Like many industries, the arts has been greatly impacted by the pandemic. A free workshop program, CQ Shopfront, that brings vital business thinking to visual artists and makers, ready to launch in our current economic climate and beyond launches this Saturday.
CQ Shopfront is a 2-year project developed by Bundaberg’s Shelley Pisani from The Ideas Distillery.
With government funding, the project is offering free access to workshops, mentoring and projects that will help Central Queensland artists and makers to build sustainable business models and commercially viable products.
“This project evolved out of many years of conversations with artists and cultural workers across Central Queensland, all highlighting the great talent there is in our broader region, but the need for business thinking,” said Creative Producer Shelley Pisani.
“We want artists to think outside their immediate community and develop new markets for their products.”
In partnership with Flying Arts Alliance and their tutor – artist Katie Whyte from Toowoomba – an 8-workshop online program has been developed to help establish business plans and develop products with examples drawn from all over Queensland.
“As a regionally based artist who grew up in Bundaberg, I appreciate the challenges and opportunities that we face in establishing ourselves in the market,” Katie said.
“I see great potential in the participants signing up to this project and look forward to mentoring them through the process.”
Artists based in Bundaberg and the wider Central Queensland region, from the Fraser Coast in the south to Mackay Region in the North and west to Biloela and Monto, are encouraged to sign up to the workshops online at The Ideas Distillery’s website http://www.theideasdistillery.net.
CQ Shopfront has been funded by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and CQ RASN. The Regional Arts Services Network is an initiative of the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. CQUniversity has been appointed as the Central Queensland Provider.
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