Institutionalizing Friday

Thanks to Sharon for taking these notes, and for Peter for sending them forward!

Notes: Friday, 6/5/09

Budget Group One Breakout Session – Institutionalizing
Thoughts to begin: Olga Sanchez what is our image of success?
Paying Actors
Hiring More Staff
So both mean needing more money / and we can’t divorce ourselves from economic challenges that require we not focus on growth, but only sustainability.
Success: There is a balance and equilibrium that promotes success as well as monetary success and demand for your product.
When we institutionalize the management structure far more than the artistic structure –
Single Carrot – Truly artistic management – pay artists to do two jobs. Pay artists an hourly wage to supplement their artistic fees. Does it make sense to hire staff that perhaps doesn’t have the artistic sensibility of an ensemble member.
Artists / Founders, who run companies, need to fall in love with their administrative jobs as much as they do their artistic ones.
We have chosen our profession, one that is not about the money and that fact alone may make a difference in our ability to continue our work.
Is it possible to partner with a college that would desire the services we provide in exchange for services that are difficult for our organizations to provide. Is that worth exploring?
Will a Strategic Plan and operating under one, help to focus the organization and optimize growth. Very few theatres in our group operate under a strategic plan.
Is there a demand for your product beyond the original development? If the survival of the institution becomes more viable than the art, then it has become an institution for the sake of an institution.
In Chicago – many individuals do their job for several organizations. Not necessarily formalized, but they are going in that direction.
Equity – Very difficult and an ongoing challenge.
Look at the growth of the company and what feeds us artistically – Look at what we’re doing right and then address in a small way.