Engage Now! A Guide to Making the Arts Indispensable

Arts organizations cannot long survive without earning impassioned support from the communities they serve. Communities cannot reach their full potential without the benefits the arts can provide. For some, the arts as indispensable is a preposterous idea, yet nearly every stakeholder in the industry believes the arts value to be unquestionable. That gap accounts for most of the challenges arts organizations face. As long as the arts are seen as an amenity (at best), they will struggle in a world that only has time for that which is necessary. Mere relevance will not suffice. To compete in the marketplace of public value the required standard is indispensability. Engage Now! is a how to manual for the arts organization seeking to become invaluable. Engage Now! is a how to manual for the arts organization seeking to become invaluable. It Presents basic principles and practices of effective community engagement, Provides guidance for achieving systemic focus on engagement, and Outlines a process for becoming a universally recognized community asset. This book is intended for anyone with a vested interest in the arts. Since the arts are essential for healthy individuals and healthy communities, it is for everyone. However, far too few people are aware of their vested interest. That makes Engage Now! important for us all.