Beaudesert artists can get free online mentoring to help boost their arts career through the Creative Business Champions program.
Mentors from the statewide program visited Mununjali Hall on 11 October to spread the word and offer guidance to help artists develop business skills and networks.
Creative Business Champions is offered online via 14 mentors working with 250 mentees from across Queensland.
The mentors are experts in marketing and media, grant writing and funding, career development, cultural business, community and social impact, business development, project development and touring.
Mentors Stevi Knagge, Julie Beveridge, Toni Janke and Elliott Bledsoe visited Beaudesert on 11 October for the drop-in sessions.
The mentors, as well as artists who dropped in throughout the day, received a warm welcome from Traditional Mununjali Elders, Aunty Janis Page and Aunty Gerry Page, who are Ms Knagge’s mother and aunt.
Ms Knagge told the Beaudesert Bulletin there was strong demand for the program.
“There’s a focus on all artists, but there’s a core focus on elevating and engaging with First Nations artists, because we’ve identified a real need for that business guidance.
“There are four first nations mentors within the group, including myself and Toni visiting Beaudesert, and we have a First Nations steering committee within the program and a keen focus on how we engage with local communities.”
She said it was not too late to sign up.
“It’s open to all artists across genres, to access free mentoring across a range of businesses and skill sets,” she said.
“The delivery of it is online and then we’ll have meetings with artists we’re linked up with, for example it might be an artist who needs some project development, or they’ve got an exhibition coming up and need some guidance.
“They’ll catch up with their mentor weekly or monthly, depending on scope and availability.
“It goes until the end of the year but we’re finding we still have artists coming on board even now because they’ve had funding approved for a new project, for example.”
Creative Business Champions is driven by the Regional Arts Service Network and Central Queensland University and goes until the end of the year.
For more information and to register, visit https://cqregionalarts.net/rasn-creative-business-hub/
