Last September I presented two workshops on community engagement for ArtsFund Seattle. One was for board members, the other for staff of arts organizations. It was only recently that I was provided feedback from the evaluations. The board workshop was very well received. The responses about the workshop for staff were, as we used to say in academia, bimodal. The number of extremely enthusiastic and highly negative comments was similar. In … [Read more...]
What They Want
There is an unfortunate tendency on the part of some in the nonprofit arts industry to believe that it is their responsibility to provide to the public art that they think the public needs. This is usually based on little to no understanding of what those needs might actually be. In addition, when examined a bit, what they are really giving the public is the art that they want to give them. Anyone’s true need has little to do with it. There is a … [Read more...]
Doin’ What You Do
In Present What You Do I advocated for early engagement work to flow, where possible, from programming already planned and contextualized around the interests of communities. Serendipitously (there's a word I don't often get to use), at about the time that post was published, Gus Denhard from Early Music Seattle got in touch to tell me about a program they had done in December that does a good job of illustrating the point. (Long-time readers may … [Read more...]
Systemically Privileged
People concerned about issues related to the arts and equity (funding is just one area) have used many terms to describe the juggernaut that is the world of symphonies, ballet companies, museums, and theaters. Most of the terminology used is either offensive or absurdly complex (and/or unwieldy). “Mainstream” illustrates the former. It implies this Eurocentric world to be the standard, the “normal.” It places it at the center, marginalizing those … [Read more...]
One Wo/Man Band
I am frequently asked whether an arts organization can successfully engage communities with just one person assigned the responsibility for "engaging." One answer, given with considerable trepidation is, "It depends." If it's a small organization, if community engagement is represented/honored in all decision-making processes, if everyone in the organization maintains a commitment to engagement in all of their work, then "Maybe." If not, the … [Read more...]
Engagement at the Core
This is the last of a series, introduced in Baby Steps, about arts organizations’ initial efforts in community engagement. For details about the premises upon which these posts are based, see below. The essence is that simple, inexpensive initial steps offer the best way to embark upon community engagement. Engagement at the Core: Early Efforts As I said in Baby Steps, the key to successful engagement “is as simple, inexpensive, and … [Read more...]
Know Your Communities
This is part of a series, introduced in Baby Steps, about arts organizations’ initial efforts in community engagement. For details about the premises upon which these posts are based, see below. The essence is that simple, inexpensive initial steps offer the best way to embark upon community engagement. Know Your Communities: Community-Aware Marketing This is a sneaky post. The emphasis of this series is on the small, simple, inexpensive things … [Read more...]
Present What You Do
This is part of a series, introduced in Baby Steps, about arts organizations’ initial efforts in community engagement. For details about the premises upon which these posts are based, see below. The essence is that simple, inexpensive initial steps offer the best way to embark upon community engagement. Present What You Do: Connecting through Our Art The most important attribute of any arts organization is, of course, the art it presents. To … [Read more...]
Share What You Have
This is part of a series, introduced in Baby Steps, about arts organizations’ initial efforts in community engagement. For details about the premises upon which these posts are based, see below. The essence is that simple, inexpensive initial steps offer the best way to embark upon community engagement. Share What You Have: Connecting as Community Citizens Beyond what was discussed in Be What You Are, a means of connecting with communities that … [Read more...]
Be What You Are
This is part of a series, introduced in Baby Steps, about arts organizations’ initial efforts in community engagement. The premises are twofold. First, since relationship building is the core of community engagement, attempting to do too much too fast (before the relationship is established) will likely not be productive and, in fact, may be counter-productive. Second, there are many things that can be done to support engagement that do not … [Read more...]