CenterStage: Monday Night Rounds
Monday Night Rounds, a program of CenterStage
Facilitator: Susan Blackman, Artist Resources Associate
Coming February 20: Be A Money Magnet
Monday Night Rounds brings professional artists and arts managers together with individual artists and smaller companies for discussions about successes—and challenges—of presenting art to the public. Seasoned and emerging artists and producers explore topics in depth from their individual experiences.
Each evening, we will—
- Gather and meet new friends over light refreshments.
- Get an overview of the evening’s topic, including best practices and resources for further exploration.
- Participate in guided exercises to bring theory into your creative practice.
- Hear practical, real-life solutions from other members of the creative community.
- And—always—follow your own curiosity to ask the questions that will help YOU.
Monthly sessions, 7-9 pm, beginning October 17
Attendance at 7 Monday Night Rounds entitles a participant to a reduced rental fee at KST.
If you are interested in attending any of these sessions, please help us by submitting a participant profile. Thank you!
Monday Night Rounds: 2011-12 Schedule
Open House
October 17, 2011 for
Guests: Tiffany Wilhelm, Deputy Director of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, and Germaine Williams, Program Officer for Arts and Culture at the Pittsburgh Foundation.
Keep Your Focus
November 21, 2011
At some point, you must stop brainstorming to keep your project from snowballing out of control. Learn how to decide when you’ve done enough thinking and need to just start doing.
Guests: Christiane D and Justin Laing, Program Officer, Arts and Culture, Heinz Endowments.
Name Your Success
December 12, 2011
Beyond creating your art, how do you define success: how many people see your work, what is the media response and impact on the community? Some things can be measured more easily than others. Guests: Dr. Harry Clark and Mariza Mosquera.
Create The Plan
January 23, 2012
Build an action plan with a budget that tells the same story. Bottlenecks won’t bring you to your knees if you can anticipate them. And audiences are easier to count while they are still in their seats.
Build Your Team
March 19, 2012
Whether you are an independent artist or part of an organization, you can’t do it alone. What makes a good team? And how do you keep a bad one from sinking your project? Learn how to build a valuable team.
Fill Your House
April 16, 2012
If you build it, will they come? Define your target market and figure out the best way to reach them. Create a marketing plan to effectively communicate to your audience—whatever your budget.
Your Plan in Action
May 21, 2012
Implement your production plan in real time, whether you have total control of the venue or not. Don’t take anything for granted; don’t assume. Learn in-the-trenches problem-solving.
Wrap-up
June 18, 2012
You’ve created and presented your art. You’ve accounted for the money, evaluated the outcome, communicated with partners. And that’s what launches you into your next project. Next steps!
CenterStage is funded in part by The Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Fund at The Pittsburgh Foundation. CenterStage is a organized by the Kelly Strayhorn Theater and facilitated by Susan Blackman.
Longtime arts manager, Susan Blackman has sat on both sides of the funding table as both grantmaker and grantwriter. She has BA in economics and an MBA focusing on non-profit administration. For three decades, she has worked as staff member, consultant and board member for non-profit organizations as varied as the Mattress Factory Museum of Contemporary Art, Chatham Baroque, Three Rivers Community Foundation and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. Freelance projects have included grantwriting, strategic planning and program development.
