Unama’ki Arts Development

Build Your Craft Business: Unama’ki Indigenous Artists

Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design, in partnership with Mawi’Art: Wabanaki Artist Collective and Craft Alliance, is launching a new business skills development program for Indigenous craft artists across Unama’ki, and we’re looking for makers who are serious about turning their craft into a thriving business.
 

This is a hands-on, Mi’kmaq-led cohort designed by and for Indigenous craft artists entrepreneurs, grounded in cultural values and built to get real results: stronger brands, smarter pricing, wider markets, and a booth at the region’s biggest wholesale show. 

What’s Included 

Five participants will be selected for a six-session program covering the skills that turn a craft practice into a sustainable business. Attendance at all six sessions is mandatory: 

• Introductory to Wholesaling 

• Pricing your work 

• Branding and Social Media Marketing 

• Product Photography 

• Intellectual property and copyright 

• Market Opportunities and Export 

A Mi’kmaq artist mentor will be with you for all six sessions, guiding the cohort through a culturally appropriate learning experience alongside specialist facilitators for each topic. 
 

We Pay You to Participate 

We know your time is valuable, and we’re putting our money behind that belief: 

• $150 per session x five sessions ($750 per person) — paid directly to you for your participation 

• Business registration covered ($60 value per person)— we’ll help you register and pay your Registry of Joint Stocks registration fee  

• Craft East Wholesale Show, Halifax, March 2027 (approximately $1,650 value)— select participants will have the opportunity to have a booth and travel to this major wholesale show, giving your business direct access to buyers 

• Brand design ($2,500 value) — participants from the cohort will have the opportunity to have a brand designed at no cost 

Approximate total value per person: $4,960 

Who We’re Looking For 
We’re seeking Indigenous craft artists from across Unama’ki’s five First Nations communities who are ready to take their business to the next level, whether that means your first wholesale order, your first online store, or your first export sale. Come as you are in your craft practice, ready to build the business around it. Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee made up of Mi’kmaq artists, culture workers, and craft sector representatives. 

About the program and who can apply
Applications close October 21, 2026. Five Indigenous craft artists from across Unama’ki will be selected for a six-session, Mi’kmaw-led business program delivered by Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design with Mawi’Art: Wabanaki Artist Collective and Craft Alliance.

You can apply if you:

• are an Indigenous craft artist living in, or connected to, one of Unama’ki’s five First Nations communities

• have an established craft practice, making work you already sell or are ready to sell

• can attend all six sessions, running:

  • Friday, November 6, 2026 (in person, at Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design, 322 Charlotte Street, Sydney)

  • Tuesday, November 24, 2026, in person, at Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design, 322 Charlotte Street, Sydney)

  • Tuesday, December 1, 2026, in person, at Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design, 322 Charlotte Street, Sydney)

  • Tuesday, January 12, 2027 — Online/virtually

  • Tuesday, February 9, 2027 – online/virtually

You do not need a registered business, a business plan, a website or professional photos to apply. The program will help with all of these.

Application questions

The application has five questions and a few photos. Short answers are fine, and there are no right or wrong answers.

1. Your name, community, and the best way to reach you (phone, email or social media).

2. Tell us about your craft. What do you make, and how long have you been making it?

3. Are you selling your work now? If so, where and how (markets, online, from home, in shops)?

4. What would you like your craft business to look like in two years?

5. About how many pieces could you make in a typical month?

6. Five to ten photos of your work. Phone photos are fine.

Please also confirm that you can attend all six sessions.

How to apply

Apply in whichever way is easiest for you. Every format is reviewed the same way.

• In writing: email your answers and photos to Lori Burke at lori@capebretoncraft.com.

• By phone: call 902 539 7491 ext. 113 and we will go through the questions with you.

• By voice or video: record your answers on your phone and send the file by email or text.

• In person: book a time to meet at the Centre, 322 Charlotte Street, Sydney.

How to Apply

Spots are limited to five (5) participants. To learn more or apply, contact: Lori Burke at lori@capebretoncraft.com