The group met in December 2023 to share ideas about what they’re currently seeing in the field.
Suggestions/comments included:
- Finding practitioners looking at new models and structures for cultural organizations to address the long-term challenges exacerbated by COVID (audience, workforce, financing/business model).
- Challenges relating to audience participation for performing arts venues (What replaces the subscription model? The ongoing impact of people working at home; arts groups expanding their reach to new geographies.)
- Perceptions related to safety and security in the city and its impact on the arts/arts participation.
- Creative work happening in non-arts organizations, in particular outside of 501c3s.
- Engaging community in the artistic process as a means to: 1) build audience and 2) uplift community.
- Business models for small arts organizations that are service oriented.
- Supporting individual artists and the intersection of arts and culture and economic impact for local makers.
Many of these topics have been mentioned or brought up by The Presser Foundation’s grantees. Some have shared the challenges related to audience attendance during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, while others have highlighted that the pandemic has also given them the opportunity to center community voice in the artistic process.
Moving forward, the group plans on centering the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to foster a thriving arts and culture sector; sharing knowledge and best practices to strengthen the community of funders in and around arts and culture; and learning and listening to provide meaningful and needed support to arts organizations in Greater Philadelphia and helping ensure a future for the Greater Philadelphia art scene.
