Advancing Creatives

Advancing Creatives is CBCA’s artist professional development and business skills education programming. Through Advancing Creatives, CBCA hosts, coordinates and partners with speakers and organizations to build the entrepreneurial skills, business know-how, and professional capacity of Colorado’s creative workforce.

Check out CBCA’s resource library for recordings of past webinars.

Advancing Creatives Intensive (ACI)

Creative workers and small businesses are the powerhouse behind Colorado’s economy and community development. Every artist, regardless of discipline, has their own definition of success for their creative work. It takes a combination of business savvy, focus, investment and a community of support to achieve that vision.

Launched April 2022, the Advancing Creatives Intensive (ACI) is designed to be a launch pad for creative professionals and entrepreneurs who want to articulate and take practical steps to achieve their business goals.

ACI is focused on tangible business growth and planning for artistic careers, as well as building business skills like marketing and financial management. The cohort-based approach incorporates peer learning, networking and accountability. The Intensive will enable artists of all kinds to see their work through an entrepreneurial lens and employ tools to organize, plan, and sustain their creative career.

2026 Advancing Creatives Intensive (ACI)

ACI 2026: Denver Metro Cohort

The ACI 2026: Denver Metro program is a six-session program from April – June 2026 hosted at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center.

All applications materials, including scholarship requests, were due by Friday, March 13. Applications are now closed. 

ACI 2026: Denver Metro is ideal for artists of all disciplines who are emerging in their creative career and arts business. Topics include goal setting and business planning, branding and marketing, legal issues and financial management. The program incorporates various speakers, practical exercises, toolkits, and networking activities.

By completing the Intensive, participants will be eligible to apply for a limited number of Career Advancement Grants, supported by Colorado Creative Industries, up to $500 to further their ongoing arts business. This cannot be used to reimburse your program tuition.

APPLICANTS SHOULD BE:

• Residents of Colorado who are able to attend all in-person ACI sessions in the Denver metro area.
• Practicing artists who are currently working professionally and/or are looking to make their creative endeavors into a business venture. ACI is ideal for artists who are emerging in their creative career and arts business
• Working in the creative industries, including visual arts, music, theatre, dance, design, fashion, film/TV, literary arts, crafts and creative placemaking
• Willing to participate in ongoing program evaluation to assess the short- and long-term impact of the Intensive

CBCA will prioritize an Advancing Creatives Intensive cohort that includes diverse creative practices, expressions, and backgrounds in Colorado. The ideal cohort size is 20-25 people.

TIME COMMITMENT AND EXPECTATIONS

Sessions will be held twice a month on Monday evenings in April, May, and June. The proposed dates are April 13, April 27, May 4, May 11, June 1 and June 15. All sessions are from 5:30 – 8:00 pm and hosted at Colorado Photographic Arts Center, 1200 Lincoln St #111, Denver, CO 80203. Schedule is subject to change.

Sessions will be hosted in person. Participants are expected to make every effort to attend the entire Intensive. There will not be a virtual or hybrid option. A light dinner will be provided at each session for a group meal.

There will also be informal cohort meet-ups and homework assignments in between sessions to help maximize the impact of the program.

PROGRAM FEES

Tuition for this Advancing Creatives Intensive (ACI 2026: Denver Metro) is $300 per participant.

Tuition covers all associated program materials and a light dinner at each session. Tuition does not cover any travel costs or parking.

CBCA offers flexible payment plans. A limited number of partial scholarships are also available. If you are interested in applying for a partial scholarship, please contact Meredith Badler at mbadler@cbca.org in advance of the application due date on March 13.

Tuition is non-refundable once remitted and enrollment in the ACI 2026: Denver Metro program is non-transferable.