Weather hits. Power fails. Performers, staff and audiences get sick. When that happens, a simple plan saves time and money. Performing arts organizations are vulnerable to a variety of natural and human-caused disasters that can threaten their sustainability through harm to people, financial loss and damage to assets. Many have not developed emergency plans due … Read More
Recovery
Did Bonnaroo 2025 Really Need To Cancel?
Say you’ve spent hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars to attend a music festival. You’ve either driven or flown hours, taken time off work, gathered and coordinated your friends, and likely been planning outfits for months to attend your favorite event of the year: Bonnaroo. Held on the idyllic location of a formerly family-owned farm in … Read More
Integrating Arts-Based Experiences for Disaster Relief:
Reflections from the APHA Conference
(Presenters from the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting’s Public Health Education and Health Promotion session on Health Innovative Practices to Improve Population Health) The Fires On August 8, 2023, historic wildfires devastated the island of Maui, Hawaii. Sparked by dry conditions, strong winds and aging infrastructure, the fires spread rapidly, leaving residents with little … Read More
Kentucky’s Blueprint for Arts Resilience: Lessons Learned from Two Disasters
Introduction: Within seven months, Kentucky’s arts communities experienced two federally declared disaster events. On the evening of December 10, 2021, 18 reported tornadoes swept through Western Kentucky. One tornado tracked across 11 counties and was deemed one of the longest in US history. Then, in late July 2022, days of rainfall led to a thousand-year … Read More
Reshaping an Organization’s Structure
and Programming with a Focus on Equity
When the Madison Children’s Museum, located on Capitol Square in downtown Madison, Wisconsin, closed in March, 2020, President and CEO Deborah Gilpin had to suspend all programming, lay off 54 of its 70 employees, and cut many remaining positions to 20-hours a week. It was also in the midst of designing a new large outdoor … Read More
Pulling the Strings of Resiliency Planning
As performing arts organizations around the world shut their doors to in-person performances in early 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia was able to take advantage of our existing Digital Learning Department to expand their international virtual audience from 9 countries to over 94 countries. The … Read More
Pivoting Your Programs Increases Possibilities:
A Case Study from Regional Dance America
Regional Dance America (“RDA”) is a nonprofit organization composed of pre-professional dance companies throughout the United States. Its mission is to elevate the future of dance in America – giving dancers new experiences and their directors new perspectives. Every year, RDA provides educational, performance, scholarship, and recruitment opportunities for aspiring dance students as well as … Read More
CARES Act Provides Support
for Artists and Arts Organizations
Two weeks ago, Congress passed the historic CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act), a $2 trillion relief measure designed to provide resources and supports in the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic confronting the United States and the world. Touching virtually every segment of the US economy, the CARES Act provides three … Read More
The Show Must Go On!
Zabiti Relief Effort
Zabiti: An Immersive Circus Adventure had to cancel their test audience show since their space – a 100 year old building – leaked water and flooded during severe thunderstorms that occurred on August 21. Having heard the sad news, Matthew Ché Kowal and Majestic Collaborations, Inc reached out. Per our agreement with Performing Arts Readiness … Read More
Dancing in the Light: Dance Institute of Washington’s Transformation After the Loss of Its Founder
The Dance Institute of Washington (DIW) is known for its uplifting stories of success and triumph, whether it be a student getting a standing ovation for an impressive solo in a ballet concert, a graduate going on to dance with a company or on Broadway, or a teacher winning an award for their positive impact … Read More
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