CREATE Council on the Arts’ workshop series supports the professional development of artists and organizations in our community through free monthly workshops. Each workshop will be led by a different expert and will cover topics including Online Marketing, Grant Writing, Nonprofit Practices, Diversity in the Arts, and more! This program is made to support CREATE’s Community Art Grant Program, a re-grant program through the New York State Council on the Arts which grants annual awards for Community Projects, Art Education Projects, and Individual Artist Commissions.
To learn more, visit our grants page. For more information on workshops, grants, or suggestions for topics you want to be covered in future workshops, email grantsmanager@createcouncil.org.
Website Toolkit: DIY skills for sharing your creative work online
With Katie Ford and River Cramer
4pm on Thursday, July 8th, 2021 on Zoom
This workshop will set participants on the right path to create a new website (or refresh their old one!) using low-cost and beginner friendly website platforms. We’ll talk about the best platforms for different setups, such as webshops and digital portfolios, as well as how to shape the structure to fit your goals and audience. By the end of the workshop, participants will understand the steps it takes to create a unique website to showcase their work.
Video Production 101
With Mike Krajeski
4pm on Thursday, June 24th, 2021 on Zoom
This workshop is a beginners guide to editing video and sound for artists and arts organizations. Participants will learn the basics of filming a video or performance and what equipment to use, what programs to use for editing, clipping and rearranging clips, and adding sound. This workshop is designed for beginners and covers programs and equipment that are affordable or accessible.
Virtual Performances: Best Practices and Options
With Mike Schoonmaker
4pm on Thursday, May 20th, 2021 on Zoom
Live Streaming has quickly become an important outlet for many performers, venues and organizations that have suddenly had to learn to produce online events for the very first time. Learn the platforms for online events, what equipment is needed and how it can scale, how to archive and share live events as well as how to sell tickets with accessible resources. From beginner to advanced we hope to provide information to get you started, improve your virtual events, and answer any questions you may have along the way.
Budgeting for Small Nonprofits and Individuals
with Jeremy Adams
4pm on Thursday, September 24th, 2020 on Zoom
Branding + Digital Marketing for Creatives
with Ibarra Studios
4-6pm on Thursday, June 18th, 2020 on Zoom
This workshop aims to empower you with the knowledge and resources to brand and market yourself online. Learn how to independently create relationships with your digital community to help promote and support your project, artwork, or business. Understand why branding yourself is the first step in gaining momentum and visibility. Then, learn how to outline a marketing strategy, identify your audience, and effectively communicate with them.
Grant Writing 101
with Jeffrey Lependorf, Flowchart Foundation
4-6pm on Thursday, July 30th, 2020 on Zoom
This workshop presentation, intended for small nonprofit organizations, will cover the basics of creating dynamic proposal for foundation grants and government support. From understanding why foundations give to detailing the various elements of a successful proposal, and from how to research which foundations to approach to what a proposal budget should look like, the workshop will present what you need to know to craft competitive, compelling proposals. There will be plenty of time for questions. Take advantage of this opportunity to hear from Jeffrey Lependorf (Executive Director, The Flow Chart Foundation), a nationally recognized arts leader and development professional with more than thirty years of experience in nonprofit management and fundraising.
Strategic Planning: What is it? Why does it matter?
With Alyson Pou
4-5pm on Thursday, August 20th, 2020 on Zoom
Artists and Creatives can use these simple yet powerful tools to achieve our creative and life goals, move from crisis to sustainability. In this session we will look at the overall concepts and tools of Strategic Planning and focus on goal setting and time management exercises.
Alyson Pou is an artist, arts professional and advocate passionately committed to artist driven enterprises that hold the creative process at center while building sustainability and community.
During her tenure at Creative Capital, a national organization that supports the work of innovative artists, she played a key roll in developing it programs. As Director of Programs and Services, she created and implemented the Artist Services Program and oversaw the awards process for more than $12 million to 242 artists’ projects. As Founding Director of the Professional Development Program, she designed and implemented an education model to provide business and life management skills for artists in all disciplines. Under her leadership, the program partnered with over 100 arts organizations nationwide to serve more than 15,000 artists in 700 communities.
Consulting projects include program development and financial strategy for New York Foundation for the Arts, CEC ArtsLink, and New York Arts Program. Additionally, Pou develops curriculum and teaches workshops for professional artists and students to help them gain practical business and life management skills needed to establish sustainable lives and careers.