ARTISTS ON CREATIVE ADMINISTRATION

Socially engaged artist Lockyer edits a collection of firsthand accounts of finding, building, and sustaining a life in the creative arts.

Emerging from the National Center for Choreography-Akron’s Creative Administration Research program, this essay collection and workbook features an eclectic mix of contributors and styles, including stories, essays, case studies, and interviews. It’s divided into four distinct sections: “Place,” “Leadership,” “Capital,” and “Pathways.” Based on the title and the first entry—an entertaining essay on how to build an audience for contemporary dance in northeast Ohio, which is particularly difficult on Sundays when the Cleveland Browns play—the reader may initially assume that the accounts focus solely on that locale. However, the scope quickly broadens to include experiences from the dance scenes in Nashville, Seattle, New York state, and the San Francisco Bay Area. If there’s an overarching theme, it’s perhaps best expressed by choreographer and director Raja Feather Kelly, who writes, “In America, artists have to ask for permission to be artists.” The book offers particularly compelling advice on how to approach marketing, especially when dealing with local newspapers that may have limited understanding of, or space for, contemporary dance. An excerpt from a podcast interview by multidisciplinary artist Miguel Gutierrez is especially engaging, as it delves into the financial specifics with clear figures for each worker involved in rehearsal and production. At the end of each piece is an “Administrative Experiment,” which urges readers to think deeply on a topic or try out a new skill; however, not all are administrative in nature, as some involve dance exercises and other creative tasks. The final appendix includes a further “Investigative Retreat Toolkit,” featuring guided questions to provoke reflection and discussion—a helpful starting point for creative administrators after absorbing all the other advice. Although this workbook might have a limited audience, it provides a wealth of information, success stories, and unique insights for its target audience.

An illuminating and constructive workbook for anyone involved or interested in creative administration.