Contract Best Practices for Working Artists

​About the event

​What is a contract? Are there things it has to include? Do I need a lawyer to write or negotiate it for me? A contract exists when participants come together to exchange goods and services for compensation. A written contract is a valuable tool for any creative practice. Contracts take all shapes and sizes, but ultimately the best contract is the one that all parties understand and that meets all parties’ business needs. Whether you routinely use contracts in your creative practice or you’re new to it, this workshop is for you!

​Presenter: Luke Blackadar, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

​Luke Blackadar manages the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston’s Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and Patent Pro Bono of New England programs. An entertainment attorney, Luke counsels individual artists, creative small businesses, and arts nonprofits on legal issues relating to contracts, intellectual property, legal entities, and nonprofit governance. In addition to his work at the Arts & Business Council, Luke teaches at Roger Williams University School of Law, Boston University Metropolitan College, and Northeastern University School of Law. He serves on the board of directors of the Community Music School of Boston, and was appointed to Gov. Healey's Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council. Luke is a graduate of Clark University and Northeastern University School of Law.

​Individuals who live or work in one of the communities served by the Greater Lowell Community Foundation will be prioritized: Acton, Ashby, Ayer, Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Lowell, Littleton, Pepperell, Shirley, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsboro, Westford, Wilmington.