With the world changing so rapidly around us, it is challenging to find any stability in our work. And yet, we choose to do this kind of work in order to support our community – to provide beauty in times of hardship; to ensure every child can have the opportunity to create and express themselves; to advocate for and uplift the beautiful diversity of individuals around us. As the current administration pushes us into further chaos, how do we continue to do the work of our missions, providing our communities with the services they need from us?
I don’t have an easy answer to this. But as we all, once again, practice the nimble agility that we developed during the first Trump administration (or maybe during the Great Recession; or the pandemic shutdowns; or maybe…), I’m reminded of something I first learned about in the wake of the 2008 stock market crash: Adaptive Capacity.
Lessons Learned from Crisis
Wikipedia defines Adaptive Capacity as “relating to the capacity of systems, institutions, humans and other organisms to adjust to potential damage, to take advantage of opportunities, or to respond to consequences.” Basically, the ability of our organizations to adapt and shift as the context around us changes. In the wake of the 2008 economic crisis, the industry shifted to a call for innovation in order to build this adaptive muscle; for new ideas to help our companies weather the uncertainty and instability around us.
In that period, I was lucky to attend a series of workshops led by EmcArts (founded by the late, great Richard Evans along with John McCann) that focused on the ability to respond to the changes that are outside of our control. In these sessions, we learned that this is something arts groups – especially the small and mighty – are doing constantly without realizing it. We maintain a nimble, flexible staff that responds adeptly to community needs in real time, trying new ideas and discarding what no longer serves. We were doing it in the wake of 2008, when donations and ticket sales were drying up and we were streamlining programs to focus on what was most important. We were doing it again as COVID shut down our venues and cities, pushing us to produce work virtually, provide much-needed education support, and find creative ways to collaborate from a distance. And we must do it now, when funding is uncertain, our communities are under attack, and so many of the freedoms we have come to expect are being torn away.
Benvenuti Arts cannot tell you how to do this authentically, but we can stand beside you and help you create a plan and practice building this muscle.
Practical Steps Toward Readiness
What are some ways that you can prepare in these uncertain times?
- Make the repetitive work easier: Where possible, try to make the unavoidable, every-day work – especially administrative tasks – easier. One suggestion we have is to create a strong Boilerplate of language for grants and refreshable calendar so that tracking deadlines is easy, you’re able to work ahead instead of waiting on last-minute funder announcements, and the writing goes more quickly and efficiently. This will free up time to adapt as new challenges or opportunities arise.
- Practice Adaptive Capacity: There are different ways to do this, but one I like is learning how to prototype new ideas. These “small experiments with radical intent” give you valuable information without eating up too many resources, and then, you can build on success or discard what doesn’t work. Additionally, you might build multiple versions of budgets or timelines, so that you’re always prepared to pivot if money does or does not arrive. Lastly, ensure your team is able to shift in a cohesive way by reinvesting together in your shared values and vision. This allows each individual to pivot quickly and make decisions efficiently without needing to constantly come back to the team when everyone is already at capacity.
- Invest wisely: Before spending money on something new, try to ensure that you are tiering investments in a way that provides for sustainability. For example, you may want to commit to a large-scale, ambitious artistic project, but perhaps spending on a part-time, income-generating position – marketing/communications, fundraising – will allow you to amplify an investment first, building new income lines that can support that ambitious project later. Planning can help with this!
Why Plan Now?
As we head into the summer, when many of us see a lightening of programs (I won’t say “down-time;” is there really such a thing these days?), we work with our clients to create plans for the coming year or years. It may seem counterintuitive to plan for an increasingly uncertain time, but we find that a plan can be one of the best tools to ground you and create common understanding amongst your team in times like this.
To us, a plan is a map: it provides a suggested route, markers along the path, an outline of the terrain. But then, we may hit barriers that change the path we take – construction detours, unexpected bad weather, maybe a wheel flies off your U-Haul into the desert outside of Vernal Utah…ahem. That’s a story for another time.
The point is, the specific route you take, maybe even the destination itself, may change, but the plan gives you grounding to adapt to all of those changes while staying the course.
Join Us This Summer
This summer, we’ll be helping organizations create flexible, adaptable 3-year operating plans during our Summer Sessions. These virtual workshops provide space for you to learn how to plan, but also build the plan with our team during our time together. Participating organizations also get one-on-one time with our Consultants. Check out our website for more info about these Summer Sessions. If you’re in NYC, you can also check out our in-person Leaders Day Camp!
I do not know how to make any of this feel okay. But know that we, at Benvenuti Arts, are here to help you all weather the storm as best as possible. Please reach out if you need a hand.
