A four-week marketing accelerator for working artists and creative organizations

You didn’t become an artist, maker, performer, or creative organization because you wanted to spend your days figuring out marketing.

But marketing matters.

You need people to discover your work. You need the right people to understand what you do. And you need a way to stay visible without feeling like you’re constantly chasing algorithms, creating content, or wondering what you should post next.

You don’t need more marketing noise. You need a strategy that makes sense for your work, your audience, and your capacity.

That’s what this four-week accelerator is designed to help you build.

Join the Accelerator!

Stop Guessing. Start Marketing With Intention.

Maybe your marketing feels a little scattered. You post when you have time. You have a website, Instagram, maybe an email list—but you’re not sure how they all work together. You know you should be doing more, but “more” isn’t a strategy. Or maybe you’ve been marketing for years and still find yourself asking: Who am I actually trying to reach? What should I be saying? Which marketing channels are worth my time? How often do I need to show up? Why does marketing feel so much harder than it should? How do I promote my work without feeling like I’m constantly selling? This accelerator will help you answer those questions—and turn the answers into a marketing approach you can actually use.

Stop Guessing. Start Learning.

What You’ll Get Out of the Experience

Over four weeks, you’ll move from “I know I need to market my work” to “I know what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and what I’m going to do next.” You’ll leave with: Clarity about your brand A clearer understanding of what makes your work distinct and how to communicate it. A better understanding of your audience Instead of trying to reach everyone, you’ll identify who you most want to connect with and learn how to better understand what they need, value, and respond to. A marketing strategy that fits your reality You’ll determine where your audience actually spends time and how to choose marketing channels based on your goals—not because someone told you that you “have to” be on TikTok, Instagram, or everywhere else. Marketing systems that make consistency easier You’ll create practical systems for planning and executing your marketing so you’re not reinventing the wheel every time you need to promote something. A plan you can actually follow You’ll bring everything together into an actionable marketing plan with clear objectives and next steps. Most importantly, you’ll have a marketing strategy built around your creative practice—not one designed for a giant corporation with a six-person marketing department.

Here’s What We’ll Cover

Apply to Learn with Us!

Week 1: Marketing Foundations

We’ll work through:

Visual identity
Messaging
Positioning
Target audience
Audience research

You’ll begin building a stronger foundation for everything that comes next.

Week 2: Building Community, Creating Buzz

We’ll explore:

Channel strategy
Storytelling
Community building
Authentic marketing
Ways to create buzz beyond digital

You’ll look at how artists and creative organizations can build genuine relationships with the people they want to reach.

Week 3: Finding Your Marketing Stride

We’ll cover:

Consistent branding
Choosing the right channels
Marketing systems
Planning and organizing your marketing
Making marketing fit your capacity

The goal: less scrambling, more stride.

Week 4: Crafting Your Marketing Plan

You’ll:

Solidify your marketing objectives
Wrap up your audience research
Connect your audience, message, channels, and systems
Build your actionable marketing plan

You won’t leave with a notebook full of marketing advice.

You’ll leave with a plan.

Ready to Make Your Marketing Work?

You’ve put time, energy, creativity, and probably a whole lot of yourself into your work.

Now let’s make sure the right people can find it.

Join us for four weeks of practical, creative, no-nonsense marketing strategy—and leave with a plan you can actually put to work.

MEETING TIMES:

September 23, 2026 (ZOOM)

September 30, 2026 (ZOOM)

October 7, 2026 (ZOOM)

October 14, 2026 (ZOOM)

ELIGIBILITY

For full eligibility and other requirements, please review the information below.

Applicants must:

Be 18 years or older and eligible to work in the U.S.
Be a Durham County resident or operate a Durham-based arts business/nonprofit
Be actively engaged in the arts and cultural sector
Have an established practice or organization prior to March 2020
Demonstrate financial hardship due to COVID-19 (2020–2023)
Commit to full participation and ARPA and Durham County reporting requirements
Have not received prior ARPA funding

TIMELINE

Application Deadline Sept 17, 2026
Participant notification will conclude by Sept 18, 2026 (All applicants, regardless of status, will be contacted)
Program Start Date Sept 23, 2026

APPLY NOW