Arts Entrepreneurship Educator's Network (AEEN)
By: Interview with Gary Beckman
www.ae2n.net
What is the AEEN?
The Arts Entrepreneurship Educator's Network (AEEN) is a mechanism for educators who teach, are interested in, or are developing Arts Entrepreneurship efforts. It features interviews with educators, a brief overview of the field, a reading list, a list of institutions
with Arts Entrepreneurship programs (including a very "telling" map), an events calendar and an op-ed page, among other tidbits.
Why was it started and who is it for?
It's an outcome of my recently completed Kauffman Foundation research (forthcoming in the "Journal of Arts Management, Law & Society"). During my research, it was clear that educators simply had so little information about the topic, that addressing that lacunae was required to advance the effort and create a community of educators.
Who collaborated on this site?
Right now, it's a singular labor, though I am working with the Brevard conference on Music Entrepreneurship this year. The AEEN will be posting more dynamic information for that event than appears on the BCOME site. (www.bcome.org).
How often is information updated?
Once a month, though if more pertinent info comes to light, I'll update as needed. For example, this month, I posted two papers (just days apart) from the Pepperdine Arts Entrepreneurship conference in addition to an interview with Linda Essig from Arizona State University.
What do you hope to accomplish through this site?
Basically, to create a community of educators in the short term and elevate the topic to disciplinary status in the long term. Since we have no "official/dedicated" professional association at this time, the AEEN is more of a clearinghouse for information. There are over 100 efforts nationally (depending on how you count) and being exposed to different programatic models is an important part of our professional development as educators.
In addition to community creation, I'm in the process of developing an academic journal for Arts Entrepreneurship educators. I'm bullish in the topic (obviously) and creating such mechanisms assists in elevating the topic to disciplinary status - though it will take some time before we fully develop our fields of inquiry. It's my hope that as the Arts academy notices this disciplinary development, it will result in more programs and additional commitment from those who make these efforts possible.
Is there are fee involved and/or membership process you must complete before utilizing the site?
The site is absolutely free and anyone can contribute classroom activities or editorials. There is also a listserv that anyone can join.