As part of Engaging Matters' 10th Anniversary, we are highlighting important and/or popular posts from the past. In reviewing such posts it became clear that many were grouped thematically. As a result, this Anniversary series will, for the most part, present the theme with links to relevant posts rather than simply re-posting individual items. One of the most important elements of effective community engagement is understanding that any … [Read more...]
Not Charity
One of the more pernicious ideas used to denigrate community engagement is the claim that it's "just charity work." This implies that any community not already participating in the arts has no resources to bring to the table. That's preposterous. Every community has cultural resources and many, if not most, have financial resources that can be applied toward things it feels are truly important. Significant self-funded philanthropic work is being … [Read more...]
Differentiation
As part of Engaging Matters' 10th Anniversary, we are highlighting important and/or popular posts from the past. In reviewing such posts it became clear that many were grouped thematically. As a result, this Anniversary series will, for the most part, present the theme with links to relevant posts rather than simply re-posting individual items. One of the most significant observations in this blog has been the differentiation among audience … [Read more...]
Employee Engagement as a Strategy for Community Engagement
Guest Postby Kathleen Riemenschneider For more than two decades I have managed and developed education and community engagement programs, but while earning my doctorate in leadership studies I learned about ‘employee engagement.’ I began to wonder if there was a relationship between community engagement and employee engagement. There are similarities: both are about increasing involvement in the decision-making process or at least giving a … [Read more...]
Terminology
As part of Engaging Matters' 10th Anniversary, we are highlighting important and/or popular posts from the past. In reviewing such posts it became clear that many were grouped thematically. As a result, this Anniversary series will, for the most part, present the theme with links to relevant posts rather than simply re-posting individual items. "Community engagement" has the power not only to enhance viability but also to aid nonprofit arts … [Read more...]
Ten Years
This week marks the tenth anniversary of Engaging Matters. That's hard for me to believe. In that time this blog has had a little over 500 posts, mostly written by yours truly but also spiced up with work from some brilliant guests. When we began there was a frantic (for me) pace of two posts per week. After a few years writing that much "ate my lunch" so I cut back to one per week. Over the last two years the writing has become gradually more . … [Read more...]
Ready . . . or Not
In the Community Engagement Network’s May and June Conversations on Benchmarking Equity (See What Was Said) a good deal of time was spent on the question of when an arts organization is ready to pursue DEI initiatives. The overwhelming opinion was that just because an organization would like to be seen as equitable does not mean it was ready to begin working toward equity. Here are some indicators that an organization is not ready: When an … [Read more...]
Equity and Engagement
As I mentioned in What Was Said, the report on the Community Engagement Network’s May and June Conversations on Benchmarking Equity, participants frequently commented on the relationships between community engagement and work in pursuit of equity. I’ve long held that without a commitment to community engagement an arts organization’s DEI efforts are not likely to succeed (Doomed to Fail). But the Conversations went way beyond that. In particular, … [Read more...]
Music As Care
Music as Care by Sarah Adams Hoover is a book devoted to “arts in health.” The topic is light years from my area of expertise so I was surprised when Sarah asked me to take a look at it. I am extremely glad she did. The book provides an excellent (and fascinating) overview of a rapidly growing field, one that appears to hold much promise for the future of healthcare. But what struck me most was the way it humanizes music; for the arts to be … [Read more...]
What Was Said
In May and June the Community Engagement Network hosted Conversations addressing the topic Benchmarking Equity. While we did not take the advisability of benchmarking as a given (Benchmarking? Maybe Not), the premise of the discussions was that without some form of accountability, statements committing to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion can easily be as toothless as “thoughts and prayers” about gun violence. For those interested, the notes … [Read more...]