1

Necessary work continues on diversity, equity, inclusion, & access initiatives — particularly looking inward.

Arts organizations continue to prioritize representation of their community in staff, audience, and beyond. The conversations sparked by the murder of George Floyd in 2020 have not declined in intensity and this topic continues to be the top priority in every poll we run.

For 2022, institutions are looking closer at their own internal structures and practices to make the organization more inclusive. We have spoken with many arts organizations who are examining activities of their boards and staff, including prioritizing hiring diverse leadership and creating board structures to better represent the community.

For our members interested in improving inclusion in their staff, our inclusion assessment helps gauge current state of the organization and areas to improve.

2

As workforce trends rapidly evolve, talent management is a higher priority than ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous shifts to the labor market, and the arts are no exception.

Many leaders have shared challenges in several key areas of talent management:

• Staff retention: the “great resignation” is hitting several areas of the arts, with executives particularly reporting attrition in development, frontline box office, and customer service roles.

• Work/life balance: after a year of constant uncertainty, many staff members have reevaluated their personal priorities. Workers at all levels are seeking flexibility in areas such as hours and work location, to name a few. How can the arts adapt long standing models of operating to accommodate requests and improve retention?

• Recruitment: we’ve heard from hiring managers that, while great candidates are out there, applicant pools are getting smaller. Several organizations are experimenting with remote work to broaden their recruiting opportunities.

To address these challenges, it is important to understand the value proposition of your own organization. Which elements of your employment offer have been the most powerful in attracting and retaining talent? ABA’s next signature research study will be The Compelling Offer, a look at what arts workers value most in their benefits packages and workplace cultures. If you are interested in having your organization participate, send us an email.

3

To revive consistent audience attendance, arts organizations are looking to find loyalty programs that work.

In the past decade, arts institutions across genres have seen subscription and membership numbers on the decline, with single ticket sales making up a far more substantial percentage of earned revenue. Yet, as we saw in our recent arts executive benchmark, our subscribers have remained the most loyal to us during these challenging two years of intermittent shutdowns.

To continue building these consistent attendee bases — especially among new and next generation audiences — arts leaders are exploring creative structures for packaging loyalty programs, including subscriptions and memberships. We were excited to host our first ABA Live! Webinar of 2022 with two of these leaders who have experimented with their own innovative packages. You can view the recap and recording here.

4

Emerging variants continue to create uncertainty around COVID-19 operating protocols.

Since the start of the global pandemic, arts organizations have had to navigate and adhere to shifting mandates, taking stock of evolving government regulations, vaccine availability, health recommendations and community comfort.

With emerging variants appearing every few months it is a daunting and tricky task to stay ahead of the game for arts organizations seeking to balance local government regulations with staff needs and audience sentiments.

ABA can help during these uncertain times, with customizable audience and staff surveys to gauge comfort, as well as benchmarks to evaluate operating protocols with peer institutions.

5

The future of philanthropy raises questions about equity in current fundraising practices.

While donor loyalty has been a relief in the past year and a half of the pandemic, arts organizations continue to worry about the shrinking number of individual donors as showcased in ABA’s past research. While average donations have stayed constant, donations are coming from fewer individuals and younger donors seem less interested in the arts. Forward-looking development professionals are looking to recast their organization to appeal to a broader range of donors; this has the added benefit of improving equity concerns related to the current primarily older white donor base.

What changes can an arts leader make? ABA’s 2021 signature study, Redefining the Donor Value Proposition (link requires member access), provides tips on how to foster deeper community-driven relationships for donors who are highly motivated by “art and something else.” Indeed, ABA’s study highlights 8 motivational donor segments, with the most generous and surprisingly large segment the community donors who care about impact on the community as well as being part of a community..

To learn more about your donor value proposition and how ABA can help strategize your fundraising practices, check out our suggested readings and resources here.

6

Digital is here to stay — but in what capacity?

After so much innovation in the digital space during lockdowns and closures, many arts organizations are now asking where digital fits into their future as we move forward towards reopening. We are hearing plenty of skepticism about digital, as well as a concern that audiences have ‘zoom fatigue.’ However, especially as new variants are causing intermittent returns to shutting down in-person operations, the need to have a hybrid option continues to be highly relevant.

We have seen exciting experimentations in the “phygital” space, including ABA member Second Stage Theater’s 2 weeks of live streamed performances of their latest production, “Clyde’s.” As this space continues to evolve, so does our research — you can keep up to date with our findings on how arts institutions can maintain relevance through their use of digital in our Digital Arts & Culture Center.

7

Many arts leaders are investing in efficiency through technology.

The past two years have revealed many opportunities for operational improvements, identified by pain points when staff were furloughed or given new tasks during the pandemic. Many leaders are using this time to address operational gaps; from new financial management tools to linking data collection systems, building efficient administrative tools and processes is top of mind at institutions across the industry.

ABA’s members can take advantage of our shared learning network to request referrals for software, platforms, agencies, and more for their operational and marketing needs. Learn from your peers’ experience! Tell your member advisor if you’re looking for a recommendation, and we can poll the membership on your behalf.

8

Arts organizations continue to seek new ways to be relevant to their local communities.

While the boom in digital content during the pandemic created a newfound global reach for many institutions, we’ve also heard that many arts leaders are turning their focus to their local community. How can arts organizations reflect the diversity of their surroundings and become welcoming and inclusive gathering places for new and existing audiences alike?

This question was a major theme in our audience research, Coming Back Stronger (link requires member access), and continues to be of great importance today. Our shared purpose workshop series can help members identify the links between what they as an organization stand for, and what is most important in the lives of their audiences and communities.

9

The importance of environmental sustainability in the arts continues to grow.

With the day-to-day operating pressures facing arts organizations today, environmental sustainability seems to be less of an immediate concern for many arts leaders. However, especially for our members in Europe, greener practices have become more prevalent across the arts, especially in the context of the UN Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow last fall.

International and national organizations like the UN, ICOM, American Alliance of Museums, and Climate Change Theatre Action have all championed the role of arts and culture in promoting and driving sustainable development with resources and roadmaps for implementation.

On a local level, individual arts institutions have taken the mantle and made their own action plans and commitments to reducing their environmental impact like the National Theatre in London, the Sydney Opera House, the Grand Palais in Paris and the TATE museums.

Get ahead of this coming trend for greener practices with suggested resources from ABA here.

10

There is a potential bright side to “the great resignation.”

Despite our aforementioned concerns with the Great Resignation and the challenges for staff retention among specific teams like development and frontline box office workers, there is opportunity for this moment to create a new, tighter bond of staff to arts organizations.

In various studies including the recent report from Bain & Company, “The Working Future: More Human Not Less,” people are changing their conception of what makes a good job, prioritizing purpose in their professions.

Positioning your arts organization as mission and service-oriented, supporting the well-being and actualization of your community, can boost your employment value proposition. If you are interested in reviewing your compensation philosophy, ABA can provide research support and benchmarking metrics. ABA’s Compelling Offer research mentioned above will also help you get a granular look at your current employment value proposition and determine what will draw in and keep valuable talent to your organization.