{"id":5590,"date":"2019-04-24T02:00:57","date_gmt":"2019-04-24T06:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/?p=5590"},"modified":"2019-04-11T13:38:18","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T17:38:18","slug":"presenter-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2019\/04\/presenter-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Presenter Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/SegerstromCenterPlaza.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5598\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/SegerstromCenterPlaza.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/SegerstromCenterPlaza-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">When thinking about arts organizations and community engagement, it is easy to get stuck on producer organizations\u2013symphonies, theatres, dance companies, and (most of the time) museums. But there is another major constituency under the heading &#8220;arts organizations&#8221;\u2013presenters, usually performing arts venues. (When museums host traveling exhibitions they are, similarly, presenters.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">I have spoken with staff members of presenting organizations interested in community engagement who lament the fact that they are not in a position to select specific works themselves. Instead, they have to book what producing organizations\u2013touring companies or local groups\u2013are offering. They believe producers have more flexibility in tailoring programming to community needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">There is truth in that. At the same time, however, there are some ways in which the presenter is <em>better<\/em> positioned to support community engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>First, presenters, are more directly tied to ticket sales or visitor numbers than some producing organizations <em>perceive themselves to be.<\/em> As a result, there is, potentially, more institutional incentive to connect with communities. They don&#8217;t know what they will be presenting, so it behooves them to maximize the number of communities with which they have relationships. Positioning the presenter space as a community-friendly gathering place\u2013as suggested in the rest of this list\u2013is an ideal way to address this need.<\/li><li>Second, many presenters offer arts training programs at their venues. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2017\/11\/education-and-engagement\/\">To be clear, education <\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2017\/11\/education-and-engagement\/\">is not<\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2017\/11\/education-and-engagement\/\"> community engagement<\/a>.  However, the opportunity for participatory arts activities that education programs develop\u2013especially when geared toward adults\u2013can be a key component of an engagement strategy.<\/li><li>Third, many (but by no means all) presenters have outdoor spaces, like plazas, that afford the opportunity for public gathering and public events.<\/li><li>Fourth, performing and rehearsal spaces as well as lobbies can be utilized for meetings, social gatherings, and community-oriented presentations.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">All of these are advantages that many producer organizations do not have. In addition, with respect to programming, presenters <em>do<\/em> have choices about what to program and, in many cases, there are options that can directly address community interests if the presenter knows those interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">I am always leery of examples because of the unique nature of every arts organization-community connection. However, two venues come to mind. The Music Center of Los Angeles, one of the largest presenting venues in the U.S., has made a mission-level commitment to connecting with communities:  &#8220;connect the people of Los Angeles with one another and with art that can enrich their lives.&#8221; It&#8217;s On Location program presents in LA neighborhoods, and it has an extensive program of public events at gatherings at Grand Park, a city park run by the Center. All of this is organized by a staff of four specifically charged with community engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">In nearby Costa Mesa, CA, the Segerstrom Center for the arts sees itself as  \u201ca cultural center and dynamic town square deeply engrained in the fabric of our community.\u201d Its Center without Boundaries establishes civic partnerships with local non-arts organizations from communities it wants to engage and helps them address <em>their <\/em>specific goals.  Out of its dance education program an Alzheimers support project entitled &#8220;Brain Dance&#8221; grew. It uses neuro-developmental movements that are important for cerebral function, balance, memory, and accessing language and includes family members in the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">The Center&#8217;s plaza is home to recurring small programs (Tuesday night dance classes featuring salsa, Broadway, Bollywood, and country line dancing) and large community events like its Three Kings Day Festival. The TKD Festival grew out of meetings with a community advisory committee. The committee organizes the event  (and others like it) with logistical support and seed money from the Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:justify\">It&#8217;s true that presenter organizations have particular challenges when it comes to community engagement. However, their inherent strong incentive to connect, the educational programming many already offer, and their facility rich nature all represent engagement opportunities that many producing organizations do not have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s all<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Engage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doug<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Presenting organizations and community engagement: great potential.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5598,"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":"Presenter Engagement: Presenting organizations have great potential for community engagement.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,10],"tags":[12,13,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-5590","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-overview","8":"category-the-practice-of-engagement","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-community-engagement","11":"tag-persenters","12":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/SegerstromCenterPlaza.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1G6h9-1sa","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5197,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2018\/01\/share-what-you-have\/","url_meta":{"origin":5590,"position":0},"title":"Share What You Have","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"January 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Simple ways of engaging become apparent when an organization identifies itself as a community member willing and able to contribute its life.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Practice of Engagement&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Practice of Engagement","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/the-practice-of-engagement\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/SharingBread-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":452,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2011\/10\/engagement-uber-alles\/","url_meta":{"origin":5590,"position":1},"title":"Engagement Uber Alles?","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"October 15, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"To date I've avoided a direct answer to the unspoken question some of you may have about all of this. Even if engagement is important for some arts organizations, do I really think it is essential for all? After my Quality and Community posts (Quality and Community; Quality and Community-2),\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Principles&quot;","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\/2011\/09\/Excellence.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1339,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2012\/04\/ems-list\/","url_meta":{"origin":5590,"position":2},"title":"EM&#8217;s List","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"April 7, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In Bimodal Engagement, I intimated that there was a plot afoot at Engaging Matters to spread the word about great examples of arts and community engagement activities. The form the plot will take is a recognition list called EM's List (Engaging Matters: EM. Maybe not clever but, for me, easy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;EM's List&quot;","block_context":{"text":"EM's List","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/examples\/ems-list\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/StephanieMooreColor.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6612,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2022\/04\/assessing-engagement\/","url_meta":{"origin":5590,"position":3},"title":"Assessing Engagement","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"April 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The time has come to apply greater rigor to evaluating engagement processes, results, and the state of community engagement in the nonprofit arts industry.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Practice of Engagement&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Practice of Engagement","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/the-practice-of-engagement\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Clipboard.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5452,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2018\/11\/understanding-engagement\/","url_meta":{"origin":5590,"position":4},"title":"Understanding Engagement","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"November 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Announcing the availability of a new resource presenting basic concepts essential to understanding the potential that community engagement represents for arts organizations.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Practice of Engagement&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Practice of Engagement","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/the-practice-of-engagement\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/CommunityEngagementLogos-V-2017-Final-2.44.07-PM-212x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2250,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2012\/12\/playin-in-peoria\/","url_meta":{"origin":5590,"position":5},"title":"Playin&#8217; in Peoria","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"December 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In mid-November I had the pleasure of presenting two workshops for Illinois' Local Arts Network, an organization of local arts agencies supported by the Illinois Arts Council and Arts Alliance Illinois. These two gigs, in Oak Park and Peoria, were the shakedown cruise on a new workshop, \"Mainstreaming Engagement,\" designed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Principles&quot;","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\/2012\/11\/Peoria.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5590","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=5590"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5590\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5601,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5590\/revisions\/5601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}