ABSTRACT
University arts programs struggle to find balance between developing their students’ talent and providing them with the tools they need to deliver that talent to society. This chapter argues that arts graduates require a new profile, focused on combining the role of the artist as a creative agent, with the roles of entrepreneur, connector, and agent of economic, cultural, and social change. Thus, as a case study, I designed an undergraduate course on creative entrepreneurship for the arts professional. The course prepared the students to develop an individual, five-step strategic plan: (1) Develop a mission; (2) establish professional differentiation; (3) build a business model; (4) create personal branding; and (5) design a work plan. This model highlights the importance of artistic influences, local community impact, and aligning the professional mission with sustainability issues. In making these critical connections, this model balances economic, artistic, and social objectives, and recognizes artists as agents of change. It can be flexibly implemented in a variety of learning contexts, such as university arts programs, enabling educators to achieve a better balance between developing talents and developing business skills. This study strongly suggests the viability and efficacy of this model for arts education.
