Hybrid Incubator · Hamilton, ON

Artist Enterprise Incubator

A 12-week entrepreneurship training program for Hamilton-based artists building a sustainable creative practice.

Mid–Late September 2026

12 Weeks · Weekly Sessions

McMaster University + Zoom

Program Overview

Build your Art Practice. Strengthen Your Creative Business

Artists are often expected to do much more than create. They may need to manage money, apply for grants, promote their work, build audiences, price and sell their work, collaborate with others, and navigate galleries, institutions, funders, and community spaces. Many artists are asked to do all of this without access to the training, networks, or support that can make these tasks more manageable. This program is designed to respond to that need.

This 12-week entrepreneurship training program is designed for Hamilton-based artists who want to build a more sustainable creative practice, arts business, or income-generating artistic work.

The sessions will be delivered in a hybrid format, with a mix of in-person and online learning. In-person sessions will take place mainly at McMaster University.

The program is led by McMaster University's Reframery Incubator (at the Centre for Research on Community-Oriented Entrepreneurship) and The Hamilton Artists Inc., in collaboration with the Marinucci Entrepreneurial Bridge at the DeGroote School of Business and the McMaster Museum of Art.

Eligibility

Is This Program for You?

This program is useful for artists who want to better understand the financial, strategic, and business dimensions of sustaining artistic work.

This program is especially intended for artists who face barriers to sustaining their creative work. This may include social, economic, racial, cultural, disability-related, gender-based, immigration-related, language-related, or other barriers. Applicants do not need to fit into one fixed category or disclose personal information they are not comfortable sharing.

The program may be a good fit if you meet at least one of the following criteria:

You currently have an artistic practice and want to develop ways of earning income through your work.
You have a specific and reasonably developed idea for an arts-based product, service, project, or business and have already begun exploring or working on it.
You have already taken steps to sell, exhibit, promote, commission, license, teach, perform, or otherwise generate income through your artistic work.
You currently operate an arts practice or creative business and want support strengthening, improving, or expanding it.
You are developing a social enterprise, collective, cooperative, or community-based initiative centred on artistic or creative work.

You do not need to have a registered business, formal business training, a completed business plan, or a consistent source of revenue. However, applicants should be able to describe their current artistic practice or creative business idea, the steps they have taken so far, and what they hope to develop through the program.

Curriculum

What The Program Covers

You will take part in practical and discussion-based sessions on topics such as:

Audience building through and beyond social media
Pricing, sales, and communicating the value of creative work
Revenue stacking and sustainable income streams
Bookkeeping and financial management
Grant writing and funding opportunities
Business model development for artists
Social enterprise and community-based creative work
Artist collectives and cooperative models
Working with galleries, institutions, funders, and community partners

Important

First Step!

First, you need to submit an expression of interest (link at the end of this page). Then, you'll be invited to a short conversation with the program lead. This conversation is not a competitive interview, but it is mandatory for all.

The purpose of this conversation is to understand whether the program is suitable for your needs and whether it can provide the kind of entrepreneurship training and support that would be useful to you.

This project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and contains an important optional research interview. This research component explores Canadian arts ecosystems and the experiences, opportunities, and challenges of practicing artists and creative entrepreneurs. The findings will help inform future programs and contribute to policy discussions at the local and national levels. We strongly encourage you to take part in this research. You will be asked separately whether you consent to take part in the research.

Taking part in the research component is completely voluntary. If you choose not to participate in the research, there will be no negative consequences. You can still be considered for the program and participate if the program is a good fit for your needs.

At a Glance

Key Details

Program length: 3 months
Schedule: One session per week
Format: Hybrid, a mix of in-person and online sessions
Locations: McMaster University's Main Campus (1280 Main St W, Hamilton) + Zoom
Program dates: Scheduled for mid-late September 2026, detailed schedule TBA.
Cost: Free
Application deadline: August 23