TOKENISM

Helicoptering and Communities

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?