Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts

Programs

Periscope:
Artist Entrepreneur Training

Periscope is an intensive business accelerator designed for working artists ready to take the next step in their creative careers.

Through nine weeks of professional development, peer exchange, and six months of one-on-one mentorship, artists develop the tools, strategies, and relationships to approach their creative practice as a sustainable business.

Led by experienced business leaders and arts professionals from across Nashville, Periscope brings artists of all disciplines together to clarify their goals, strengthen their business practices, and build an individualized plan for what comes next.

What is Periscope?

‍Training‍

Nine weeks of intensive professional development help artists build practical skills in planning, marketing, pricing, revenue, pitching, and other fundamentals of a creative business.

Exchange‍

Artists learn alongside an interdisciplinary cohort, sharing ideas, challenges, and best practices through facilitated discussion and small-group work.

Mentorship‍

Each participant is paired with an experienced mentor for six months of one-on-one guidance as they put what they’ve learned into practice.

Exposure‍

Participants gain opportunities to share their work and build visibility, culminating in the Periscope Pitch + Artist Entrepreneur Showcase. Alumni continue to benefit from opportunities and connections across the ABC community.

9 Weeks of Training

In-person sessions in Nashville explore the tools artists need to organize, plan, market, and sustain their creative careers.

6 Months of Mentorship

Participants continue working toward their individual goals with support from a dedicated mentor.

One Culminating Showcase

The experience culminates in the Periscope Pitch + Artist Entrepreneur Showcase, where participants have the opportunity to share their work and selected finalists pitch live.

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What You’ll Learn

Over the course of Periscope, participants examine their creative practice from a business perspective and develop an individualized plan for moving forward. The curriculum explores:

- Defining your goals and understanding your audience
- Developing a compelling value proposition
- Building a business and marketing strategy
- Understanding revenue, pricing, and financial planning
- Communicating the value of your work
- Building relationships and gaining supporters
- Pitching your creative business with confidence

Each year’s detailed schedule and session dates are shared when applications open.

Program Cost

Accessibility is an important part of Periscope. The program is valued at more than $2,200 per participant, however program tuition is subsidized by community donors and partners so that the program can be offered on a sliding scale based on household income.

There is no fee to apply. If accepted, the program participation fee is on a sliding scale based on income.

- Tier C: $500 per person (More than $48,650 annual gross household income**)

- Tier B: $250 per person (Between $29,190 and $48,649 annual gross household income**)

- Tier A: $50 per person ($29,189 or less annual gross household income**)

Support the Next Generation of Artist Entrepreneurs

Help keep Periscope accessible to working artists.

The Periscope Scholarship Fund helps subsidize the cost of this intensive training experience so that an artist’s income does not determine their ability to participate.

Every contribution is an investment in the knowledge, relationships, and opportunities artists need to build sustainable creative careers.

Support

We had a group of individuals in one room, painting. All pieces were necessary. When the day was through and we laid them all out together, you could see how each single square came together. In life, you are not always able to understand what part you play in ‘The Big Picture’ [but] with a little teamwork and a lot of concentration, the end result will be well worth the wait.

Randy Houston, First Tennessee Bank

Everyone was very impressed with [the instructor’s] facilitation, knowledge, and ability to relate the concepts to our everyday work.

Melinda M. Howard, formerly of St. Thomas Health

ABC has been an important part of helping the Tennessee Fashion Council connect with Nashville’s broader creative community. Through their support and network, we’ve been able to bring together designers, students, entrepreneurs, artists, and industry professionals through events, educational programming, and community initiatives that highlight fashion as an important part of Nashville’s creative economy.

Lacie Thorne, Tennessee Fashion Council

ABC Nashville has been extremely useful for me as an independent artist! I wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford legitimate legal counsel from an entertainment lawyer, and the contracts coming in are too complicated for me to understand. I am so grateful that such a platform exists, and that it is so tight and organized and efficient

Taylor Tuke

ABC's expertise in the creative field helped shape the project’s concrete framework, ensuring thoughtful artist engagement and an equitable selection process. Overall, the collaboration was marked by innovation, expertise, and strong support—contributing greatly to the project’s success.

Urban Green Lab

Thank you so much for letting us participate in the Art project! We had the best time and have even talked to the [instructor] about coming to do a class for associates in Knoxville.

Cherri Knox Holloway, Pinnacle Financial Group

Periscope made me look at my business from a different perspective, and made my vision and message much clearer. It’s also been revitalizing and inspiring creatively to meet and work with such a highly motivated, dynamic and creative cohort.

Dave Isaacs, Periscope 2026

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