Spotlight: Empower the Arts
Think about how good an uplifting story on stage or screen can make you feel. Or how the right song can make a precious memory pop up out of nowhere, or how the brushstrokes and colour combinations of a painting can whisk you away to a different place. That’s the power of art.
Great art doesn’t just entertain, it soothes and inspires, moves and motivates, fosters understanding, and enhances our quality of life in immeasurable ways. And it doesn’t appear out of thin air. Consider the shows and films you watched during the pandemic, or the music that’s formed the soundtrack to your life’s most pivotal moments, and all the writers, actors, producers, directors, costume and set designers, composers, musicians, sound engineers (and the list goes on) who helped pull all those threads together.
Art also brings people together, helps build safe and cohesive communities, and fuels local economies. Consider the “Come From Away” effect - shows produced all over the world, countless jobs created, and spinoff benefits for local businesses like hotels, restaurants and shops (including in the Town of Gander, which hosted a special run of the production in the summer of 2023, with new shows coming in summer 2024). It’s also promoted our province in a way that nothing else has.
There are so many nuts and bolts to running an arts-based business. That’s why we’re proud to help equip artists with the tools, knowledge and resources they need to create their best work. Our Business Workshops for Artists (BWA) program is one of the ways we accomplish this.
Photo: Lindsay J Ralph
Participating in the Business Workshops for Artists program through Business & Arts NL has been transformative for my career as an independent artist, providing invaluable insights and strategies that have elevated my professional practice and also paved the way for new and exciting possibilities within the ever-evolving landscape of the arts industry.
Ana Luisa Ramos - Musician
Since 2017, we have delivered 75 workshops to over 1,830 artists, arts administrators and volunteer board members, enabling them to run their businesses more effectively and make more art.
In 2021, we established our charitable sister organization, Engaging Community and Arts NL (ECANL), which contributes to the BWA program and other educational projects. It’s thanks to generous donors like you that we can provide this program at no cost for artists, so that they can focus on what they do best - making art and helping build a thriving cultural sector that uplifts us all.
Career paths for artists are as diverse as the works they create and even those who study their discipline in a formal education setting don’t always receive the foundational business skills they need to take their careers to the next level.
Our BWA program breaks down those barriers. We consult with our membership, collect feedback and conduct surveys to design and deliver workshops, led by local experts, that are responsive to artists’ needs, covering topics such as budgeting, branding, grant writing, social media marketing, copyright and intellectual property, and tax preparation. This program also gives members of the creative sector the opportunity to connect with professionals in the general public who value and support the arts.
Donate now to help build a more sustainable arts sector, empowering artists who contribute to the vibrancy and well-being of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Your 100% tax-deductible gift will help Engaging Community and Arts NL:
Develop free tools, workshops and resources to empower artists to continue to create art that uplifts and inspires our communities
Program exciting networking/mentorship opportunities to connect the business and arts communities
Create engaging programming that responds to the evolving needs of our members
Nurture creativity, supporting local artists and fostering a thriving arts community
I always enjoy when Business & Arts NL offers one of their Business Workshops for Artists. Not only do I get the information I need but the instructors end up answering questions I didn't even know I had! The team at Business & Arts NL really works hard to create such a welcoming learning environment that really helps artists navigate the space between their creative skills and the business knowledge they seek.
Christine Hennebury - Writer, storyteller, creative life coach
Artists are the magic makers, the motivators and the light bringers, inspiring us with the songs they write, the films and plays they produce, and all the moving art they create.
An investment in local arts is an investment in our province’s future. Donate today