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Scene Change

Arts are essential. Your nonprofit is not.

Arts and Culture

A Case for Support: Forklift Danceworks Uses the Art of Dance to Tell the Stories of Real, Essential Workers

April 1, 2025 by Alan Harrison Leave a Comment

Studs Terkel would have been proud of this remarkably impactful nonprofit arts organization. My favorite book about America is Working by Studs Terkel. In it, Terkel takes months to interview regular working people (and unemployed and retired people) in hundreds of jobs. They discuss what they do and what they get out of it. Their stories are familiar, unfamiliar, … [Read more...] about A Case for Support: Forklift Danceworks Uses the Art of Dance to Tell the Stories of Real, Essential Workers

Nonprofit Arts Success in a Changing Environment, Tip 6 — Don’t Talk About It; Do It.

March 25, 2025 by Alan Harrison 2 Comments

Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do. It’s right there in the phrase. In the new/old world order of Trumpian policy, your arts organization faces the real possibility that, in the face of anti-arts, anti-education, and anti-truth political muckraking euphemistically calling itself “populism,” it will be shut down. The most intelligent thing your nonprofit … [Read more...] about Nonprofit Arts Success in a Changing Environment, Tip 6 — Don’t Talk About It; Do It.

Nonprofit Arts Success in a Changing Environment, Tip 5 — You Can’t Do It Alone

March 18, 2025 by Alan Harrison Leave a Comment

The work to deprogram cultish minds is dangerous. Get help. Lots of it. In the new/old world order of Trumpian policy, your arts organization faces the real possibility that, in the face of anti-arts, anti-education, and anti-truth political muckraking euphemistically calling itself “populism,” it will be shut down. To combat that, we’ve talked about: The most … [Read more...] about Nonprofit Arts Success in a Changing Environment, Tip 5 — You Can’t Do It Alone

Nonprofit Arts Success in a Changing Environment, Tip 4 — You Can’t Tell Rhinoceroses They’re Dumb Animals

March 11, 2025 by Alan Harrison Leave a Comment

Nor can you force them to admit they were wrong. Because they’re, you know, rhinoceroses. In the new/old world order of Trumpian policy, your arts organization faces the real possibility that, in the face of anti-arts, anti-education, and anti-truth political muckraking euphemistically calling itself “populism,” it will be shut down. To combat that, we need ideas to … [Read more...] about Nonprofit Arts Success in a Changing Environment, Tip 4 — You Can’t Tell Rhinoceroses They’re Dumb Animals

Nonprofit Arts Success in a Changing Environment, Tip 3: Symbolism Is Cute and Clever and Performative and Futile

March 5, 2025 by Alan Harrison Leave a Comment

You can change the minds of the armies of pseudo-populists, but only one at a charitable time. Simple satire won’t cut it. Over the next few years, your nonprofit arts organization will be tasked with trying to succeed in a local and national environment powered by zero-sum, anti-art, anti-intellectual, pseudo-populists that now hold sway. It is with that in mind that we … [Read more...] about Nonprofit Arts Success in a Changing Environment, Tip 3: Symbolism Is Cute and Clever and Performative and Futile

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About Scene Change

In early 2024, we laid out the problem and gave you a path. The result: SCENE CHANGE: WHY TODAY'S NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TO STOP PRODUCING ART AND START PRODUCING IMPACT. In late 2024, we gave you discussion prompts and rules to help you figure out the answers on your own. The result: … [MORE] about About Scene Change

About Alan Harrison

Alan Harrison is a writer, father, performer, consultant, recovering artist, and the author of the industry best-seller "Scene Change: Why Today's Nonprofit Arts Organizations Have to Stop Producing Art and Start Producing Impact" and “Scene Change 2: The Five REAL Responsibilities of Nonprofit Arts … [MORE] about About Alan Harrison

Recent Posts

  • A Strategic Plan for Your Flailing Nonprofit Arts Organization Is Just a Waste of Time
  • Arts Organizations: Laughing, Yelling, Insanity, and You
  • For Nonprofit Arts Organizations, It’s August and the Fan Is Clogged with S**t
  • SUMMER RERUN: Advocacy for the Nonprofit Arts Sector is Currently Meaningless
  • SUMMER RERUN: Art Doesn’t Need to Be Served. People Do.

Recent Comments

  1. Michael Chang on Arts Organizations: Laughing, Yelling, Insanity, and You
  2. Rick Stein on For Nonprofit Arts Organizations, It’s August and the Fan Is Clogged with S**t
  3. Benjamin Lemon on SUMMER RERUN: What Would a Post-NEA (Arts) America Look Like?
  4. Tom Tresser on No. Just No.
  5. Alan Harrison on Nonprofit Arts Success in a Changing Environment, Tip 6 — Don’t Talk About It; Do It.

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