Arts Administration &
AI Accelerator
June 13 – July 3, 2027
Arts Administration & AI Accelerator
Unlock the future of arts leadership with a certification that blends world class business training, exclusive access to MonkeyPod, the gold standard in arts management software and hands on AI admin experience at one of Italy’s most inspiring festivals.
Why settle for theory when you can master the tools top organizations use every day in just 90 days?
Begins March 21 with online program
Arts Administration & AI Accelerator
March 21 – July 3, 2027
Online + Orvieto, Italy
Learn to build—not simply manage—the systems behind a successful arts organization.
This 90-day certification combines business strategy, arts administration, leadership, AI, and hands-on festival experience. Participants learn to design an Arts Operating System, work inside MonkeyPod, develop AI-supported workflows and organizational “brains,” and translate strategy into marketing, operations, finance, communications, and execution.
The program begins online on March 21 and culminates in three immersive weeks at Orvieto Musica, where participants rotate through real festival roles, work alongside the leadership team, and experience the systems they have built in action.
Participants are also invited to attend the Orvieto Leadership Summit, extending the program beyond arts administration into leadership, systems thinking, and the future of organizations.
Not simply arts management. Preparation to lead the whole system.
After years of music study, I knew I needed real-world skills to move into arts administration—but most programs just offered lectures and theory. Professor Walker’s Entrepreneurship program was a game-changer. The business training was practical and rigorous, with tools I could use immediately in marketing, budgeting, and team management.
By the time I finished, I had not only a standout credential, but also the confidence and experience to step into leadership roles. This program is the reason I’m now managing projects for a major arts organization.
About The Accelerator
Arts leadership now demands far more than good administration. It requires the ability to think strategically, build systems, lead teams, understand audiences, manage resources, and use emerging technologies intelligently.
The Orvieto Musica Arts Administration & AI Accelerator is a 90-day certification designed for emerging arts leaders, administrators, musicians, and entrepreneurial creatives who want to understand how an arts organization actually works—and how to build one that works better.
The program begins online with practical training in strategy, finance, marketing, operations, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Participants work with more than 130 business tools and templates, learn the fundamentals of MonkeyPod, and begin building an Arts Operating System supported by AI workflows, organizational “brains,” and repeatable processes.
The learning then moves to Orvieto, where participants step inside a working international festival. Through rotating roles across operations, communications, audience experience, administration, and production, they see how strategy becomes execution—and how an effective team is prepared to deliver it.
Participants are also invited to the Orvieto Leadership Summit, adding a rare opportunity to explore leadership, systems thinking, innovation, and the future of organizations alongside experienced leaders from beyond the arts.
The program culminates in the Orvieto Arts Leadership, Administration & Entrepreneurship Certificate—grounded not simply in what you have studied, but in what you have built, tested, and led.
Learn the business. Build the system. Lead the whole.
About MonkeyPod
MonkeyPod is a mission-driven social enterprise helping nonprofits around the world operate with greater clarity, efficiency, and impact. Its integrated platform brings together the systems organizations rely on every day—from CRM and donor management to finance, communications, workflows, and reporting.
Through Orvieto Musica’s partnership with MonkeyPod, participants in the Arts Administration & AI Accelerator gain hands-on experience using the platform to strengthen the infrastructure of their own organization.
They learn to structure data intelligently, build sustainable financial and administrative systems, streamline recurring tasks, and create workflows that reduce duplication and human error. Just as importantly, they begin to see how technology can support better decisions, stronger teams, and more resilient organizations.
Participants leave not simply knowing how to use MonkeyPod, but understanding how to build the back end of an arts organization that can grow with greater confidence.
Faculty Mentors
Participants in the Arts Administration & AI Accelerator work alongside mentors whose experience spans arts leadership, business strategy, entrepreneurship, education, and international festival management.
Prof. Kim Walker brings a rare combination of artistic, academic, and executive leadership experience. She has taught in the University of Sydney’s graduate EMBA program and now directs Texas Tech University’s Arts Entrepreneurship Certificate, helping emerging arts leaders translate creative vision into strategy, systems, and sustainable practice.
As Artistic & Executive Director of Orvieto Musica, she brings that work into a living international festival—where participants can see leadership, operations, and organizational design in action.
Kim Walker
What Sets This Accelerator Apart
Build the Back End of Your Own Organization.
Learn how a modern arts organization actually operates—from CRM, finance, donor management, and communications to event workflows, data systems, and automation. Using MonkeyPod and related tools, you will begin building these systems directly into your own organization as you learn.
Design Your Arts Operating System.
Create repeatable workflows, AI-supported processes, organizational “brains,” and systems tailored to the way your organization works. The goal is not simply to understand better systems, but to leave with them already taking shape.
Learn. Build. Implement.
Online training in strategy, marketing, finance, leadership, entrepreneurship, and technology becomes immediate application. Each module gives you the opportunity to strengthen your own business in real time—reducing friction, improving continuity, and creating greater capacity for growth.
Test the Whole System in Orvieto.
Then step inside a live international festival, rotating through real responsibilities and seeing how strategy, systems, people, and execution connect under genuine performance conditions.
Step Into Leadership.
Participation in the Orvieto Leadership Summit extends the experience beyond administration into systems thinking, innovation, decision-making, and the future of leadership.
Earn a Certificate Built on Practice.
The Orvieto Arts Leadership, Administration & Entrepreneurship Certificate reflects not simply what you have studied, but what you have built, implemented, tested, and led.
More Than A course
This is not simply professional development. It is an opportunity to strengthen the organization you already lead—or begin building the one you intend to create.
Across 90 days, participants develop business fluency, build practical systems, integrate AI-supported workflows, and apply what they learn directly to their own work. The experience then expands in Orvieto, where strategy, leadership, and operations are tested inside a living international festival.
You leave with more than a certificate: a stronger organization, a working operating system, and the capacity to lead both with greater clarity.
Learn the business. Build the system. Lead the whole.
Program Details
What’s Included?
Your festival fee provides a three-week residency in Orvieto, with the essential elements of daily and artistic life thoughtfully arranged. The intention is simple: less time managing logistics, more time for music, discovery, and the people with whom you will create it.
Artistic Work and Guidance
Music is at the center of the residency. Participants receive individual lessons, masterclasses, specialized coachings, and dedicated rehearsal time with collaborative pianists. Italian language sessions and all master classes—including the tour to underground caves—are part of the curriculum.
Living in Orvieto
Participants live in centrally located, double-occupancy apartments within walking distance of rehearsals, performances, cafés, and the historic center. Each day begins with breakfast at a local caffè, with additional meals arranged through neighborhood restaurants.
Arrival and Shared Experiences
Private coach transportation connects Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) with Orvieto at the beginning and end of the residency. Festival transportation is also arranged for shared activities and excursions, including a day at Lago di Bolsena, one of Europe’s iconic volcanic lakes.
Spaces and Resources
Participants have access to rehearsal rooms and pianos, the Orvieto Musica digital library, wireless internet, and the materials needed for their festival work. Required music licensing fees are covered by Orvieto Musica.
The Practical Details
Apartments receive weekly professional cleaning. The city tax and key deposits are included in the festival fee. Local medical care is readily available should it be needed. Participants receive complimentary admission to Orvieto Musica concerts and events, along with selected discounts from partner businesses throughout the city.
Professional Recordings
Festival performances are professionally captured in stereo audio and high-definition video. Participants receive access to the Orvieto Musica recording archive, with festival recordings made available within 90 days of the close of the season—and often sooner. Professional photos are also available within 7 days after the festival.
Should you wish, you can reserve additional services at additional cost for professional recordings or photo sessions during the festival at highly discounted rates with AndrewClarskonMedia productions.
Airfare to and from Italy is not included in the festival fee.
Program Fees
Online Only
Accelerator: $2,000
Online + Orvieto Residency
Accelerator + Shared Housing: $4,500
Accelerator + Private Room Upgrade: $5,700
Please note that the above pricing is guaranteed only until March 1. Enrollments after this date will be subject to additional surcharges.
Bring A Guest
Share Orvieto with Someone You Love
Family, friends, and partners are warmly invited to join you in Orvieto for part—or all—of the Festival. Guest arrangements are available for stays of one to three weeks and include accommodation, meals and scheduled airport transfers from Rome.
La Dolce Vita
For those who would like to experience Orvieto more deeply, La Dolce Vita offers a curated week of language, culture, and discovery—Italian classes, guided excursions, private tastings, artisan experiences, and time to enjoy the rhythms of Umbrian life.
Scholarships
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, scholarship support is available for Arts Admin Accelerator Program participants.
Awards are limited and considered as applications are reviewed. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by December 31.
APPLY FOR THE 2027 ACCELERATOR
Applications are due December 31. There is no application fee.
We invite applicants to share not only where they have been, but what they are ready to build next.
Application Materials:
Please submit a current curriculum vitae or résumé and a personal statement of approximately 500 words describing your interest in arts leadership, the organization or project you hope to strengthen, and what you would like to build, change, or implement through the Accelerator.
One letter of recommendation is also required and may be uploaded with your application or submitted separately by your recommender.
What’s Next?
Once accepted, please secure your place by submitting your Festival Registration Form and deposit by January 21. The remaining balance is due by March 15.
On June 13, Orvieto Musica’s chartered bus will meet participants at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) for the journey to Orvieto. Please plan to depart June 12 and arrive at FCO no later than June 13 11:30 AM CET. On arrival in Orvieto, you will be welcomed by your apartment hosts and introduced to the city that will be home for the next three weeks.
For your return on July 3, please book departing flights no earlier than 12:30 PM CET to allow time for the chartered transfer from Orvieto to FCO.
Complete travel guidance, key dates, forms, and planning information are available in the OM Portal, your central resource as you prepare for the season ahead.