Celebrating 10 Years of Creative Entrepreneurship

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville has opened applications for its 10th cohort of Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training, an annual business development intensive that empowers working artists to see their creative practice through an entrepreneurial lens. 

Since 2014, Periscope has provided tools and resources to 200 artists, helping them to organize, plan, and sustain a creative career with the goal of developing an individualized business model based on their creative output. Each annual cohort is made up of a diverse group of artists, artisans, makers, and creative entrepreneurs of varying artistic genres. With workshops led by highly experienced instructors from within Nashville’s entrepreneurial community along with breakout sessions facilitated by some of Nashville’s top arts professionals, Periscope is designed to be a transformative experience for each artist, sparking the moment when their career will really start to take off. 

“We are thrilled at the enduring, now decade-long success of Periscope,” said Jill McMillan Palm, Executive Director of the Arts & Business Council. “It is essential for creatives to have the knowledge and skills to artfully navigate a quickly and constantly evolving business world. They already possess the talent and the dedication to their craft, and it is evident that Periscope empowers them with the tools necessary to become successful artist entrepreneurs.”

The Arts & Business Council will host an in-person Information Session on January 17 at The Forge Nashville at 5:00 p.m. The session will  provide more information about the program, the application process, and important dates. Staff and program alumni will also be available to answer questions from potential applicants. Those interested should register online here

The Arts & Business Council also accepts nominations for the program. If you know an artist with an entrepreneurial spirit who has both the creative talent and the potential for business success, simply complete the brief nomination form on the website. For more information on Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training, and to find the application and nomination forms, visit www.abcnashville.org/periscope.

Now in its tenth year, Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training is a program of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville created in partnership with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Metro Arts: Nashville’s Office of Arts + Culture, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Mayor’s Office of Economic & Community Development. Periscope is supported in part by Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Marlene and Spencer Hays Foundation, HCA Healthcare Foundation, Ingram Charities, Piedmont Natural Gas, Fifth Third Bank, Buckingham Foundation, Southwest Airlines, Tennessee Arts Commission, and Tennessee Entertainment Commission. For more information, visit www.abcnashville.org/periscope

In addition, the program cost is kept low by the generous individual donations to the Periscope Scholarship Fund. If you would like to donate, visit abcnashville.org/donations/periscope/.  

About the Arts & Business Council

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville leverages and unites the unique resources of the arts and business communities to create a thriving, sustainable creative culture in Nashville. We accomplish this through six main programs: Education for the Creative Community,  Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts, Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training, Arts Board Matching, Fiscal Sponsorship, and Creative Advantage, among many other resources and opportunities. 

For more information, visit www.abcnashville.org or contact 615-460-8274.