keshet ideas & innovation community
Ideas & Innnovation Community
The Keshet Ideas & Innovation Community (KIIC) champions the value of the artist and the arts economy.
Through a range of residency programs, makerspace resources, and professional development access in both craft and infrastructure, Keshet supports performing artists and arts organizations at multiple stages within their careers and organizational development.
Keshet offers free arts business classes for arts entrepreneurs focusing on topics such as Grant Writing, Marketing & Branding, Financial Management, Intellectual Property Law, and more.
Residency and presenting programs include the Keshet Makers Space Experience, Presenting Voices Series, Choreographers’ Showcases, and Hear Here Festival, supporting and connecting artists locally and globally, providing rehearsal and performance space, peer support, and business mentorship.
Why use the term “arts entrepreneur” instead of “artist” or “company/organization”?
KIIC supports the whole artist and the holistic business endeavor of making a living as
an artist. We know YOU know your art. We are here to help with the business aspects
and resources needed for developing, supporting, and sustaining your art.
(P.S. For any entrepreneur to flourish, they need creativity and a spirit of risk-
taking…and artists already do that! So, if you haven’t yet considered yourself an arts
entrepreneur, you are already doing the entrepreneurship work! Good job already!)
How to pronounce KIIC?
KICK (just like “I’m an artist and I kick some *&%^”)
KIIC Events & Workshops
Artist Opportunities / KIIC Programs
Makers Space Experience
10-day residency cohort periods in which dancemakers have access to daily rehearsal space, technique classes, business training, and peer support as they develop new work. Housing is provided.
Click here for more info!
Choreographers' Showcases
Open, non-juried showcases for choreographers of all ages, all abilities, and at any point within their career as an artist. Choreographers are selected for the showcase on a first come/first booked basis. Each choreographer receives a 1 hour tech time for their piece, in addition to a final run through with the entire cast. Each showcase is unique, resulting in a dynamic event highlighting local, regional, and national choreographers presenting new works, restaged works, and works-in-progress.
Click here for more info!
Arts Business Workshops
Throughout the year, KIIC offers arts business workshops on a wide range of topics for Arts Entrepreneurs taught by Keshet faculty, local business educators, and visiting guest instructors.
All KIIC Workshops are offered free of charge.
Most KIIC Workshops are applicable to artists in any/all disciplines/genres, however, occasionally some workshops are specific to a particular discipline. When this is the case, you’ll be able to tell (i.e. working with a gallery for visual artists; independent publishing for writers; etc)
Click HERE then click KIIC Arts Business Workshops to view and register!
2025 Open-Access Rehearsal Space
2025 Rehearsal Space Access for Local (New Mexico – based) Choreographers
From January 10, 2025-April 11, 2025, Keshet Center for the Arts (4121 Cutler Ave NE, Midtown ABQ) is offering up to 4 hours per month of free studio rehearsal space for New Mexico – based dancers/choreographers on Fridays between 8am-8pm! Space is limited, first come first served.
Click here for the details and structure!
Dance on!
Presenting Voices Series
Community engaged presenting customized to the needs and focus areas of each artist, project, and target audience/s. As a presenter, Keshet focuses on durational relationship building; between Keshet and the presented artist/company, as well as between the artist/company and the New Mexico community.
Hear Here Festival
Similar to the concept of the 48-hour Film Festival, the Hear Here Festival celebrates the talent of local artists bringing dynamic, original, collaborative work to fruition in a concentrated period of time with a culminating event premiering and celebrating these new creations. Artists are provided with rehearsal and performance space to create and present the new work, arts business workshops via a pre and post festival business workshop series, and a $1,000 stipend for the Hear Here Festival experience.
Click here for more info!
Dance Classes
Community classes and company classes are taught by Keshet faculty; peer-led movement classes are taught by visiting artists.
Click here for classes
Click here for guest/visiting artist classes
Feedback and continued evolution of the KIIC Program
KIIC is a living, breathing, and evolving program (since we are living, breathing, evolving artists and arts organizations)!
What are you missing as an arts entrepreneur? How can we help? Please keep us informed of your ideas, needs, challenges, successes, etc! Info@KeshetArts.org.
Thank you!
Don’t Starve! Make Art!
Testimonials
“I came because I didn’t know anything about how to do this, but by the time I left I thought ‘Oh hell, I can do that!”
— Designer & Workshop Participant
“For an hour and half there was a lot of useful information packed in. It provided focus and some goals to better use social media for growing my business.”
– Independent Artist & Workshop Participant
“I’ve sent out one press release and, thanks to the KIIC workshops on those little jewels, I am totally delighted with the results!”
— Writer & Workshop Participant
Special Thanks
Thank you to The City of Albuquerque and the Meow Wolf Foundation for their support of the 2024 Keshet Ideas and Innovation Community programming
