Rethinking Culture as a Service: Jobs to Be Done
A Strategic Lens for Understanding How Cultural Organizations Create Value The theory of Jobs to Be Done (JTBD), introduced by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, reframed how businesses understand customer choices: people don’t buy products, they hire them to fulfill specific life goals. Christensen said, “People don’t want a quarter-inch drill bit. They want […]
Can Art Cure Loneliness?
Culture and the silent epidemic of our time Social isolation — particularly among older adults — has become one of the defining health challenges of the 21st century. By 2030, more than half of the population in the developed world will be over 50, double what it was just a few decades ago. As societies […]
Leadership Lessons with LA Phil’s Rafael Mariño
How has your career evolved, and how did you arrive at innovation in artistic programming? For over eight years, I’ve been part of the programming team at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. There, I’ve reaffirmed that innovation doesn’t always mean creating something from scratch — it often means transforming what already exists: redesigning formats, reaching new […]
Who Pays for the Arts? Global Lessons in Cultural Funding
A small theater in Berlin receives multi-year public funding, pays artists union wages, and never relies on ticket sales to stay afloat. Meanwhile, an equally acclaimed company in New York fundraises year-round just to cover its operating costs, often while creatively piecing together earned revenue strategies to stay viable. The difference isn’t artistic ambition; it’s […]
What If Your Arts Organization Operated Like a Venture Studio?
In recent years, cultural institutions have faced a growing set of competing demands: to remain mission-driven while achieving financial sustainability, to innovate without losing sight of tradition, to broaden access while upholding curatorial excellence. It’s a balancing act few organizations were designed to manage—and legacy models are starting to show their limits. But what if […]
Cultural Institutions as Third Spaces: Beyond gallery walls
In an era where social connection and community engagement are increasingly valuable, cultural institutions have a unique opportunity to reconsider their role. By positioning themselves as “third spaces,” these organizations can attract new audiences, expand revenue streams, build partnerships, and strengthen community ties. What Are Third Spaces? Sociologist Ray Oldenburg introduced the term “third place” […]
The Rise of Participatory Design in the Arts
As the cultural sector navigates shifting societal expectations, changing audience behaviors, and an increasingly networked world, one design principle has begun to gain traction across disciplines: participatory design. Originally developed in the context of Scandinavian labor rights movements in the 1970s, participatory design emphasized the idea that people affected by a system should be involved […]
The Mic Is On: the rise of arts podcasts
Podcasting has rapidly emerged as a powerful tool in the arts and creative industries. As of 2025, the global podcast audience has surpassed 540 million listeners, creating new opportunities for artists, cultural organizations, and creative entrepreneurs to connect with audiences, expand visibility, and drive innovation. With accessible audio production tools and an increasing demand, podcasting […]
Scarcity: Lessons for Arts and Cultural Organizations
Cultural organizations often find themselves operating under the weight of limited resources—whether it’s time, money, or staff capacity. Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir offers a fascinating lens through which to understand these challenges and turn them into opportunities for growth and innovation. By examining the psychology […]
Leveraging AI & Digital Resources for the Arts
The digital revolution has created an unprecedented opportunity for arts administrators, cultural leaders, and creative entrepreneurs to optimize their work. From streamlining ticketing operations to refining audience engagement strategies, artificial intelligence, and digital tools are transforming the arts sector in profound ways. Yet, many professionals in the creative industries remain unaware of the full range […]