Ben Cameron: The true power of the performing arts
/via ted.com
Ben Cameron is a kindred spirit, a cultural omnivore consuming pop culture and art with equal passion. In this talk he eloquently conveys the truth about how important the arts are and what is really happening to arts organizations and artists. These 13 minutes are a must watch for anyone working in the arts. There are many truths he shares that established art makers are ignoring. This talk is the closest to having someone verbalize my philosophy of culture.
Pixar's Randy Nelson on collaboration
/Fantastic. In 9 minutes he adresses collaboration vs. cooperation, how one must be able to translate ideas and most importantly be interested.
Joffrey Ballet's win-win with Groupon is a lesson for cultural institutions
/On Aug. 18, the Groupon online “deal of the day” offered discounted subscriptions to the upcoming season of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. Within 24 hours, 2,338 people had taken the bait, the Joffrey announced the following day in a press release.
To offer some perspective, the Joffrey had about 4,900 subscribers on Aug. 17. In other words, the ballet company saw a nearly 50 percent increase in its subscription base in one day. And they said subscriptions were dying. Or dead. Nonsense.
The smarter arts organizations are realizing that you have to give people a deal. No one wants to pay the sticker price in this economy. Raise the ticket prices and you see fewer people. Give folks a break, and they’ll maybe pay more next time and buy a profitable drink at intermission.
Bravo to the marketing team at Joffrey Ballet for embracing new technologies, taking a risk and introducing new people to the company.