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Find similar grantsAdvancing Creatives Intensive & Career Advancement Grant is sponsored by Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA). A combined professional development program and grant opportunity for Colorado creative entrepreneurs to enhance their business skills and fund specific equipment/materials.
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Advancing Creatives - Colorado Business Committee for the Arts Colorado Attorneys for the Arts Leadership Arts Alumni Network Colorado Arts Action Network Colorado’s Arts Policy Framework Colorado Cultural Champions 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. Applications for ACI 2026: Denver Metro are open now! All applications materials are due by Friday, March 13.
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. 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. 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.
Applications for ACI 2026: Denver Metro are open now! All application materials are due by Friday, March 13.
Past Advancing Creatives Intensives Press Release about Inaugural Program ACI 2023: Colorado Springs ACI 2023: Denver Metro (Littleton) ACI 2024: Northern Colorado ACI 2024: Denver Metro (40 West, Lakewood) ACI 2025: Manitou Springs ACI 2025: Denver Metro (Aurora) Advancing Creatives Resources Tools for the Creative Life – Keeping Your Books Clean When Art is Messy: Tax & Accounting Basics for Artists Led by Kaleigh Canavan, EA with CSA Accounting How to Price Your Artwork Speakers: Samantha Johnston, Colorado Photographic Arts Center; Doug Kacena, K Contemporary; Chris Roth, CR Projects Managing Cash Flow and Finances in Uncertain Times Speaker: Rebecca Kelley, Plante Moran; Melissa Armstrong, Plante Moran Recorded Zoom webinar - 4.
22. 2020 Thank You for Supporting Advancing Creatives This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Yes, sign me up for the CBCA mailing list!
General Operating Support Provided by: © 2026 Colorado Business Committee for the Arts What are you looking for? What are you Looking for?
Key questions and narrative sections extracted from the solicitation.
Why would you like to participate in this Advancing Creatives Intensive? (1500 character limit)
Describe your current artistic work and the development of your creative practice. (1500 character limit)
What are three goals that you would like to achieve for your creative career in the next 1-3 years? (1500 character limit)
How do you define long-term success for your creative career and business? (1500 character limit)
Anything else you'd like to share or think we should know about you?
Scoring criteria used to review proposals for this grant.
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Colorado residents who are practicing artists currently working professionally or looking to make creative endeavors into a business, emerging in their creative career and arts business. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $300 tuition for program; Career Advancement Grants up to $500 post-completion Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is March 13, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
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