Creative Community Development Trainings

Do you believe that artists generate creative people power, and that communities thrive when they are connected to their artists? Have you downloaded the Irrigate: Artist-led Creative Placemaking toolkit? Or the Guide for Business Districts to Work with Local Artists?

Since 2017, Springboard for the Arts has offered Training Intensives for their innovative models and programs for creative community development and artist-led creative placemaking. Whether you’re an artist working in community who wants to deepen your practice, or a community development professional who is looking for new authentic ways to address community challenges, these are deep dives around the structures and ideas for adaptable, replicable ways of strengthening artist support and engagement.

Trainings Intensives connecting artists to community are coming to Denver, St. Louis & Lincoln this fall! All Training Intensives are open for registration now, with flexible pricing based on organization size and support. The intensives are supported by the Surdna Foundation, The Bush Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, allowing Springboard to offer training scholarships and travel stipends. Deadlines for scholarships is coming up on September 6th.

Community Development Practitioner Training – for organizers and community development professionals
-October 16-18, Denver, CO
-November 6-8, St. Louis, MO

Artists Working in Community Training – for individual artists
-November 13-15, Lincoln, NE

Learn more, register & apply for scholarships: https://springboardforthearts.org/trainings

What makes these trainings unique?
Springboard for the Arts is dedicated to sharing resources and trainings that support creative people power in communities across America. Springboard’s approach is rooted in the principles of community organizing and focuses on a “lots of little” strategy that surfaces unrecognized leaders in communities, builds public narratives from a multiplicity of perspectives and voices; and creates low-risk opportunities for collaboration. This equity-based model centers the lives and experiences of the people in and of the place; values the relationships, partnerships, and creative capacity that artists and communities build together and aims to build power and agency for individuals, neighborhoods and communities.

Which training should I attend?
There are two tracks, designed to build understanding and connection in communities of practice. If you bridge practices or disciplines, be in with Springboard for the Arts for guidance!

Artists Working in Community Training
This training is designed for individual artists who want to deepen their skills in community-focused practice, this professional development intensive helps artists hone skills to drive community change through creative placemaking and asset-based community organizing – while maintaining artistic integrity and practice. Artists gain concrete skills in leadership, organizing, program development and management, fundraising, cross-sector collaboration, and learn how to adapt and respond to community change through workshops, cohort dialogue and local site visits geared toward action. This Intensive is presented at LUX Center for the Arts.

When: November 13-15, 2019; 9-5:30 Wed, 9-5:30 Thu, 9-3 Fri
Where: LUX Center for the Arts, 2601 N 48th St, Lincoln, NE 68504
What: Intensive training on artist-led community organizing, creative placemaking, and practice
Cost: $500-$1,000

Community Development Practitioner Training
This training is designed for organizers and community development professionals in civic sectors such as transportation, public health, and economic development who are interested in addressing community challenges and strengthening places by implementing asset-based and equity-focused programs that engage local artists as creative problem solvers. Participants learn how to support and train artists as leaders and innovators and develop customized programming suited to your context. This training is best leveraged to kickstart momentum in a community by having teams of 2-4 trainees from the same location, community or issue interest. These Intensives are presented at the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, and at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop.

2 offerings!

When: October 16-18, 2019; 9-5:30 Wed, 9-5:30 Thu, 9-3 Fri
Where: Lighthouse Writers Workshop, 1515 Race St, Denver, CO 80206
What: Intensive training on artist-led community organizing, creative placemaking, and practice
Cost: $500-$1,000

When: November 6-8, 2019; 9-5:30 Wed, 9-5:30 Thu, 9-3 Fri
Where: Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, 6128 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112
What: Intensive training for community development practitioners interested in working with local artists to address community challenges

$1,000: If your organization is sending you and has professional development capacity, please register at this level. This covers the true per-person cost of the training.
$500: If you are attending as an individual artist or organizer, or your small organization is sending you, please register at this level and/or see scholarship options.

Learn more, register & apply for scholarships: https://springboardforthearts.org/trainings