South Florida Theatre League And Institute Of Financial Wellness For The Arts To Launch New Partnership

The South Florida Theatre League is proud to announce the launch of The Institute of Financial Wellness for the Arts (IFWA) to the South Florida theater and arts market at The Sandrell New River Arts Center on Thursday November 8th from 6 - 8pm. The IFWA brings valuable financial education and planning solutions specifically focused for arts professionals, artists, and arts organizations.

Darren Sussman, founder of the IFWA, and past president and co-founder of TheaterMania & OvationTix will emcee the event and present the special guest speakers, from the IFWA and South Florida theatre community.

Find out about the exciting plans and much-needed services of the IFWA for both individuals and arts organizations alike. Catch the sneak preview of the dynamic and engaging presentation of the Introduction to Financial Well-Being Curriculum. Mix and mingle with fellow artists and arts professionals from South Florida, enjoy & explore the new state of the art facilities at the Sandrell Rivers Theatre.

All South Florida arts professionals and artists are encouraged and welcomed to attend. Darren Sussman, founder of the IFWA and past president and co-founder of TheaterMania & OvationTix will share plans for The Institute of Financial Wellness for the Arts (IFWA), that is committed to bringing valuable financial education and planning solutions to arts organizations, professionals and artists nationwide.

"Especially in times of acute financial pressure, rising costs and reductions in public funding for the arts, it's never been more important to take self-ownership for our individual financial security," Sussman states. "I come from the arts, originally as a musician who had to deal with my own lack of financial confidence and discipline.

Through the life-changing experience of building a thriving arts-focused business, having been lucky enough to have surrounded myself with the right people to help guide me along the way, I'm ready to share what I have learned to help an industry segment that is mostly overlooked by the financial world."

Andie Arthur, President of the South Florida Theatre League is extremely supportive of the IFWA's mission and stated, "As an artist and as a non-profit administrator, I find that this is a vital skillset that artists need that we're often trained to overlook. We're so focused on doing a lot with little resources that we don't spend enough time training to grow our resources. I think this partnership with the IFWA is a valuable way for South Florida Theatre artists to change that mindset."

Erik Sussman, CEO of Mass Mutual South Florida (IFWA Chairman) and distinguished arts-focused financial advisor Kristi Gomez, a key member of the IFWA team who serves as one of the company's senior educators, will share the stage with Sussman as they offer a preview of the groundbreaking programs IFWA will implement. The IFWA will offer a variety of financial education curriculum's customized for arts organizations, professionals and artists. In addition to the educational curriculum's, the IFWA will provide coaching, goal setting and planning for individuals; and unique employee benefit and savings plans tailored to the needs of big and small organizations. The programs - for artists and arts professionals at all income levels, and in cities across the country -- will be provided free of charge, and with no administrative burden to the organizations.

Erik Sussman says, "We are very excited to serve the arts community. This is a segment we feel can really benefit from proper financial education. Our mission is to make sure this entire community receives proper guidance so they can maintain financial wellness and their creativity can soar."

"IFWA's mission is cause-driven in many ways," Darren Sussman explains, "We need to help get rid of false, counter-productive beliefs, inspire confidence, and provide the education and tools that are essential for finding the right financial path. This is not about making money; this is about helping artists to be self-sustaining, and to function profitably in their lives now and in the future. Working in the arts and living prosperously should not be mutually exclusive!". Adds Sussman: "The goal of the IFWA is to break down resistance, change thinking about artists vs. money, and demystify and simplify the path to proper planning.

The biggest obstacle is the assumption that if I am an artist, I guess I have to be struggling financially, the proverbial starving artist. Being an artist and not having financial acumen go hand-in-hand in too many people's eyes... artists are not supposed to be financially secure. These notions have got to be rooted out in order to better sustain careers and keep arts organizations profitable at a time when the role of the arts in society is more important than ever."

In order to see what's playing on stage throughout South Florida, visit www.southfloridatheatre.com.

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