This is the second post in a series of artist responses to the Get on Board: Workshop and Speaker Series by the Creative Champions Network, an initiative of the Toronto Arts Foundation. As a co-creator of the series in 2022/23, Generator has engaged Artist Responders to attend each session, to summarize, reflect and respond to the emerging conversations and activities. In this post, Dedra McDermot (artist-researcher, emerging curator and movement dramaturg) reflects on the Planning for Organizational Health session on February 7th, 2023.
Planning for Organizational Health was facilitated by Samantha Zimmerman, Michelle Yeung, and Parul Pandya. With a warm greeting from Kelly Langgard, Director and CEO of Toronto Arts Foundation and Toronto Arts Council, this workshop discussed approaches to collective and individual future planning that work toward sustainable operations.
What are the challenges? How do we approach these challenges?
How can we plan an approach that accurately and
sustainably serves these challenges?
Samantha Zimmerman started with what is called a Rich Picture, a systems thinking activity to help attendees explore the challenges their organization is facing by offering a unique perspective on how to visually organize their challenges. This portion of the workshop discussed addressing issues to gain revenue—a conversation that did not yet address how the revenue could be used to revitalize or sustain organizational health. Unsurprisingly, money was a central challenge presented by most of the facilitators who presented. I understand that finding revenue or generative income to sustain financial health is necessary, but I question if there is a way to speak about a more holistic and comprehensive way of visualizing growth that aims to help the communities being served? What actionable plan would be in place to confront these challenges?
“ The best way to predict the future if to create it.” - Michelle Yeung
The next portion of the evening was facilitated by Michelle Yeung, focusing on how to get from the Rich Picture to the Envisioned Future. Everyone was asked to draft a newspaper headline depicting the goal their organization would reach in 10 years. What came forward is that precarity is a common concern among arts organizations, companies, and leaders. I was eager to see how this workshop could address the issue of precarity by blending the power of dreaming and the practicality of planning. But how are these activities effectively translating to practical plans?
“How do we make change move forward?” -Parul Pandya
The final independent presentation of the evening, given by Parul Pandya, offered exactly what I had been craving. This portion of the evening did not include an activity, however, the knowledge offered was insightful and generative. Parul offered the following questions: What is your motivation for change? How will that affect your role or your approach to desired outcomes? How may the individual impact the whole? The reflexive nature of this portion of the evening lingered for days following the event. For all this discussion about how to envision your organization, I wondered how someone could accurately identify if an organization is in a place to welcome and sustain reciprocal relationships with the communities they are serving, and, perhaps more importantly, the communities that are missing. To answer this question, we are reminded to look within. Parul discussed the impact of representation and communication, questioning who needs to be involved, who is currently involved, and who is not in the room. However, my takeaway at that moment differed slightly: who is present, who is deciding, and who is or is not benefiting from the decisions being made?
The remainder of the evening was a more collaborative presentation–discussing change and sustainable approaches to engaging in communication with your team. All of the presenters came together to illustrate how to build connection between the needs of the organization and the internal actors who address those needs and push that change forward. By intentionally connecting the personal motivation for change with the organization’s goals, the role of the individual will likely have greater impact overall.
In my opinion, this portion of the evening’s discussion came down to one question: How do we sustain reciprocal and adaptable community organizing that is focused on decision-making aligned with the organization’s goals? To which I offer this response: Effective communication within your organization that is informed by and accountable to the communities being served.
What you say, How you say it, and When (and How many times)
you say it.
Communication is the single most vital part of governance in any organizational structure. How do you articulate a concept or desire for change that may impact the power dynamic of your organization? How do we make change move forward? Action and accountability are crucial to building a solid base to achieve success. The formula shared below offers a practical equation for engaging in conversations about change:
Leaving this workshop, I walked away with more questions than answers. And for that, I am beyond grateful. The social reality we are in deserves change; slow, reciprocal transformative change. Slow, to prioritize the time it takes to build (or rebuild) the trust needed to have equitable and sustained relationships with artists, community members and audiences. Reciprocal, to ensure that the power dynamic within the relationships of your organization (internally and externally) is committed to engaging in open dialogue that reflects shared value, respect, and resources rather than exploitative ways of engagement. Transformative, to commit to long term change that improves the standards of care and community-engaged practices that are action-focused and accountable to the communities being served—especially if that requires change at the individual level.
The questions throughout this text are complex and weighted, and they deserve critical consideration—first as individuals and then as an organization, with effective and transparent communication with the public.
Dedra McDermott is a new-generation Black artist-researcher, emerging curator and movement dramaturg. She holds a BFA in Choreography and Performance (York University) and an MA in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies (University of Toronto). Her artistic research explores identity, memory, and grief—utilizing autoethnographic methodology to weave movement and literary choreographies to create live, filmed, and installation works. McDermott is an MFA candidate in Criticism and Curatorial Practice at OCAD University (Supervised by Dr. Andrea Fatona).