Survival Skills: Building a Career in the Performing Arts
Course Description
Summary
In this course we will encounter various strategies for building a career in the performing arts field. In a lab-like environment, we will address topics such as writing an artist statement, fundraising, generating proposals for residencies and grants, understanding the panel process, building social media presence, developing practical organizational skills for project management, resources for finding and building community, approaches in digital archiving, and general discussions about how to work towards balance and sustainability in the arts.
There will be some light reading based on practical topics, and an expectation that students will prepare work outside of class to bring into a participatory and collaborative working environment with their peers, guests and instructor. Students will leave the course with the beginnings of their own personal artistic materials and portfolio.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain experience and understanding of useful skills and expectations within the professional performing arts field.
- Develop a personal portfolio of writing and documentation of their artistic work that can be used for career opportunities beyond college.
- Discuss and reflect on questions of sustainability, structural challenges in the field, and the development of community resources in the context of building a career in the performing arts.