The Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation is offering me an opportunity to teach a pilot course in the upcoming semester. I couldn't be more thrilled.
ENT 198: Art Entrpreneurship Community (3 credits) T/R 2:30-4pm
It is up to the student to insert the punctuation or the prepositions, depending on their personal learning goals. For example:
"Art, Entrepreneurship AND Community" might focus on separate relationships between institutions.
"Art, Entrepreneurship IN Community" might focus on partnerships between institutions
"Art AND Entrepreneurship FOR Community" might focus on the entrepreneurial ingredients to an artful enterprise for community asset or service.
...and on, and on.
Here's the office Course Description:
The course will focus on art as an economic driver in community building. Topics include: understanding community arts districts, entrepreneurial contributions to venues and networks, new arts venture creation, management approaches inherent in the entrepreneurial mindset. Activities may include: positioning of arts events, determining target audiences, marketing, arts based business models and resource needs, development of preliminary action plan to execute an arts related event.
Note: “arts” activities here are broadly conceived, including visual, performing, technical and literary arts.
Reading from Richard Florida’s theory of the “Creative Class”, and from a course pack of blogs, articles (local and national) about the conditions that connect issues with urban communities through a vibrant arts culture. Finally, we’ll have some speakers throughout the semester come in and talk about their entrepreneurial ventures in the Lehigh Valley; long term, and newly emerging.
Ever since I got the Green light to teach the course, I've been pouring over accumulated texts, articles and mountains of bookmarked websites and blogs, that support the topics. Just today, I came up with a clever idea to curate two calendars:
1. Calendar of Obligation - course readings, assignment deadlines, required attendance
2. Calendar of Opportunity - places and events that may offer insight into topics, or inspire/inform student final projects.
Piecing this course together will hopefully present many opportunities for robust discussion on creativity in our present culture; but more importantly, serve the students' desire to make a difference. Sometimes, ideas just need the right tool, and knowing the right way to use it.
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