At a time when words matter more than ever before, Baltimore Center Stage recently announced that a key staff member would be promoted to a new title: Director of Learning and Social Accountability. In unpacking the potential meaning behind that title, I explore the evolution of the language we use to talk about how we impact communities and how we talk about our goals to create representative communities within our organization - as well as explore some recent data about representation in the arts across disciplines.

Simple ideas can unfold to carry profound meaning - meaning that may apply far beyond where you started from. Three books I have come to love work from that very premise: Invitation to the Party, Love is the Killer App, and The Power of Habit. They are all engaging reads - learn more about the simple ideas at the heart of each of them and why I’d you add them to your reading (or re-reading) list!

When arts organizations work within communities on specific projects, there is always a risk of swooping in when it’s convenient for the organization and swooping out once the project has come to an end. This idea of “helicoptering” is harmful for both your organization and the communities you hope to serve, as it essentializes a community into being no more than part of a specific transaction (worse, a transaction you have defined rather than one they have). Once this has happened, are there ways to repair the relationship? And are there structures you can create to help prevent the situation from happening again?

Building equity, inclusion, and diversity within an organization doesn’t come with an easy road map, and many of the most important results are not easy to measure. How does one get started? After being asked to present on this question as part of a corporate roundtable for Diversity Awareness Partnership, I was able to put my thoughts together on my journey to do this work during my eight year tenure at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. As you begin this work in your organization, I hope these reflections may provide some perspective that can help you succeed.

Too often we wonder how our organizations can have more of a ‘seat at the table.’ Mobilizing your staff to help show up to be at the table doesn’t only empower them, it has the potential to build more loyalty, to deepen the strengths of your team, and to build stronger appreciation within your staff for your own volunteer leadership. All it might take is a shift in your organizational philosophy towards rewarding personal community engagement from members of your team.