Funding Innovation in the Arts

Monday, October 13, 3:30 pm – 5:45 pm
International Ballroom A, M2/International Ballroom Level

Organized by John McGuirk, arts program director, The James Irvine Foundation, Presented by John McGuirk; Richard Evans, president, EmcArts, Inc; Ben Cameron, program director for the arts, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Lorenzo Lebrija, program director, Miami-Dade/Broward, John S. & James L. Knight Foundation.

In our 21st-century world, major rapid changes are the norm, from leaps in technology to shifts in demographics to new trends in audience behavior. Even for leading arts institutions, playing by the old rules isn’t enough anymore. The result: innovation is now essential to the ongoing success of today’s arts and culture institutions. But how do we get beyond innovation as a buzz word to making real innovations work for arts institutions? This session will feature three funders of artistic innovation and a researcher who has developed a rubric to analyze the innovative capacity of arts institutions. Based on recent research, practical lessons and examples from the field, explore the true meaning of innovation for arts organizations, and how funders can help innovative projects succeed.

Suggested links:

Extract from EmcArts Working Paper on Innovation in the Arts
Lessons from the Field: Reflections from the Front Lines of Innovation in the Arts
Four Important Steps in an Innovation Process
Practical Lessons in Incubating Innovation
Exploring Your Organization's Capacity to Innovate