$20 members / $10 rural members / $40 non members
Light lunch included

Creative Entrepreneurship Series is for emerging artists of all disciplines — whether self-taught or recently graduated. These workshops provide an overall understanding of the business skills required for a successful career as an independent artist.

Up Your Game! A full day of mini-workshops focused on powering up your public speaking skills, financial knowledge, marketing prowess, and ability to balance work with mental well-being.

Please note: This workshop is geared towards emerging artists and there are limited spots available.

Workshops:

Improv(e) Your Presentation Skills w/ Stephen Sim & Caity Curtis
Pitching that great idea? Leading a presentation about your project? Stephen Sim and Caity Curtis will give you improv tools and theatre techniques to help you with public speaking, stage presence and your ability to combat stage fright. Stephen and Caity have been performing and leading improv workshops for decades in Canada, the United States and Europe. Improv isn’t only for professional performers, it’s for anyone who needs to effectively communicate with another human. It’s time to bring your presenting skills to the next level.

Take Control of Your Finances w/ Jan Skene
This basic introduction to finances offers an opportunity for artists to have their self-employment questions answered in relation to taxes,  expenses, organization and dealing with the Canada Revenue Agency. Learn some tips and techniques to turn your AARGH’s into AAHH’s!

Mental Health & Wellness in the Creative Field w/ Jón Olafson, Therapist & Consultant
This session will navigate the complexities (yet importance) of balancing and maintaining your mental health while working in the creative field. There will be a focus on mental health literacy, understanding what factors move us towards flourishing, and how wellness can support the creative process. Participants will listen to a brief presentation, engage in safe group sharing and collaborate with some interactive activities.

Effective Use of Social Media w/ Chloe Chafe
Social media marketing is not about selling- it’s about sharing. In this workshop, Chloe will present how to use social media as a tool for storytelling, building community, and documenting and disseminating your work. She will run through today’s most popular and businesses-driven platforms and show you how to best use these apps for growing your art business. This workshop will help you determine what your goals are and how to best accomplish them!

Presenters:

Stephen Sim & Caity Curtis are well-known improv performers, event hosts and event producers. Perhaps you’ve seen them hosting TEDxWinnipeg, or performing at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival or organizing the Winnipeg Improv Festival. They have used their expertise in improv and applied it to every project they’re involved in. A class with Stephen and Caity will have participants walk out as more confident speakers, more creative storytellers and better communicators. You too will experience the power of improv and see how it can be applied to almost anything.

Jan Skene has worked as a self-employed professional actor/singer and performer manager/arts consultant for the past 30 years.  Her acting credits extend to most of Winnipeg’s live theatres and numerous television, film, and radio productions. Her contract work as a consultant has resulted in a deep network of connections in Manitoba’s cultural community, and expertise in the business of being a self-employed actor. Currently, she is Manager of Youth Mentorship Programs at Creative Manitoba and manages Skene Stunts Inc. (which she co-founded with her husband Rick). In a volunteer capacity, Jan is President and National Councillor for ACTRA Manitoba.

Jón J. Olafson is a registered clinical therapist and mental health services consultant with over 10 years of experience working in educational, community, and healthcare settings. He currently coordinates counseling services and leads mental health initiatives for Winnipeg’s largest metro school division, is the Clinical Therapist at Our Own Health Centre located in the Exchange District, and teaches in the Counselling Psychology Department at the University of Manitoba.

Chloe Chafe is the co-founder and acting co-director of both Synonym Art Consultation and Wall-to-Wall Mural + Culture Festival. She has worked in many capacities of Manitoba’s arts and culture sector; as assistant manager of Studio 393, event coordinator for Arts & Disability Network, stage managing for Big Fun Festival, as well as providing curatorial assistance with nùna (now) Icelandic Convergence Festival. She is currently completing her undergraduate degree in art history at the University of Manitoba. Chafe also has a career as a professional visual artist in many different mediums and has shown work at The Graffiti Gallery, the REEL PRIDE Film Festival and Rip/Torn Magazine.

Schedule:

9:30am: Registration

10:00am: Improv(e) Your Presentation Skills w/ Stephen Sim & Caity Curtis

11:45am: Coffee Break

12pm:Take Control of Your Finances w/ Jan Skene

1pm: Lunch

1:30pm: Mental Health & Wellness in the Creative Field w/ Jón Olafson

3:00pm: Coffee Break

3:15pm: Effective Use of Social Media w/ Chloe Chafe