Artist Venture Studio: Commercialization for creatives
How can creatives maximize their artistic and economic impact?
The MIT Arts Startup Incubator and Martin Trust Center welcome Frances Pollock to discuss the innovative strategy behind her artist venture studio, the Midnight Oil Collective. Kathleen Wrinn–musical theater writer, performer, and educator–joins Frances in conversation about MOC’s role in incubating a new project, THE BRIDGE, a musical epic inspired by the true story of Emily Roebling, the woman who secretly built the Brooklyn Bridge, and the unrecognized labor behind its construction. As part of the event, Kathleen and Frances will share a live performance excerpt with keyboard accompaniment.
Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
About the Midnight Oil Collective
The Midnight Oil Collective is a venture studio that incubates, accelerates, and invests in art and entertainment. Inspired by startup accelerators like Y-combinator and Techstars, MOC uses a cohort-based system to bring artists together, create collaborative communities, and drive innovation. The unique investment model, which uses mutual economics to align interests of a large network of creators with our investors, allows MOC to tailor funding to the needs of artists as they develop and commercialize their IP.
About Frances Pollock
Frances Pollock is a composer by trade, founding partner of Midnight Oil Collective, and completing a doctorate at the Yale School of Music. She writes primarily for the stage and her operas and musical theater productions are currently performed all over the country. When she is not writing theater, she is directing and producing. Frances is a proud angel investor in early stage work and is always enthusiastic about finding ways to bring art and entertainment closer to the innovation space.
About Kathleen Wrinn
Kathleen Wrinn is an Assistant Professor of Musical Theater at Syracuse University. She earned her MFA at NYU Tisch’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and has written Book and Lyrics for multiple full-length musicals, as well as performed on stages throughout the country. In addition to her writing and performance, Kathleen’s advocacy work elevates the voices of underrepresented writers and composers to diversify the stories told in the musical theater canon. She is the Founding Artistic Director of Syracuse University’s New Works/New Voices initiative and currently serves in leadership roles with Maestra Music, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, and the Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance.