“Perfect moments.” That’s the beautiful insight that David Ira Goldstein, the beloved Artistic Director Emeritus of Arizona Theatre Company shared with me during my tenure as his administrative partner as ATC’s Interim Managing Director. When the story is compelling… when the direction is inspired… when the actors’ delivery is flawless… when the set design is beautiful… when the sound is resonant… when the house is full... when the audience is … [Read more...]
Assessment, Resilience & Consensus
Happy New (Fiscal) Year to those who celebrate! So, how will you work differently going forward? Here are 3 questions to help you get started: What have you learned from the year just concluded? An exercise: draw a line down the center of a single sheet of paper and headline one column "What Went Wrong" and the other "What Went Right." Start writing and don't stop until you have a total of (at least) 50 items from the season … [Read more...]
NEA Funding: Beyond Votes, We Must Grow the Applause
The President's budget proposal to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts is merely an "opening argument." A very long legislative process now begins which will, hopefully, culminate in a budget that reflects moderation and compromise. Our advocates at Americans for the Arts have long prepared for this day - and it's reassuring to know that the arts have friends on both sides of the political aisle. Of course, nothing is assured until … [Read more...]
On “Artivism” – a conversation with Amy Hunter
I met Amy Hunter in St. Louis in October 2014, less than 3 months after the shooting of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson. At the time, she served as Director of Racial Justice for the YWCA of Metro St. Louis. Today, she serves Children’s Hospital in St. Louis Missouri as the Manager of Diversity and Inclusion. The St. Louis Regional Arts Council paired us to lead a frank conversation among leaders of the region’s major arts & cultural … [Read more...]
Resilience: The Spirit of 9/12
On September 12, 2001, the theater was dark, the museum galleries were empty and the phones didn't ring. I was a shared-services marketing director then - with responsibilities to sell subscriptions and single tickets at the dawn of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' new season as well as to launch the new season of the not-quite-2-year-old Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. We remember the fear and uncertainty of 9/11. … [Read more...]
SWOT + What?
The SWOT analysis is a well-known and highly valuable tool for strategic planning. Strengths - What do we do better than others? Weaknesses - What could we improve (or what should we avoid)? Opportunities - What new ideas deserve to be explored? Threats - What challenges may interfere with our plans? To understand what's "internal" to our organizations, we study the assessment of our own strengths & weaknesses. The … [Read more...]
A Small Detail, A Big Idea & Why You Should Care
Let's marvel at a small detail that reveals a big idea... Here's the opening sentence of a just-received press release from the City of Mesa (AZ)... Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SC, “Santander Consumer USA”), a consumer finance company focused on vehicle finance, third-party servicing and delivering superior service to more than 2.5 million customers across the full credit spectrum, announced it will expand its operations to … [Read more...]
The 4 Types of Audiences
You want to attract, grow, diversify and sustain your audience? Great! But the biggest mistake you can make is to think of that audience as a single entity. True, "your audience" converged at some point - whether for a particular night's performance, during the run of a production or exhibition, into your venue, or some other way onto your mailing list. But the happenstance of their intersection doesn't mean they share the same motivations, … [Read more...]
What is Audience Engagement? (Part 3)
This is SUCH a great thought-provoking conversation, I'm thrilled for it to continue… Again, delighted (and grateful) to share the wisdom of respected friends and colleagues on the question: What is the meaning of the word “engagement”? And how does an arts organization know if it is succeeding? ————- Bob Booker – Executive Director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts When two people make a statement of love, support, and promise to … [Read more...]
What is Audience Engagement? (Part 2)
It’s commonplace to talk about the need for “audience engagement” – but what does the term actually mean? Let's pick up from yesterday's discussion... Here again, I’m delighted (and grateful) to offer the insights of respected friends and colleagues on this question: What is the meaning of the word “engagement”? And how does an arts organization know if it is succeeding? ————- Doug McLennan - Founder & Editor of … [Read more...]