Americans for the Arts

Arts and culture chief executives from the around the world are digging in, planning for recovery through the COVID-19 crisis. From what I’ve seen of the efforts of the 75 executives I’ve worked with over the past month as the impact of the crisis on our sector has changed, evolved, and grown in its realities, I’ve been inspired.

We’ve talked about the people on our teams, and their creative action to support staff and artists and boards. We’ve talked about communities and programs that are responsive: creating specific, practical support for people at this time. I’m hearing about plans that acknowledge the need for safety while also creatively planning potential operations.

Create. Creative. Creating. That is us: Creative is what we do.

With this background and collective thinking in mind, I offer these recommendations for your thinking now:

1. Ensure your organization can speak about its mission in terms of a cause that your community needs to defend. Your traditional mission statement may or may not be enough in the face of near Great Depression-level unemployment and other current suffering. Get focused on this as a leader. Be able to speak to it, clearly and regularly, and ensure your team can, too.
2. Get focused on people. This means your internal people, your team, as well as the external people your cause supports. The executives I work and speak with have found that while the former is clear, the latter is harder. On whom are you focusing your limited resources and time? Everyone, with everything, for free? Or are your plans strategic, oriented with your endgame in mind? Hint: This endgame must consider diversity as fuel and a catalyst for recovery.
3. Plan for a different future and surround yourself with people who can help you imagine BIG possibilities. Everyone is scenario-planning now, often driven by fear. Fear results in a desire to create the one concrete plan, or many options, to get us prepared for every potential outcome. Instead, plan now for two or three scenarios—and stop there. More importantly, create the weekly ability to nimbly assess how your scenarios require change, and change as needed.
4. Finally, let’s CREATE! Regardless of when, we WILL be back in live experience. Let’s plan now for that day and ensure it’s full of the magic and mystery of the creative arts. The arts and culture executives I work with have imagined extraordinary white-glove, celebratory experiences that are safe and creative, and ensure that our audiences and patrons are prepared and confident and heave a sigh of relief that we’re back.

Perhaps you can see why I’m inspired. Let’s create our future together: the “new normal” that actually increases the impact of arts and culture and creativity in our communities.