SmArts: A Professional Development Program for Creatives
Use your SmArts to access resources to build a business, career or skills in the arts!
Creative individuals in Greater Lansing can access the Arts Council of Greater Lansing's SmArts Program for professional development to build creative businesses, careers or artistic skills in the arts. Members of the Arts Council can access program components by setting up an initial meeting with Arts Council staff for an introductory consultation. The SmArts Program has six components that include:
- Personalized Consultations - ACGL staff is available to provide individual and group consultations on professional development, grant writing, budget development, marketing, cultural event planning, creative practice needs and other topics to help build capacity.
- Workshop Trainings and Creative Mixers - Free to low-cost educational workshops presented by local professionals on topics of relevance to the creative community address legal, financial, marketing, networking and other areas of need (finding affordable space, supplies, time management, etc).
- Business Resource Center for the Arts - Practical office amenities and business tools are available to members at the ACGL office for those needing meeting space, work space, tables, chairs, wireless internet, copier, fax, phone, projector, screen, laptop and teleconferencing.
- Fellowship Program - In March of 2012, the ACGL will launch a fellowship program to connect artists, creative practitioners and arts administrators to the next level of professional support by providing funds for creative business development, career training or educational opportunities to further your artistic practice.
- ACGL Grant Programs - The ACGL recently created two grant programs -- the Individual Artist Grant and the Collaborative Arts Grant for Organizations -- to encourage innovation, increase audience, and support job creation and economic impact.
- Creative Toolkit - A "toolkit" on the ACGL website is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through an online resource portal. The Creative Toolkit provides creative entrepreneuers with access to community resources; legal, financial and marketing information; information on affordable live / work space; and links to funding, grants and other relevant local or online resources.