GetSmART!: The Art of Public Speaking

Learn the art of public speaking and take your artistic career and business to the next level. Public speaking, among artists’ top fears, is a vital part of connecting your story with your work; building opportunities and partnerships; and persuading galleries, businesses and venues to give your artwork a platform.

Participants will dive into techniques for word choice, effective body language, voice modulation, and audience connection. With a focus on practical application, the workshop includes opportunities for hands-on practice, allowing you to refine your delivery in a supportive, constructive environment. This workshop will empower artists to speak with clarity, authority and poise.

Attendees will leave with new communication skills that can help in every facet of life.

What You’ll Get Out of Attending:

• Proven strategies to manage and reduce public speaking anxiety.
• Practical tools to structure your speeches, choose your words and engage your audience.
• Enhanced delivery techniques, including voice control and non-verbal communication.

Jimmy Cunningham Jr., a native of Pine Bluff and current resident of Nashville, is a grant-writer, voiceover artist, author, community program consultant and executive director of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Alliance. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees respectively from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Grambling State University. Over a three-decade span, Cunningham has been involved in programs at the national and state levels largely focused on the social and cultural development of inner-city youth. He is a practiced public speaker who has been the keynote for multiple events, including for The Black History Commission and Arkansans for the Arts. He is heavily involved in research regarding African American history in the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta. His latest project involves helping to develop a cultural corridor between Pine Bluff and Indianola, Mississippi, to increase cultural heritage tourism.

The Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of Arkansas Heritage, which is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, advances and empowers the arts in Arkansas. The agency supports and perpetuates cultural, educational and economic opportunities in the arts for the benefit of all Arkansans.

Historic Arkansas Museum is home to a historic city block including the oldest building in Little Rock, an 1850s Farmstead, galleries of Arkansas Made art and history ranging from indigenous Arkansans to contemporary artists and artisans.

Info: In this workshop, professional voice actor and public speaker Jimmy Cunningham will lead participants through mastering public speaking to engage audiences and talk about themselves and their artwork. Boost sales, connect with audiences, discover techniques and more.

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Host or Publisher Arkansas Arts Council