Summer is coming to a close in the Northern Hemisphere, and arts organizations continue to work through the challenges of when and how to reopen their doors. Advisory Board for the Arts has partnered closely with our member organizations during this time to understand their obstacles and opportunities, many of which are consistent across genres and locations.

As Fall approaches, we’ve gathered the six most pressing issues facing the arts industry according to our membership - all areas where ABA is working hard to provide tools and resources. While we mention the most immediate resource below each challenge, there is much more available; members, please contact your member advisor and we will send you targeted resources to support you now.

The world has gone digital, and standing out requires a strong strategy.

While digital content has become the new normal for 2020, it is not without its challenges. Streaming strong new and archival works requires technical resources, complex logistical planning, and the coordination of various copyrights. 

To stand out in a crowded field, it’s important to have a strong strategy when developing online programming, which can pay off even beyond the solely digital days. Eventually audiences will come back, and as one senior administrator of a ballet company told us, having a theme that runs between your digital and live offerings will make that transition much more seamless for your viewers.

ABA offers a series of workshops for its members at all stages of their digital strategy development. 

Arts organizations are split on audience engagement, with some expanding their reach and others giving their existing communities extra focus.

We have seen a range of strategies in our conversations with arts leaders when it comes to their audience base. Some are using this time of increased online presence to branch out, such as one music festival that has recognized the potential to reach audiences whose travel ability is financially or physically limited. Yet others have taken a more local approach, as is the case with a museum director who has turned his museum’s focus to attracting domestic tourists in the face of international travel restrictions.

In either case, the long-term loyalty of these new or existing audiences will be crucial to the ongoing success of arts organizations as we emerge from shutdown.

ABA will present its large scale research study on audience loyalty to its members this October - remember to RSVP

A moment of multiple crises has donors spread thin, yet also provides an opportunity to reshape philanthropy.

Between the pandemic, widespread economic downturn, environmental catastrophes, and a momentous social justice movement, this year has had no shortage of areas where funds are needed. At a time when most arts organizations are relying much more heavily on contributed income, they must work hard to stay top-of-mind with donors who are reprioritizing the causes they give to — or who are themselves financially affected by these crises.

However, in the words of one theater’s Executive Director, this can also be the moment to “experiment a little.” Many arts leaders recognize this as a time when giving must truly be motivated by philanthropy, not benefits, and are working to engage their donor base in even more meaningful ways so that they can have great impact in their giving.

ABA is kicking off a new research study on donor motivations. Contact us if you’d like to participate or be interviewed.

Reopening remains highly dependent on external factors - many of which are constantly changing.

One of the biggest challenges for arts and cultural institutions this year has been understanding the timeline and limitations of reopening for in-person audiences. Prospective ticket buyers, subscribers, and donors are all looking to arts organizations for information that oftentimes they don’t yet have. Many of our members emphasized the necessity of a proven vaccine for them to be able to resume operations anywhere close to where they were pre-pandemic - the timeline of which is, of course, still unknown.

As with digital, having a comprehensive strategy and utilizing scenario planning has proven most effective for our membership. One music school in particular found that developing a single plan that works for as many potential scenarios as possible has left them feeling much more confident about the future.

ABA continues to bring arts leaders together to brainstorm strategies, and recently hosted a webinar with three arts organizations navigating the reopening process now - you can watch or read our recap.

Teams are trying their best to work digitally through uncertainty, but these are difficult days for morale.

We’ve heard from many arts leaders that on top of all the logistical challenges of this past year, they and their teams are struggling with its emotional toll as well. Amidst furloughs, changing timelines, and Zoom fatigue, there are seemingly countless obstacles to work that is already difficult.

Our members have found various ways to support their coworkers, from shutting down operations for a time of much needed rest to creating marketplaces for their artists to showcase their work. Even just an acknowledgement of the difficulty of this situation is a good step: “‘covid brain’ is real,” one artistic director reminds his staff at the start of each meeting.

ABA executives are available to lend their expertise in team management to all of our members.

In the space of diversity, equity, and inclusion, arts leaders are working to balance immediate action with long-term impact.

This year we have seen a powerful and necessary movement towards social justice and equity. Arts organizations in particular have been called upon to critically examine their programming and operations to ensure that they reflect the diversity of their communities. Even those institutions with years-long commitment to DE&I have seen the necessity of pushing further in their efforts.

For many of our members, the biggest challenge in this area is to ensure that any step they are taking will have a long-term, transformative impact — and figuring out which aspect of their management needs to be addressed first. However, stating your beliefs is also important. As one orchestra director stated: “You’re abdicating your responsibility if you don’t speak, especially if you are a cultural organization.”

ABA will be creating and gathering resources to support arts organizations in their DE&I efforts, as well as leading meeting and webinar series on the topic.

Members: if you would like additional information on any of the ABA resources mentioned above, contact your member advisor today.