ABSTRACT
I began this book by looking at the external environment; the global trends that are occurring today and what the implications of this extraordinary degree of change are for today’s performing arts organizations. I have noted throughout, my belief that the business-based model that has been the dominant approach for most performing arts organizations from at least the mid-20th century forward is no longer appropriate for this changed environment and will not serve us well for the future. In order to construct a new approach to how we do our work, I have suggested that we begin by revisiting what actually happens in the performance experience itself in order to re-establish what our core activity is and what its implications are for the greater society. It is on that basis, including the foundational idea that the performing arts are essential to life, that I suggested an ecological framework as a way of thinking about organizational design and methodology. Making this change in approach begins by establishing the organization’s Foundational Documents so as to define very specifically why the organization exists and within what context it operates. I next noted some key principles required for the creation of a resilient, sustainable organization.
