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In the performing arts, every season encounters moments when the plan has to change. Sometimes the issue is manageable: an artist cancels, ticket sales move more slowly than expected, a sponsor pulls back, a production cost rises, or weather affects the audience experience. Sometimes the entire operating environment changes.

The strongest organizations are not the ones that avoid these moments. They are the ones that have built enough flexibility into their planning to respond quickly, clearly, and responsibly when they arrive.

[Read more…] about Plan for What Will Go Wrong

Every arts organization thinks it knows its audience. It knows the donors who speak to leadership, the subscribers who call the box office, and the patrons who attend opening nights, offer feedback, write notes, and offer compliments or complaints. Those voices matter, but they are not the whole audience — and in some organizations, they may not even represent the core audience.

One of the easiest mistakes a cultural organization can make is confusing proximity with representation. The people closest to the institution are often the most visible, most invested, and most comfortable speaking up. This perspective isn’t wrong; it’s simply incomplete.

[Read more…] about The Audience You Hear from is not Always the Audience You Serve

Most performing arts organizations treat programming as an artistic exercise.

It is, but it’s only part of a larger strategic decision.

A season shapes how audiences behave: how often they return, how much they spend, how donors engage, and how the organization is perceived. It is one of the clearest signals of whether an institution understands its audience or is simply hoping it does.

[Read more…] about Programming is Strategy