The Art of the Turnaround: Creating and Maintaining Healthy Arts Organizations

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The Art of the Turnaround creating and maintaining healthy arts organizations michael m. kaiser michael m. kaiser The Art of the Turnaround creating and maintaining healthy arts organizations ISBN: 978- 1-58465-735-4 9 781584 657354 90000 “Michael Kaiser has a unique combination of artistic vision and executive talent that makes him one of the most capable leaders in the performing arts. This book tells the story of his impressive leadership. As my brother said in 1960, ‘The New Frontier for which I campaign in public life can also be a New Frontier for American art,’ and he’d be very proud of all that Michael Kaiser has accomplished.” — senator edward m. kennedy “Michael Kaiser really is a miracle worker, and in his wonderful new book he tells you how to make miracles for your own arts organization. Ten rules to his kind of success: that’s what you’ll find within the pages of The Art of the Turnaround.” — barbara cook “There can be no one who has had the experience —the expertise—of Michael Kaiser in taking world class performing arts companies and reinventing them for the twenty-first century. This is a goldmine .” — harold prince “Michael Kaiser is an engaging and inspiring impresario, who truly has made a difference in turning around arts organizations. He knows firsthand of what he speaks.” — renée fleming brandeis Practical advice for fixing troubled arts organizations, supported by extensive case studies Many arts organizations today find themselves in financial difficulties because of economic constraints inherent in the industry. Hamlet requires the same number of performers today as it did in Shakespeare’s time. The New York Philharmonic requires the same number of musicians now as it did when Tchaikovsky conducted it over one hundred years ago. Costs go up, but the size of theaters and the price resistance of patrons limit what can be earned from ticket sales. Therefore, the performing arts industry faces a severe gap between earnings and expenses. Typical approaches to closing the gap— raising ticket prices or cutting artistic or marketing expenses—don’t work. What, then, does it take to create and maintain a healthy arts organization? Kaiser has revived four major arts organizations: the Kansas City Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, and London’s Royal Opera House. In The Art of the Turnaround he shares with readers his ten basic rules for bringing financially distressed arts organizations back to life and keeping them strong. These rules cover the requirements for successful leadership , the pitfalls of cost cutting, the necessity of extending the programming calendar, the centrality of effective marketing and fund raising, and the importance of focusing on the present with a positive public message. In chapters organized chronologically, Kaiser brings his ten rules vividly to life in discussions of the four arts organizations he is credited with saving. The book concludes with a chapter on his experiences at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, an arts organization that needed an artistic turnaround when he became the president in 2001 and that today exemplifies in practice many of the ten rules he discusses throughout his book. The Art of the Turnaround is in equal parts a rigorous “how to” primer on developing successful management strategies; a fascinating backstage look at the inner workings of dance, ballet, opera, and theater; and a personal memoir. There’s something here for anyone interested in the performing arts. michael m. kaiser is President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Dubbed “the turnaround king” for his work with numerous institutions, Kaiser has earned international renown for his expertise in arts management. He advises performing arts organizations around the world, working with arts leaders in Mexico, China, Latin America, England, France, the Czech Republic, and the Arab nations. He has created an online education forum for arts administrators (www.artsmanager.org) where professionals and students in the field can share experiences, seek employment, and post opportunities. Jacket image: Desmond Richardson in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations photograph © jack mitchell Author photo: Nancy Ellison brandeis university press Waltham, Massachusetts Published by University Press of New England Hanover and London www.upne.com The Art of the Turnaround: Rebuilding Troubled Arts Organizations By Michael M. Kaiser the art of the turnaround ......................... .............................................................................. .............................................................................. ......................... contents ......................... .............................................................................. .............................................................................. ......................... acknowledgments ......................... .............................................................................. .............................................................................. ......................... introduction ......................... .............................................................................. .............................................................................. ......................... ...................................................................... ...................................................................... ...................................................................... ...................................................................... ...................................................................... ...................................................................... the art of the turnaround creating and maintaining healthy arts organizations michael m. kaiser brandeis...