I want to share two articles about arts organizations recovering from times of duress plus a recent posting in The Guardian that reminds us why the arts are important in the first place.
First, we have two recovery success stories. It is always interesting to see how arts organizations make it back from troubled times. Both articles resonate with topics covered in chapter 4- The Adaptive Arts Organization, chapter 5- Planning and the Arts, Chapter 9 – Controls, Operations, and Budgeting, and chapter 10 – Economic and Financial Management.
The Oregon Ballet Theatre recovery offers a good example of how an organization can benefit from new artistic leadership and board members who understand the importance of their leadership role. I included a second link to an article giving more details about the tough times OBT went through.
The reason for Colorado Opera’s stumble is a bit less clear. I added two more links to articles covering when the opera company announced the cancellation of a big premier it had planned, as well as other programming cuts. The January 27, 2013 Denver Post article provides a bit more context about the circumstances leading up to the news of the opera company retrenchment.
Rebecca Atkinson-lord’s recent posting in The Guardian raises questions that resonate with chapter 12 – Fundraising and Development and with chapter 5 – Planning and the Arts. From time to time, it is important to reflect on funder priorities and expectations, and the mission of the arts organization. The never-ending quest for funding and trying to prove the arts organization is worthy of a grant because it will achieve assessable outcomes has the potential of overshadowing the artistic mission. Atkinson-lord notes as an artist she wants to, “help more people engage with the arts simply because doing so has made me immeasurably happier and I want to share that.” She argues for the importance of the less “measurable effects” that take place when artists and community connect.
Big changes keep Oregon Ballet Theatre on its toes
Portland Tribune, Thursday, 19 November 2015, 06:00 | Written by Jason Vondersmith |
Now financially stable, new home, new projects, school expansion take center stage
Oregon Ballet Theatre, which, over the years, has produced such great works under the guidance of artistic directors James Canfield and Christopher Stowell and now Kevin Irving, continues to evolve off the dance floor as much as on it.
Beset by financial problems a few years back, OBT started to rebuild and now finds itself expanding and charting its course toward better days. The company, now boasting a budget surplus, plans to move into its swanky new building in South Waterfront in January, relocating from its longtime spot at 818 S.E. Sixth Ave., and, at the same time, setting up residence at the site of the Moxie Dance company in West Linn to further expand its successful School of Oregon Ballet Theatre. And, there are many other things happening in what appears to be a promising time for the company entering its 26th season.
Link – http://portlandtribune.com/pt/11-features/281997-157999-big-changes-keep-oregon-ballet-theatre-on-its-toes
Here is a link to a September 2014 article in the Portland Monthly which has more information about the OBT journey back to being a thriving arts organization: http://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2014/9/26/how-oregon-ballet-theatre-pivoted-from-near-bankruptcy-to-full-flight
Opera Colorado’s comeback a chance to move forward
By Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 11/22/2015 12:01:00 AM MST
Opera Colorado comes out of its financial crisis with a smaller budget and a new attitude. It will stage “As One” next season
Arts groups crash but they rarely burn. We see it all the time: a financial crisis, a plea for help and a comeback.
Not that it’s easy, or that they don’t get close to going up in smoke, like Opera Colorado did three years ago. The organization nearly halted operations midseason after it fell behind on fundraising.
Fast forward to 2015 and it’s a different story. The company made some hard choices, cutting staff, programming safer titles than it might have liked, postponing the world premiere of “The Scarlet Letter” even though it already had banners up around town trumpeting the new work.
Back it has come, though in a slightly smaller form, and with a new attitude. The just-announced 2016-17 lineup returns the company to a three-opera season, up from the two it produced during its forced austerity years. The third offering will be smaller and contemporary and it will be staged outside of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
For the complete article to go this link:
http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_29140730/opera-colorados-comeback-chance-move-forward
Here’s a link to a January 11, 2013 article in The Denver Post about Colorado Opera’s stumble in the 2012-12 season.
Link: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22355280/opera-colorado-cancels-world-premiere-cuts-back-season
A follow-up article published in The Denver Post January 27, 2013 raises some questions about how effective the opera was in making its case for support in the community.
Link – http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22444608/opera-colorado-stumbles-begins-fundraising-campaign
Grants for the arts don’t get to the heart of theatre
By Rebecca Atkinson-lord, www.theguardian.com, November 26th, 2015
Are applications for funding judged by criteria that overlook the real reasons that people make art in the first place?
I’ve been hearing of lots of artists and companies getting turned down for funding through Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts scheme, with even highly established and internationally renowned ones failing in their bids. It has begun to generate a climate of fear among the theatre-makers I speak to, with conflicting advice spreading like wildfire.
The advice for funding applicants that I hear most frequently seems simple: make the social impact stronger, emphasise the tangible outputs in terms of social change, talk about the opportunities for education and training the piece will provide. I have never heard anyone advise an artist to focus more on the philosophy of the art they hope to make when writing a funding application. I’ve never heard anyone say: “Yes – really go into detail of what the audience experience of this art will be.”
Link – http://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2015/nov/26/arts-funding-real-reasons-people-make-theatre-arts-council-england