CI to Eye | Authenticity in Action

Governor Ron DeSantis’ recent veto of over $30 million in arts and culture funding is more than just a financial blow to Florida arts organizations—it undermines the social and economic contributions our industry provides. How can we clearly communicate the vital role our organizations play to stakeholders and policymakers? In this episode, CI’s VP, Managing Director Christopher Williams speaks with Chris Brown, Executive Director of Orlando Family Stage, about how advocates can make a stronger case for arts funding by highlighting the industry’s vital role in boosting local economies, fostering community well-being, and enriching society.  LINKS: NPR | Hundreds of Florida arts groups scramble for funding after DeSantis vetoes grants Orlando Sentinel | Budget Cuts Spotlight The Vital Role of Arts in Florida Orlando Family Stage | Press Release: Budget cuts spotlight the vital role of arts in Florida New York Times | A Bargain at the Opera: Philadelphia Offers All Seats for as Low as $11 The Architect's Newspaper | In Harlem, Apollo Theater’s first ever full-scale renovation is underway by Beyer Blinder Belle

Social media is more than just a content dumping ground. It's where your organization makes its first impression on potential audiences and fosters relationships with existing fans. Press refresh on your paid and organic social strategies to tap new audiences, drive ticket sales, and cultivate brand loyalty in the season ahead. Digital Download (2:10) - Dan sits down with CI Consultant Natalie Martinez to talk about advertising on TikTok: when it makes sense, how to get started, and the kind of results you can expect to see. CI to Eye with Rachel Karten (17:20) - Dan catches up with Rachel Karten, a social media consultant and author of the popular newsletter Link In Bio. They discuss the evolving role of social media in the digital marketing landscape, and what most arts and culture organizations get wrong about organic content. CI-lebrity Sightings (37:40) - Dan runs through our favorite stories about CI clients in the news. --- LINKS: TikTok | Successfully Advertise on the World's Hottest Content Platform Search Engine Land: 51% of Gen Z women prefer TikTok, not Google, for search TikTok | Advertising Policies About Advertising to People Under the Age of 18 Taproot News | How arts organizations are working to attract younger audiences Observer | Nicholas Baume On the Power of Public Art and What It’s Accomplishing in New York New City Stage | Let There Be Luminance: How Lighting Designers Show Us the Show The Kennedy Center | The 47th Kennedy Center Honors

A new cohort of inspiring and determined individuals has moved into leadership positions at cultural organizations—and they’re challenging traditional notions about what arts management should look like. In this episode, CI’s VP, Managing Director Christopher Williams sits down with three young leaders to discuss generational shifts in leadership styles, navigating the complexities of people management, and the changes they hope to see in their respective arts communities and the industry at large. 2:20 - Canton Symphony Orchestra’s Rachel Hagemeier reflects on her promotion to CEO at just 25 years old. She shares hard-won lessons in people management, self-advocacy, and listening to your gut. 21:05 - Monica Holt chats about her career advancement at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the vulnerability of leadership, and the power of learning new skills. 41:40 - CI’s Priya Iyer Doshi pulls back the curtain on what it’s like to be a young president. She talks about bringing your authentic self to work, managing people with more years of experience, and listening deeply to your colleagues. 1:02:30 - CI’s Dan Titmuss shares his favorite stories about clients in the news. 

What sets successful diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and access (DEIBA) initiatives apart? It's not about checking boxes; it's about prioritizing authenticity and thoughtfulness.  Some of the most impactful DEIBA work in our industry begins with arts organizations fostering genuine community partnerships and engaging audiences in meaningful ways. In this episode, we discuss inspiring examples of how embracing these principles can lead to profound, positive changes in our organizations. Digital Download (2:15) - Dan sits down with Consultant Selia Aponte to talk about reaching new audiences with bilingual ads: how to use them, when they work best, and how to ensure a smooth audience journey for ESL attendees. CI to Eye with John Orr (15:15) - CI President Priya Iyer Doshi chats with John Orr, Executive Director of Art-Reach in Philadelphia. They discuss how we can make the arts a more inclusive space for disabled and chronically ill audiences, and ensure the full spectrum of society is served through our programming. CI-lebrity Sightings (42:00) - Dan highlights some of CI’s favorite arts stories in the news. LINKS: Art-Reach New York Times |  At Museums, a Revolution Gains Momentum American Theatre Magazine | They Will Survive: Theatres That Are Beating the Odds Associated Press | At 75, NYC Ballet is getting older. Its audience is skewing younger, and that’s the plan

Audience behavior has changed significantly over the past few years, and pre-pandemic benchmarks are all but obsolete. If we want to adjust to the demands of today’s market, we need updated markers for success. Enter: CI’s brand-new Cultural Compass study. We pulled from our own bank of campaign data that spans  over 150 client organizations to uncover the latest digital marketing benchmarks and emerging trends for our industry. In this episode, lead researcher and Senior Consultant Ali Blount discusses the biggest surprises in her analysis of more than 7,000 digital campaigns, and previews key findings to inform your FY25 media planning.

Audience engagement is critical for attracting and retaining new attendees. But what exactly does it look like in practice?  For Holly Mulcahy,  “audience engagement” isn’t just a marketing platitude—it’s a promise. In this episode, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra’s Concertmaster and Partner for Audience Engagement shares what wine-tasting and birdwatching have to do with orchestral music, and why deepening audience relationships now will pay dividends for our organizations in the long run.

Across a variety of artistic genres, we see persistent gender imbalances among the creatives and leaders who make the art possible. That’s especially true for dance, where women continue to hold fewer artistic director positions and receive fewer choreographic opportunities than men despite making up a significant majority of the dance workforce overall.  As full-blown data nerds here at CI, we believe you can’t change what you don’t measure. So we sat down with the team at Dance Data Project® to discuss the latest industry stats and consider how to carve a path forward for gender equity in dance. Dance Data Project® promotes gender equity in the dance industry through metrics-based analysis. In this interview, they overview their latest research, programming, and advocacy work to showcase and uplift women across the dance industry—from artistic and executive leaders, to lighting designers and commissioned composers.  LINKS: Dance Data Project® New York Times | Do Men Still Rule Ballet? Let Us Count the Ways. Dance Magazine | Over 80% of Ballets Are Still Choreographed By Men Pointe Magazine | Ballet's Gender Gap—By the Numbers Data USA | Dancers and Choreographers Workforce New Scientist | Doctors ‘nudged’ into prescribing far fewer antibiotics ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EQUITY IN DANCE: Final Bow for Yellowface Gold Standard Arts Foundation Cultural Competency and Equity Coalition (C²EC) The Equity Project

What do we do when “the classics”—those canonical treasures that embody the rich traditions of our genres—start to feel outdated for today’s audiences, or even at odds with our missions? In today’s episode, we take a close look at celebrated works from the classical Western canon that include harmful portrayals of non-Western cultures, and hear how one artist is taking action to prune and preserve the art he loves. Artist and advocate Phil Chan shares how performing arts organizations can approach works from the classical Western canon with enhanced cultural sensitivity and authenticity. He offers tips and real-world examples for updating outdated representations of non-Western cultures while maintaining the integrity of these works. LINKS: Final Bow for Yellowface Gold Standard Arts Foundation Boston Lyric Opera | The Butterfly Process Dance Magazine | Indiana University Removes Offensive Caricatures in New Productions of The Nutcracker and La Bayadère

Holding the artistic reins of an organization is no easy feat—especially when that organization has been around for generations and has a deep-rooted legacy. As a leader, how do you honor the rich history of your institution while effectively steering it into the future?  As New York City Ballet celebrates its 75th anniversary season, Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford reflects on the Company’s continued evolution, how they’ve adapted to this new digital era, and the unique challenges of leading such a storied cultural entity.

The changing digital landscape might present challenges, but it also presents a great opportunity to reassess and refocus as we head into a new era of digital marketing.  At CI, we pinpointed five key areas that will set arts and cultural institutions up for success in 2024. Catch up on the first two priorities in Part One, then delve into the final three priorities in today’s episode. You’ll get insights and tips from CI consultants so you can confidently navigate the changing digital landscape, drive results for your organization, and refocus as we head into a new era of digital marketing.