspective from across the wide gamut of what that looks like.
“It is really about pulling back the curtain and sharing some of the things I do and how I do them, some of the challenges and some of the things people might not expect.”
Ms Herrmann encourages any local art business owner to apply for the program, no matter what level they are at.
“I am particularly helping people who might be more emerging in their journey of being a business owner to just understand some of the things they might face and also just to feel less alone, no matter what stage of your business journey you are at,” she said.
“One of the things that ARTSELERATE talks about is there are actually lots of different ways to be an arts business, so many artists will also have part time jobs or have a full time job and have their business on the side and then some people will have their business as their primary source of income.
“Even if you do not want to make it your full income, it is also just a way to have a side hustle … and they are skills you can use for other things.
“It is a really great set of skills to think about that business side even if you do not think you’re quite ready because you’ll probably surprise yourself, you’re probably doing a lot more than you think you are.
“I think especially with artists and creatives that opportunity to connect with each other and maybe scheme up some other collaborations is a really fun outcome from a program like this.
“Let’s share the resources we have and let’s share the knowledge we have, because the more creative businesses we have that are thriving in the community, the more arts opportunities there are for everyone – including audiences.”