MANAGING ARTS PARTNERSHIPS

Artful leadership: managing stakeholder problems in nonprofit arts organizations
Tschirhart, Mary (1996). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, (116 pp.).
A study based on interviews the managers of 24 nonprofit arts organizations on: 1) What types of problems do managers experience with their organizational stakeholders? 2) How do they respond to these problems? and 3) What determines the use of different responses? Book Website

Arts and non-arts partnerships: opportunities, challenges, and strategies
Walker, Chris (2004). The Urban Institute
Practical advice on identifying and reducing potential risks when entering into partnerships with non-arts partners. Weblink

Creative community building through cross-sector collaboration
Williams, Jennifer, et al. (2004). Centre for Creative Communities.
Based on a Europe-wide study to map the main trends, issues and activities in cross-sector policy and practice that enlists the arts and culture to achieve broader social, health and educational aims. Provides rationale for such collaborations and argues for the need for change to satisfy the expectations and needs of the partners involved - especially when work is done for and with young people. Book Website

Cultural collaborations: building partnerships for arts participation
Ostrower, Francie (2003). The Urban Institute.
A report on the possibilities and limitations of arts & cultural partnerships to build arts participation. Document (PDF, 236KB)

Learning Partnerships Workshop
University of Massachussetts Arts Extension Service (1998-2000). Amherst, MA: University of Massachussetts.
A free online workshop and step-by-step online workbooks to help plan and evaluate community arts and education partnerships. Website

Médiation et arts de la scène : enjeux et types d’interaction
Zellweger, Nicole (2004). Mediamus.
Une introduction aux enjeux et aux types d’interaction dans la collaboration entre les musées et la arts de la scène. Document (PDF, 116KB)

Partnership as an art form: what works and what doesn't in nonprofit arts partnerships
Backer, Thomas (2002). Encino, CA: Human Interaction Research Institute, (72 pp.).
A working paper that draws upon the experiences of over 60 nonprofit arts partnerships - discussing the merits and challenges of artistic collaboration. Document (PDF, 388KB)

Partnerships between large and small cultural organizations: a strategy for building arts participation
Ostrower, Francie (2004). The Urban Institute.
An examination of the Wallace Foundation's Community Partnerships for Cultural Participation that finds that although partnerships in general are challenging, mutual respect, relative influence and rewards are even more difficult to achieve when collaborators differ so greatly in their resources and culture. Document (PDF, 544KB)

The Reality underneath the buzz of partnerships: the potentials and pitfalls of partnering
Ostrower, Francie (2005). Stanford Social Innovation Review, Spring 2005.
US study based on interviews with 5 community foundations and 45 cultural organizations, identifying potential advantages and drawbacks. The researchers found that many partnerships were created only for the purposes of grant application and that they ended when funding ended, and that funding requirements for seemed to be based on ideology rather than need. Document (PDF, 2.3MB)

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ARTS & BUSINESS

Business and the Arts Handbook
Council for the Arts in Ottawa (2006).
Handbook to inform Ottawa's business sector about the opportunities and potential for investing in the local arts. Document (PDF, 1.1MB)

Council for Business and the Arts in Canada
National association of art sponsors, patrons and volunteers, dedicated to helping arts organizations and businesses reach the full potential of creative partnerships. Online resources for fundraising and approaching business and arts partnerships. Website

Private funding of culture
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal (November 28, 2005)
Report on business support for culture based on interviews with representatives of 50 companies and an online survey completed by 210 business people. Findings include indication that the primary motivations for business sponsorships include enhancing the company's image, and contributing to the quality of life and economic vitality of the community. Weblink

South Africa - Business and Arts South Africa (BASA)
Founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of government and the business sector, BASA's primary aim is to promote mutually beneficial and sustainable business-arts partnerships in South Africa. BASA is accountable to both government and its business members. Website

United Kingdom - Arts & Business
UK-based network encouraging business and the arts partnerships through several programmes including an investment programme, professional development programme and skills exchange, and networking and consulting services. Conducts and publishes original research on partnerships between the arts and business. Website

United States - Arts and Business Council of Americans for the Arts
National American organization promoting mutually beneficial partnerships between corporations and nonprofit arts groups through local and national programs. Publishes the Arts & Business Quarterly and coordinates the Business Volunteers for the Arts programme. Website

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