Brooklyn’s a great place to be an artist until you remember living costs money. You can put away your box of tissues and Rent soundtrack, though, since it is possible to survive here as an artist or other variety of broke person. Aside from hosting performances, this week’s Actors Fund Community Arts Festival includes workshops to help you tackle some of your money woes.
On Wednesday, October 22 from 6:30pm-8:30pm they’ll present Finding Subsidized Housing in NYC, where you’ll learn what to do and what to expect if you qualify for any kind of low- or middle-income housing. Friday, October 24 from 10am to noon there’s a seminar on tackling student loans from The Artists Financial Support Group, which is something most of us could use help with, even if we’re not artists. After learning how to appease Dark Lord Sallie Mae, Fundraising Fundamentals for the Independent Artist will take some of the mystery out of funding your creative projects by going over the basics of self-producing and grant writing, also on Friday, from 1pm to 3pm. If producing your documentary over Vine and building your portfolio out of stolen restaurant crayons hasn’t been working, this seminar should help. All the classes will be at the Actors Fund Arts Center (160 Schermerhorn Street, Downtown) and you can reserve a spot in each one here, here and here.
In addition to dishing out financial wisdom, the Actors Fund wants to make sure you body and your soul don’t get too mangled with free seminars like Every Artist Insured and Mind and Body: mental and physical health resources for dancers. With your finances a bit more in order, you might get back the time and energy to focus on being all creative and brilliant.