Cultural Careers Council of Ontario: Mentoring Program

August 25, 2010

Are you a visual artist, photographer, or other kind of creator running your own business?
Maybe a theatre artist or a musician directing your own ensemble?
Perhaps a writer or filmaker with your own company?

Consider applying to the mentoring project for business assistance in your creative enterprise.

THE MENTORING PROJECT
Application Deadline – TUESDAY AUGUST 31ST

Cultural Careers Council Ontario (CCCO) and Arts Etobicoke are exploring mentoring as a way to enhance ongoing skill development for artists, from any medium, running their own enterprises as creative entrepreneurs.

The Mentoring Project will demonstrate that supportive relationships between artists and business people can help creative workers build some of the entrepreneurial skills they need to advance their careers.

The Mentoring Project is a free program in which five artists from any creative discipline will be paired with volunteers from the business sector to work on a specific development plan.

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is the passing on of support, guidance and advice whereby someone learns the tricks of the trade from an experienced colleague. Mentoring provides an impartial second opinion, constructive feedback from an individual experienced either in your business or in your field of interest. A mentor is not someone who is going to do it for you, but instead gives you a different perspective to encourage you in your role as decision-maker.

Mentors can help artists find business direction, access networks and contacts, improve communication, technical and managerial skills, and build confidence. Mentors are dedicated successful business people who are interested in opportunities to give back to the community.

Process:
Artists can apply to the program by filling out the attached application form. Deadline for applications is Tuesday August 31st. Project staff will interview applicants and final selections of five artists will be made by September 10th.

Artist / mentor teams will be required to attend an orientation meeting organized by CCCO and Arts Etobicoke. Following this meeting, the teams will meet periodically from October 2010 through March 2011 at their own initiative either in person, online or by telephone, on a specific development plan.

CCCO will check in with mentoring pairs on a regular basis as well as coordinate a final de-briefing session with all involved.

Applications:

Applications can be e-mailed using the attached form (in Word) (return to info@workinculture.ca) or by mailing the completed form to:

Cultural Careers
27 Carlton St., Suite 303
Toronto ON M5B 1L2

For more information, contact:

Susan Cohen
Program Director
Cultural Careers Council Ontario
416 - 340 - 0086

OR

Ruth Cumberbatch
Fundraising & Communications Manager
Arts Etobicoke
416 – 621-3378

Categories: Call for Submissions