{"id":1531,"date":"2012-04-25T06:27:36","date_gmt":"2012-04-25T10:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/?p=1531"},"modified":"2012-04-25T06:28:01","modified_gmt":"2012-04-25T10:28:01","slug":"the-magic-of-small-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2012\/04\/the-magic-of-small-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"The Magic of Small Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"In early April, as part of Americans for the Arts’ Emerging Leaders blog salon, Gregory Burbage posted an article on small group organization in mega-churches and the lessons to be learned from them: Group Therapy in the Arts<\/a>. The point he was presenting is that huge churches (the one he cited has a membership of 24,000!) organize (and grow) themselves through the establishment of small support groups unified around interests or age. This is a model with which I am very familiar as a result of my extended (and long since ended) sojourn in Southern Baptistdom. I have always been impressed by the cohesion and self-organization made possible by this approach to structure. It is relatively simple and can be highly effective in supporting growth in churches. It is also a model that has much to offer in developing, growing, and maintaining relationships with people whom the arts serve.<\/p>\n

Mr. Burbage points to groups of which he is a member. For arts administrators, the mutual therapy possible via a small group is valuable (if not essential). It can be a lonely, if not discouraging, life. Having a group of peers with whom you can “let your hair down” and talk about the Board, the artistic director, (the executive director), or the vagaries of artists is a means of maintaining sanity. I know that the Association of Arts Administration Educators’ annual conference serves that role for me and many of my colleagues. (Come join us at the end of May, we’re a very<\/em> entertaining, if somewhat wacky group. Conference info is here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

But what Mr. Burbage’s post really got me thinking about was the potential of small groups as a means of community engagement. Imagine if there were hundreds of “cells” of “opera people” or “orchestra people” who gathered on a semi-regular basis to talk about the arts and other interests. Such small groups could eventually be self-organizing. (Well, maybe not totally self-sufficient, but they need not have their hands held by arts organization staff at every gathering.) Technology could make these simpler to arrange than used to be the case. They could also provide a mechanism for dialogue\u2013communication and feedback\u2013with the organization.<\/p>\n

What I’m talking about here is a bit like a book club or supper club with the arts organization or the art form as the common bond. This is more than pre-curtain talks. It is an ongoing mechanism that is largely implemented by the participants. It is a structure that could support my goals for the arts\u2013substantive, lasting engagement.<\/p>\n

Anyone out there got a good example? I’d love to share it with people.<\/p>\n

Engage!<\/p>\n

Doug<\/p>\n

Photo: \"Attribution\"\"Noncommercial\"\"Share<\/a> Some rights reserved<\/a> by kahunapulej<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In early April, as part of Americans for the Arts’ Emerging Leaders blog salon, Gregory Burbage posted an article on small group organization in mega-churches and the lessons to be learned from them: Group Therapy in the Arts. The point he was presenting is that huge churches (the one he cited has a membership of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5,10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1531","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-principles","7":"category-the-practice-of-engagement","8":"entry","9":"has-post-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1G6h9-oH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3593,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2014\/05\/first-believe\/","url_meta":{"origin":1531,"position":0},"title":"First, Believe","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"May 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"There is one, and only one, first principle in effective engagement with communities. That is believing that doing so is a good thing\u2013for the organization, for the community, and for art.","rel":"","context":"In "The Practice of Engagement"","block_context":{"text":"The Practice of Engagement","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/the-practice-of-engagement\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Halo-Reflection","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Halo-Reflection-300x195.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5321,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2018\/06\/two-phase-engagement\/","url_meta":{"origin":1531,"position":1},"title":"Two-Phase Engagement","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"June 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Phase 1 of community engagement is relationship building. Evidence of growing trust is the expectation. Phase 2, with the relationship established, can turn to mutually beneficial programming and practical matters like sales and donations.","rel":"","context":"In "Principles"","block_context":{"text":"Principles","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/principles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/PouringFoundation-200x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3870,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2015\/02\/arts-predispositions-iii-noes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1531,"position":2},"title":"Arts Predispositions III: Noes","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"February 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Understanding non-participants. Arts Predispositions: Noes","rel":"","context":"In "Principles"","block_context":{"text":"Principles","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/principles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Crowd-Cropped-e1412550057746.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Crowd-Cropped-e1412550057746.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Crowd-Cropped-e1412550057746.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5437,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2018\/12\/case-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":1531,"position":3},"title":"Case Studies","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"December 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Community engagement case studies written by new CET Trainers.","rel":"","context":"In "Examples"","block_context":{"text":"Examples","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/examples\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/StackOfPapers-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2312,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2013\/01\/new-thought\/","url_meta":{"origin":1531,"position":4},"title":"New Thought on Audience and Community Engagement","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"January 16, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"[Note to new readers: This is a very old and widely read post. In the interest of providing up-to-date information about thinking on this topic, you can find updated definitions of terminology related to community engagement and related arts management tools on the ArtsEngaged website here.] Let me make it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Overview"","block_context":{"text":"Overview","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/overview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ThinkingPleaseWait.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5082,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2017\/11\/external-connections\/","url_meta":{"origin":1531,"position":5},"title":"External Connections","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"November 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Fundraising, sales, education, and engagement are how we \"connect.\" They are all important to the current and future health of our organizations. Studying them together could prove highly valuable.","rel":"","context":"In "Principles"","block_context":{"text":"Principles","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/principles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ExteriorOutlet-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1531"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1531\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}