Performing arts center management: a proposal for centralization

Abstract

Contemporary economic and social challenges are pushing non-profit performing arts organizations to operate with greater efficiency, using the highest possible percentage of their resources for artistic, rather than administrative, outputs. Because no exhaustive study of current management practices of North American performing arts centers has been recently conducted, this paper employs a survey of hundreds of performing arts center websites, interviews with arts management professionals, and the author’s relevant work experience to hypothesize a strategy for increasing operational efficiency. Classic and shared management models are reviewed and a centralized model is proposed as a potential solution for streamlining the management of multiple performing arts genres within a single hub organization. This model includes the consolidation of a performing arts center’s resident groups under a single organizational umbrella and introduces community foundations, rather than unique boards of directors, as additional fundraising entities for each genre of performance.%%%%M.S., Arts Administration  – Drexel University, 2011