artistic processes and practices

On a Strategy of Indeterminacy: Or, the Value of Creating Pathways to the Unforeseen

January 27, 2023 by Diane Ragsdale 12 Comments

Inspired by work and writings of John Cage and Rebecca Solnit How do you calculate upon the unforeseen? It seems to be an art of recognizing the role of the unforeseen, of keeping your balance amid surprises, of collaborating with chance, of recognizing that there are some essential mysteries in the world and thereby a limit to calculation, to plan, to control. To calculate on the unforeseen is perhaps exactly the paradoxical operation that life most requires of us. This passage is from one of my favorite writers and favorite books … [Read more...]

A speaker, writer, and advisor on a range of arts and culture topics, Diane Ragsdale is director and co-lead faculty of the Cultural Leadership Program at Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. Diane also teaches a workshop on Cultural Policy at Yale University for its Theater Management MA and is a doctoral candidate at Erasmus University Rotterdam (in the Netherlands), where she lectured 2011-2015 in the cultural economics and sociology of the arts programs. Diane additionally provides a range of advising, research, and education services to the arts and culture sector (in the US and abroad); and is a frequent provocateur or interlocutor at arts conferences and symposiums around the world. Read More…

Andrew Taylor on On a Strategy of Indeterminacy: Or, the Value of Creating Pathways to the Unforeseen: “Love this line of thinking, Diane! Although I also wonder about the many small, safe-to-fail ways you could explore randomness…” Feb 21, 22:54
Rick Heath on On a Strategy of Indeterminacy: Or, the Value of Creating Pathways to the Unforeseen: “Thanks Dianne Compelled and confused! (Not for the first time, and not entirely because of your words, but somewhat because…” Feb 5, 07:20
Diane Ragsdale on On a Strategy of Indeterminacy: Or, the Value of Creating Pathways to the Unforeseen: “Hi Ella! Thanks so much for taking the time to read and engage with the post. Thank you for reminding…” Feb 2, 18:19
Diane Ragsdale on On a Strategy of Indeterminacy: Or, the Value of Creating Pathways to the Unforeseen: “Caroline! Thanks so much for reading and sharing reflections. I am compelled by your idea to have an entire college…” Feb 2, 18:18
Diane Ragsdale on On a Strategy of Indeterminacy: Or, the Value of Creating Pathways to the Unforeseen: “Margaret, Thank you for taking the time to read and comment and for the warm wishes for my recovery. I…” Feb 2, 16:57

On artistic leadership and aesthetic values in a changed cultural context: A new keynote address

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It’s creative; but is it beautiful? (My talk at the Pave Symposium on Entrepreneurship and the Arts)

In May, I gave a talk at the Pave Biennial Symposium on Arts & Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University. The theme of this year's conference … [Read More...]

"Surviving the Culture Change", "The Excellence Barrier", "Holding Up the Arts: Can We Sustain What We've Creatived? Should We?" and "Living in the Struggle: Our Long Tug of War in the Arts" are a few keynote addresses I've given in the US and abroad on the larger changes in the cultural environment and ways arts organizations may need to adapt in order to survive and thrive in the coming years.

If you want a quicker read, then you may want to skip the speeches and opt for the article, "Recreating Fine Arts Institutions," which was published in the November 2009 Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Here is a recent essay commissioned by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts for the 2011 State of the Arts Conference in London, "Rethinking Cultural Philanthropy".

In 2012 I documented a meeting among commercial theater producers and nonprofit theater directors to discuss partnerships between the two sectors in the development of new theatrical work, which is published by HowlRound. You can get a copy of this report, "In the Intersection," on the HowlRound Website. Finally, last year I also had essays published in Doug Borwick's book, Building Communities Not Audiences and Theatre Bay Area's book (edited by Clay Lord), Counting New Beans.