This post is the second of a three-part series that is not strictly about community engagement. However, to engage with communities with which one is not familiar it is essential to understand the dynamics of privilege. This is especially true when the “engager” is as directly viewed as a representative of wealth and power as is the nonprofit arts establishment. (When the series is completed, I will post the entire essay on my website.) Last … [Read more...]
Privilege/Encumbrance: Part I
This post is the beginning of a three-part series that is not strictly about community engagement. (When it is completed, I will post the entire essay on my website.) However, to engage with communities with which one is not familiar it is essential to understand the dynamics of privilege. This is especially true when the “engager” is as directly viewed as a representative of wealth and power as is the nonprofit arts … [Read more...]
Talk with Them
We have recently upgraded to a new used car from a very (very) old used car. Since this one is ten years younger than our last model, there are significant (and daunting) new bells and whistles. (Love the rear camera!) But one feature has kind of blown me away. The rear hatch will open (and then close) simply by kicking your foot under the bumper. This means that with loaded arms and/or kids in tow, you don't need to fumble for keys or an opener … [Read more...]
Cry of the Heart
Several months ago in its weekly newsletter, ArtsJournal.com, the host of this blog, posted an article about opera in Great Britain that had the following teaser title: Opera Is *Not* Too Posh And Exclusive, And If You Think It Is, It’s Your Own Damn Fault, Says Opera Boss. That title was, without a doubt, (successful) clickbait. As readers of Engaging Matters might expect, a title suggesting that those not interested in opera (or any other art … [Read more...]
Wine and Cheese?
In my last post I wrote about connecting with middle class communities. In it I acknowledged: It's a nearly unaddressed issue within the nonprofit arts industry that we are widely viewed as elitist and irrelevant to "the person on the street." Overcoming that impression will take commitment and a considerable amount of conversation up front. There are, of course, many sources of that view of irrelevance. Perhaps it's the proximity of the … [Read more...]
Middle Class Communities
For the many of us reeling from the recent election, middle class communities are much on our minds. I've written about it twice already: Blindsided and Should We Bother? I thought it might be good to dig a little deeper into what this might mean for community engagement. The beauty of my operating definition of community–a group of people with something in common–is its flexibility. I know it is woefully inadequate in sociological (or most … [Read more...]
Should We Bother?
My post reflecting on the presidential election, Blindsided, drew a thoughtful comment that seems to me to be worthy of a fuller response than a simple “Reply.” Here is a link to the comments section. The gist of the comment was that there is little merit in engaging with people who will not leave their homes for what we have to offer. I certainly understand the sentiment and it is worth considering. However, there are a couple of rather serious … [Read more...]
Your organization sucks at ‘community’ and let me tell you why
by Ronia Holmes, Assistant Director of Communications for Arts + Public Life at the University of Chicago This post is part of a series in conjunction with TRG Arts on developing relationships with both new communities and existing stakeholders through artistic programming, marketing and fundraising, community engagement and public policy. (Cross-post can be found at Analysis from TRG Arts.) Your organization sucks at ‘community’ and let me tell … [Read more...]
Blindsided
It's been a week since the election. I have spent the time (metaphorically) in the fetal position under the covers. I regret that I've not had the psychological energy to weigh in before; I'm now viscerally aware that with age comes a marked reduction in resilience. (Who knew?) I will confess that one of my first impulses was to throw in the towel on my work attempting to better connect arts organizations with their communities. Even then, … [Read more...]
Who Benefits?
Definitions are important to me. That's probably a reflection of my former life as an academic. (Or, I suppose, it could be why I was an academic.) They've also become critical to my work as an advocate for community engagement. I have presented numerous attempts at defining things like audience development, audience engagement, community engagement, and arts-based community development for the purpose of clarifying each and, more importantly, … [Read more...]