I’m happy you’ve taken an interest in learning more about the world of agents and what they can and cannot do for you. You’ve made a positive step toward achieving your goals as an artist!

Please know, this course will not give you a guaranteed recipe for successfully securing an agent, bookings, or a career. This course is designed to help you better understand the role of agents, so you can take informed actions to secure the right representation and have your work seen by larger and more diverse audiences. Since my experience is as a booking agent for performing artists, you will find that my specific examples deal with this type of agency. However, the principals and core lessons apply to all types of arts-based agencies.

Please also know that many artists nowadays act as their own agents, and some of these artists have been successful. To be completely candid, as an agent myself, this course does not speak to this do-it-yourself brand of agent. This course is strictly about professional agents and managers that an artist would hire.

This course will require approximately 1-2 hours of your time, but you can always save your place and return at your convenience.

I hope you enjoy the course!

Course Instructor:
Bernard Schmidt is the owner/president of Bernard Schmidt Productions, Inc., founded in 1999, which handles general management, artist career development, worldwide representation, production, and fundraising for international artists and companies (mainly in dance and world music). Prior to this, he was the director of Pentacle International for Pentacle Management, which handled international tour booking for performing arts groups in North America and abroad. Among other professional credits, he was former managing director for Elisa Monte Dance; executive director of Ballet du Nord in Lille, France; and a staff assistant at the National Endowment for the Arts. He holds masters degrees from ESCP/Graduate School of Management in Paris and New York University.