Have you ever wondered how some artists and arts organizations manage to not just survive but absolutely flourish even when everything feels like it’s falling apart? Or how your favorite local theater company keeps putting on amazing shows while others struggle to keep their doors open? This October, you can learn those secrets – and get paid for it.
The 2nd Annual Arts Symposium is happening October 2-3, 2025, at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas, and they’re literally paying up to 50 participants $100 each to come learn and share. That’s right – you get paid to discover how to make art that matters and build a career that lasts.
Why This Matters Right Now
The Symposium will explore how our arts can thrive during turbulent times, with emphasis on intergenerational connections and mentorship. Other topics include Trends in Arts Funding, AI and the Arts, and Collective Dreaming towards New Realities.
If you’ve been feeling like the arts world is getting harder to navigate – between funding cuts, AI disruption, and constant social upheaval – you’re not imagining it. But here’s the thing: some artists and organizations are absolutely crushing it right now. They’ve figured out how to turn challenges into opportunities, how to build communities that support their work, and how to create art that not only survives but changes the world.
What You’ll Actually Learn
This isn’t just another conference where you sit through boring presentations. The Symposium will be an opportunity for every participant to learn and teach. You’re walking into a room full of people who are actively solving the same problems you’re facing, from emerging artists to seasoned professionals who’ve built sustainable creative careers.
The sessions tackle the real stuff you need to know:
Trends in Arts Funding – Where the money actually is right now and how to get it. Not just grants, but innovative funding models that are working for artists today.
AI and the Arts – Instead of panicking about technology, learn how some artists are using AI as a creative partner and competitive advantage.
Collective Dreaming towards New Realities – This sounds abstract, but it’s about building the communities and movements that support your artistic vision for years to come.
Intergenerational Connections and Mentorship – How to learn from artists who’ve been through multiple industry upheavals and connect with the next generation that’s already changing the rules.
Part of Something Bigger
This symposium happens during the incredible 6th International Latinidades Theatre Festival, which runs September 27 to October 12 at the Latino Cultural Center. The festival features six mainstage productions and various second-stage performances spanning theatre, dance, music, and poetry to highlight diverse Latin American voices.
Even if you’re not Latino, this context matters because you’ll be learning alongside artists who represent some of the most innovative and resilient creative communities in the world. Additional performances will showcase artists from Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Dallas’s own creative community.
Real Artists, Real Solutions
Executive artistic director David Lozano frames the festival as a vehicle for expanding Dallas’ cultural imagination, rather than only a showcase of Latin American artistry. “How well we sustain our arts depends on the strength of our community,” he says. “The festival and symposium give our community the chance to experience world-class theater, dance, and music while creating space for artists to connect locally, nationally, and internationally to innovate and sustain our work in this contemporary moment.”
The organizers designed this symposium after touring internationally and seeing how artists in different cities have developed unique strategies for building audiences and sustaining their work. They’re bringing those strategies to Dallas and creating space for you to adapt them to your own artistic practice.
Why They’re Paying You
Scholarships and $100 honoraria are available to up to 50 participants. This isn’t charity – it’s an investment in the creative community. They know that the most valuable learning happens when diverse voices are in the room, and they’re removing financial barriers to make sure that happens.
The honorarium acknowledges that your time, experience, and perspective have value. Whether you’re a theater director, visual artist, musician, writer, arts administrator, or someone who just loves supporting the arts, you bring something essential to these conversations.
How to Get In
Ready to claim your spot? Contact [email protected] for more information or apply directly through their form. With only 50 paid spots available, this will fill up quickly.
The Details:
- When: October 2-3, 2025
- Where: Latino Cultural Center, 2600 Live Oak, Dallas
- Cost: Free (plus $100 honorarium for accepted participants)
- Contact: [email protected] or call (214) 516-0706
The Bottom Line
While other artists are complaining about how hard everything is, you could be learning the actual strategies that successful artists and organizations are using right now. You could be building the connections that support your work for years to come. And you could be getting paid to do it.
The arts world is changing fast, but that creates opportunities for people who know how to adapt. This symposium isn’t just about surviving the turbulent times – it’s about thriving in them and creating the art that our communities need most.
Don’t let someone else take your spot in this room full of people who are actively solving the problems you’re facing. Apply now, and spend a weekend in October learning how to build the creative career and community you actually want.
