ArtsHub Virtual Creative Economy Summit Set For January 2022

ArtsHub Virtual Summit: "How To Recover and Thrive" provides support to artists and businesses in the Western Massachusetts Creative Economy, January 10-14, 2022. Theatre Presenters Include: Jeffrey Dreisbach from McCorkle Casting, Kristen Van Ginhoven from WAM Theatre, Daniel Elihu Kramer from Chester Theatre

The ArtsHub Virtual Summit: How to Recover and Thrive welcomes emerging and established artists, performers, arts managers, and those in creative fields to join in a week-long series of virtual interactive workshops, training, and networking sessions, January 10-14, 2022. The ArtsHub Virtual Summit, designed to provide tools to help those working in creative fields recover from the disruption created by the pandemic and learn how to position their business to thrive as the economy recovers, will have daily sessions with guest speakers at 10AM, 12 Noon, and 6PM ET.

"You can't succeed if you can't be found," said Lisa Davol, Marketing Manager, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, and ArtsHub project co-coordinator. One of the goals of the new ArtsHub website is to provide a comprehensive list of creatives in the region to promote and connect them with each other and with those looking to purchase or hire." This is being done through a partnership with New England Foundation for the Arts' (NEFA) CreativeGround database and Dee Schneidmann of NEFA will lead one of the ArtsHub Virtual Summit sessions with a focus on how to get listed in the new ArtsHub online directory and how the listing will increase visibility for artists and their work.

The ArtsHub Virtual Summit sessions were created in response to surveys, focus groups, and conversations with artists and arts leaders. Experts in the field were invited to focus on the concept of "How To" in their disciplines.

The closing session, at noon on Friday, January 14th will focus on Building Momentum, Building the ArtsHub, inviting participants to join committees, give feedback on Phase One of the ArtsHub and share what they want to see in Phase Two, according to Dee Boyle-Clapp, Director of the Arts Extension Service, UMass Amherst and ArtsHub co-coordinator.

"The ArtsHub will be officially launched at the ArtsHub Virtual Summit and includes feature articles on the region's artists and organizations, resources such as grants and calls for public art, places to post opportunities such as rehearsal space for rent or studio space wanted, arts calendar, and much more. Community Liaisons, Tiana Burnett, Justin Beatty, and DEI Consultant Kent Alexander have been part of the team to help facilitate access to the full diaspora of artists and creatives," added Boyle-Clapp.

The fee for the ArtsHub Virtual Summit is $35 for the early bird registration (before January 4th), and $55 thereafter. The fee provides access to all sessions and online access through January. A full schedule of events, session descriptions, presenter bios, and links to register can be found at https://www.umass.edu/aes/artshub.

"Scholarships are available to a limited number of artists and creatives living and working in the four Western Massachusetts counties of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire upon completion of a simple form submitted no later than January 2nd," said Boyle-Clapp. The form is available at https://www.umass.edu/aes/artshub.

The ArtsHub was made possible by an initial grant from the Massachusetts Office of Business Development and additional support from the Community Foundation of Western Mass. For further information https://www.umass.edu/aes/artshub.

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