| Name | Lindsey |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Cox |
| Home Address | 1506 Bailey Ave Chattanooga, TN 37404 United States |
| Organization Name | CO.LAB |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | CEO |
| Organization Address | 1100 Market St; Suite 100 Chattanooga, TN 37402 United States |
| Website | https://colab.co |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | 6158286932 |
| Alternate Phone Number | |
| Email Address | lindsey@colab.co |
| Alternate Email Address | chloe@colab.co |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | CO.LAB and ArtsBuild will contract with the Arts + Business Council to launch Periscope CHA. PERISCOPE is a year-long intensive training opportunity that empowers working artists to see their creative practice through an entrepreneurial lens. Led by highly experienced instructors from within Chattanooga’s entrepreneurial community along with break-out sessions facilitated by Tennessee’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. Periscope provides: Training: Working artists receive 8 weeks of professional development training. Exchange: Artists share best practices with interdisciplinary peers through small group work. Mentorship: Each artist is paired one-on-one with a high-caliber mentor for 6 months. Exposure: Year-round opportunities to celebrate the work of alumni artists, plus red-letter visibility at the culminating celebration, the Periscope Pitch + Artist Entrepreneur Showcase. By partnering with the already existing, Nashville-based Persicope program, CO.LAB and ArtsBuild will be accessing existing materials, resources and connections will greatly expedite the speed at which we can launch a program, and will leverage critical data and lessons learned from the original Periscope program. Our approach includes: – Comprehensive program development and execution timeline – Facilitation of local community conversation(s) and an artist survey to identify unique pain points – Adaptation and development of Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training curriculum and/or CO.Starters curriculum to serve Chattanooga-area artists’ specific needs – Optional: Curriculum development workshop between CO.LAB trainers/mentors and local arts leaders on key topics to revise existing curriculum to best fit for audience – Creation of aligned and cohesive, yet unique, Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training brand for the Chattanooga region – Adaptation of Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training evaluation tools – Training and equipping program staff, small group leaders, and mentors (depending on final program structure) – ArtsBuild and CO.LAB will be responsible for sourcing local individuals to serve in these roles – Assistance with branding, marketing, and community outreach plans – Ongoing support throughout program run – Access to community of peers and mentors through the Nashville-based Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training – Connection for program participants to entrepreneurship resources for the creative sector, such as Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts and Fiscal Sponsorship Our timeline includes announcing the Periscope CHA cohort at Startup Week CHA 2022 (Oct. 17 to 21), soliciting applications for a month, and launching the cohort in January 2023. The program will be developed from July to October 2022. A Creative Independent 2018 survey found that 12 percent of artists surveyed did not feel financially stable. The median income of more than 1,000 respondents was $20,000-$30,000 with close to 60 percent reporting they made less than $30,000. The work to correct this begins with college and career readiness and continues through efforts that will assist artists in being financially stable throughout their careers. Also, according to the study, 63 percent had art degrees but rated the experience as relatively low in how that contributes to an artist’s financial stability. This shows that there is a gap that needs to be filled, and a program like Periscope CHA can help close it. Our proposal serves artists and creatives in the greater-Chattanooga region who are seeking to take their art-based and creative skills and create businesses that can lead to stable employment and opportunity for themselves and allow for scale to grow. As more artists shift away from traditional day-jobs into creative enterprises, they face new challenges that come with running a small business. The COVID-19 pandemic has also required many artists change how they think about and approach their art and business. Periscope provides a proven, sequential approach that establishes a core business foundation for emerging artists critical to the growth and success of their creative endeavors. We are working with a proven model and collaborating with a proven organization to achieve success. To date, the Nashville area Periscope program has run 8 cohorts with 170 successful alumni/graduates. Periscope has cited data that the program has allowed them to retain 90% of their graduates in the city, helping them retain local artistic talent. |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | The COVID-19 pandemic has also required many artists change how they think about and approach their art and business. Periscope provides a proven, sequential approach that establishes a core business foundation for emerging artists critical to the growth and success of their creative endeavors. As more artists shift away from traditional day-jobs into creative enterprises, they face new challenges that come with running a small business. |
| Where would your project take place? | Chattanooga, TN |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 163500 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | Yes |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | We have submitted for funding from United Way and have secured annual operating funds from LaunchTN, Benwood Foundation and Lyndhurst. This program will leverage these funds. |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | 60% |
| If funded, when would your project start? | May 1, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | 05/01/2025 |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | Key dates: - Contract engaged with Arts + Business Council - Program Announcement - Applications opened Year 1 - Program Kickoff Year 1 - Mid-program survey Year 1 - Pitch Night Year 1 - Applications opened Year 2 - Program Kickoff Year 2 - Mid-program survey Year 2 - Pitch Night Year 2 - Applications opened Year 3 - Program Kickoff Year 3 - Mid-program survey Year 3 - Pitch Night Year 3 KPIs: - Applications Received - Program Participants - Program Graduates - Increase in graduates revenue - Increase in graduates FTEs |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | By measuring and reporting program data, including surveying attendees and mentors involved in the program. By publishing the results on surveys and KPIs on a publically-accessible website. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | Our project will help Chattanooga-area artists become financially stable in the unstable time of COVID-19. Through the results of the Nashville Periscope program, we know this program highly increases the likelihood of artists remaining in the community. We see artists and an integral part of this community, who bring incredible cultural and economic value, for whom stability and business growth is vital. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | CO.LAB has already secured a partnership with ArtsBuild and a proposal for assistance from the Arts + Business Council (Nashville). Our program plan includes soliciting community feedback and buy-in prior to launch. |
| Name | James McKissic |
| Contact Information | james@artsbuild.com |
| Name | Lya Kimbrough |
| Contact Information | lya@colab.co |
| Name | Amy Lowdermilk |
| Contact Information | amy@artsbuild.com |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | |