{"id":2200,"date":"2020-03-08T16:30:45","date_gmt":"2020-03-08T20:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/managementandthearts.com\/5e\/?p=2200"},"modified":"2020-03-08T16:30:52","modified_gmt":"2020-03-08T20:30:52","slug":"management-and-the-arts-5e-march-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/managementandthearts.com\/5e\/blog\/management-and-the-arts-5e-march-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Management and the Arts 5e – March 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Virus Impact. Self-Censorship<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 and the Arts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This month I thought a mention of the Coronavirus was in order since it is having a significant impact on arts and cultural organizations, as well as on numerous other facets of our lives. The NY Times<\/em> article offers examples of how arts organizations are trying to adapt to this expanding health crisis. However, since this article was published early last week, the level of uncertainty has continued to escalate, and the disruption of arts programming is increasing daily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I imagine class discussions (or staff meetings) centered around\nemergency preparedness and risk management have already been taking place in\nthe last few weeks. Discussing the process of scenario planning, which is\ncovered in Chapter 5, might be useful when considering possible outcomes of this\nvirus outbreak. For example, what are some of the scenarios that could unfold should\ncontrolling the spread of the virus ends up taking months? Exploring the topic\nof operating cash reserves could also be of interest. While we all hope this\ncrisis ends soon, arts organizations without contingency plans and sufficient liquid\ncash flow could be facing a very bumpy road ahead. (I inserted a link to the\nNonprofit Risk Management Center website below if you want an additional\nresource to review. ) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-Censorship in the Arts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ArtsProfessional<\/a>\nmagazine in the United Kingdom made its extensive survey report \u201cFreedom of\nExpression\u201d available late last month, and it is a fascinating read. The 38-page\nreport and the two Appendices portray wide-spread self-censorship by artists, while\nstrong support remains for freedom of expression. The summary section the report\nnotes <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summarising the opinions that people would be wise to keep\nto themselves is a slightly ad hoc process that fails to do justice to the many\nand varied circumstances when individuals have experienced a backlash for\nhaving expressed their views. Nonetheless, the conclusion must surely be that\nthere is a pervasive received ideology across the sector, and publicly stating\nopinions outside of certain norms is widely thought to be a career-breaker.<\/em>\n(p.37) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the many additional values of this report is that it\ncan stimulate questions about how self-censorship plays out among arts managers.\nThere are many topics to explore related to this report, including changing social\nnorms in the age of social media and how the problems discussed by the survey\nrespondents might be positively addressed. The long list of comments in Appendix\nB is revealing and also troubling. [Note: The survey participation was self-selecting,\nand therefore the reader needs to be careful when assessing the validity of the\nresults.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These two topics should give you lots to ponder this month.\nThanks again for subscribing to these updates to Management and the Arts<\/a><\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill Byrnes<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When the\nShow Must Go On, Even Amid a Coronavirus Outbreak<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By Michael Cooper and Alex Marshall, New York Times<\/a><\/em>, March 5, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning to\nperform without live audiences, or sometimes even theaters, as artists adapt to\ntrying circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venice\u2019s ornate opera house, La Fenice, has survived\nfloods and been rebuilt after devastating fires. So it was determined to keep\ngoing after the coronavirus forced it to cancel its performances: This week a\nstring quartet gathered in the empty, eerily silent theater and played\nBeethoven, streaming the concert online and winning an ovation of handclap\nemojis.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company\u2019s general manager, Fortunato Ortombina, said\nthat the virtual concert had been intended to send a message: \u201cWe still play in\nthis place.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the coronavirus has taken a big toll on the arts\nworld in terms of closed venues and canceled events, it has also spurred plenty\nof show-must-go-on creativity in some of the hardest-hit areas, as performers\nand organizations have tried to adapt to trying circumstances.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the link to the article: https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/03\/04\/arts\/music\/arts-coronavirus.html <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonprofit Risk Management Center at https:\/\/nonprofitrisk.org\/<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Risk eNews – COVID-19: Five Things to Know and Do<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COVID-19: Five Things to Know and Do<\/a><\/blockquote>