Creatives offered a free career jumpstart

Free career support is being offered to local artists and creatives thanks to a collaboration between eight regional councils.

The City of Greater Geelong and Surf Coast Shire are among those supporting the six-part free professional development course delivered via the ArtsACTION program.

The course will be available from now until April 2022 and aims to help activate career pathways, broaden networks, and build market reach.

The program is facilitated by Pop Up Art, a division of not-for-profit Jumpleads NFP and offers a six-part email resource pack, Zoom workshops, and access to a growing supportive network. Each workshop will cover topics such as being market ready, working together effectively and digital communities.

Jumpleads director and program facilitator Sharon Seyd said the program recognised that creatives were often under-resourced and overlooked, despite their importance within our communities.

“According to Creative Victoria, in 2019-20, the creative sector contributed $31.6 billion to the Victorian economy, 8.6 per cent of the total state workforce,” Ms Seyd said.

“Through our experience delivering the previous three programs and working with 1000s of artists, we have found most creatives want greater opportunities for exposure.”

ArtsACTION has been made available thanks to the generosity of the Helen McPherson Smith Trust and the shires of Central Goldfields, Ballarat, Geelong, Melton, Moorabool, Mildura, Surf Coast and Swan Hill.

Artists, performers, writers, musicians, arts workers, and people involved in community arts or creative industries, are invited to participate in the online program.

For more information go to the Pop Up Art website.