Growing Creative Careers: Windsor & Region

Work in Culture worked closely with the Windsor-Essex Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre and Arts Council Windsor & Region to develop and deliver a professional development training series for artists and arts workers/arts administrators in the Windsor-Essex region.

The training included workshops, access to online resources and local experts, and facilitated peer-mentoring circles. Participants who completed the training came away with a detailed plan of action to move their careers, businesses, and organizations forward.

The training series was delivered 4 times to four different cohorts over the course of 2021–2023. Each cohort had a different focus and application process.

If you have any questions about this program, please contact:
Stephanie Draker, Program Manager at [email protected]

Growing Creative Careers: Windsor & Region is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario

2021–2023 Program

COMPLETED COHORTS:
Growing Creative Careers: Windsor & Region - Cohort 4: Building Career Capacity

Cohort 4: Building Career Capacity
April 20 to June 10, 2023

The fourth Growing Creative Careers cohort focused on a series of topics essential for any artist or creative professional looking to build their capacity, and to create or refine an interdisciplinary strategy to support their career. These core topics were marketing, project management, data collection and analysis, and creative entrepreneurship.

For details about this training series cohort, please read the FAQs (PDF) and Cohort 4 Schedule (PDF).

You can also watch a recording of the introductory session.

Growing Creative Careers: Windsor & Region - Cohort 3: Planning Your Projects

Cohort 3: Planning Your Projects
September 15 to November 24, 2022

The third Growing Creative Careers cohort was focused on how to build creative projects and programs, from idea to execution, for artists and arts professionals. The training series covered how to create a project plan, structure roles and responsibilities, build a contact network, create a budget and understand funding sources and grant applications. Special attention was also paid to embedding collaboration and partnership development throughout the planning process.

For details about this training series cohort, please read the FAQs (PDF) and Cohort 3 Schedule (PDF).

You can also watch a recording of the information session.

Growing Creative Careers: Windsor & Region - Cohort 2: Building Better Boards

Cohort 2: Building Better Boards
January 27 to April 7, 2022

The second Growing Creative Careers cohort was aimed at supporting, growing and sustaining healthy boards of directors in Windsor & region’s local arts and culture organizations. The training series covered board structures, effective recruiting, roles and responsibilities, policy and planning, and more.

For details about this training series cohort, please read the FAQs (PDF) and Cohort 2 Schedule (PDF).

You can also read an interview with a participant from the cohort.

Growing Creative Careers: Windsor & Region

Cohort 1: Windsor & Region
April 26 to June 30, 2021

The first cohort was designed for arts professionals in the early or emerging stages of their career and covered training on articulating an arts or creative practice, CV writing, building online presence, financial management, grants and more.

For details about this training series cohort, please read the FAQs (PDF) and Cohort 1 Schedule (PDF).

You can also watch an interview with a participant from the cohort.

CURRICULUM CONSULTANT AND FACILITATOR:
Nadja Pelkey

Nadja Pelkey is a Windsor-based artist, educator and cultural worker. She has a history of working with the creative community in Windsor, including through previous experience as interim-ED with the Arts Council Windsor and Region. She is currently Associate Curator, Projects & Partnerships with Art Windsor-Essex and a sessional instructor with University of Windsor. She has designed and delivered a range of relevant training in line with this project’s objectives, and has an acute understanding and appreciation of the creative community in Windsor and how Growing Creative Careers can help support it.

This series of blogs embraces reflections from past program participants on how the four Growing Creative Careers cohorts have impacted their own creative careers. Each blog has a list of resources that are tailored to each participant’s reflection. If you resonate with a resource you can download it from the list of resources below.

COHORT 1 – MARIA BELENKOVA-BUFORD

COHORT 2 – TEAJAI TRAVIS

COHORT 1 AND 3 – CHANTAL BROUILLARD

COHORT 3 – WALTER PETRICHYN

COHORT 3 AND 4 – GULNAZ TURDALIEVA

COHORT 4 – MARY REDDISH

Plus! In this video interview, Cohort 1 participant Anna Grace Howard shares her takeaways and tips from the program. Watch the interview.

Curriculum facilitator and artist, educator and cultural worker Nadja Pelkey reflects on Windsor’s arts and culture sector.

Check out the interview.

Artist statement (PDF)
ARTIST BIO (PDF)
BUSINESS STATEMENT (PDF)
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS (PDF)
ELEVATOR PITCH (PDF)
FOCUSED FUNDRAISING TIPS (PDF)
PLANNING SHEET (PDF)
PROJECT ELEVATOR PITCH (PDF)
PROJECT INITIATION DOCUMENT (DOC)
PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR CREATIVES AND ART PROFESSIONALS (PDF)
PROJECT TIMELINE AND BUDGET CHART (XLSX)
SWOT ASSESSMENT (PDF)
TERMS OF REFERENCE (DOCX)
VARIABLE INCOME PLANNING (PDF)