ARTS, JOEG
Joe Gfaller
Why Angels in America Still Matters (Some ...

Angels in America: Part One, Millennium Approaches has begun performances at the Repertory Theater of Saint Louis, as the start of the company’s first season under new Artistic Director Hana Sharif. While the play is now nearly 30 years old, seeing it again reminded me of its continued resonance and its power to explore those deeply American themes that, in the end, make it timeless. This essay is a less a review and more a reflection rediscovering why the play today very much still maters.

Why Angels in America Still Matters (Some Personal Reflections)
RACE, LEAD, DATA
Joe Gfaller
Social Accountability - the Leading Edge of the ...

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.

Social Accountability - the Leading Edge of the Evolution of Language about Equity
READ, ARTS
Joe Gfaller
Three Books with Simple Ideas that Will Improve ...

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!

Three Books with Simple Ideas that Will Improve Your Worldview
ARTS, DATA
Joe Gfaller
If You Can Only Measure Three Things About Your ...

These days, we are surrounded by so much data it can be overwhelming. Often, we find ourselves collecting data thinking that it may be useful, but if we never turn it into something actionable, what was the point? If you’re swimming in data, take a deep breath, step back, and consider these three measures as a new starting point to understand and grow your audience.

If You Can Only Measure Three Things About Your Audience... Measure These
RACE, ARTS
Joe Gfaller
Helicoptering and Communities

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?

Helicoptering and Communities

ARTS

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Where To Start When Building Equity and Inclusion in Your Organization

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Where To Start When Building Equity and Inclusion in Your Organization

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.

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A Modest Proposal: The Virtue of Empowering Staffs to Serve on Boards

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A Modest Proposal: The Virtue of Empowering Staffs to Serve on Boards

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.

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Gospel Grams - A Case Study on Re-Framing the Message

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Gospel Grams - A Case Study on Re-Framing the Message

In 2010, the Alliance Theatre had a remarkable opportunity, staging an all-new gospel score to the hit rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar. With a cast of close to 50, including a chorus of 27 singers hand-picked from church choirs across the Atlanta region, it had the potential to be a huge hit. But how to help an audience understand that the musical they thought they knew would have a new sound? Start a campaign that makes it fun and easy to let your friends know that “everything sounds better with gospel.”