Peter - My short suggestion: do it! (which I know you will)
Open Space is perfect for planning and strategy sessions. And though they may appreciate and use Open Space for this specific retreat, it may also be interesting for them to consider its use in other ways that can support their work. Open Space is also perfect for mapping out the landscape of arts, audiences and changing economics in a community; such as for a separate day-or-two-long event. I facilitated a two-day interactive "New Strategies for Audience Development" conference for Walter and Elise Haas Jr. Fund who had an with open invitation to arts, economist and civic organizations in the area (from the huge San Francisco Opera to tiny on-line literary magazine entrepreneurs). They used it for Day 2 (Day 1 being presentations and panelists on the state of the arts and economy in their region, though this also was done in a very audience-centered, participatory manner). Topics generated by participants in the Open Space included: - Subscriber / Membership Strategies - Marketing Across Different Regions and Velues - How to Deepen Audiences - How Do You Create Crossover Audiences - What Do Funders Need to Hear? - How DO We Give the Audience What They Want and Still Challenge Ourselves? - Building Programs to Increase Intercultural, Interracial Audiences - Board Development - Critics - Big and Small Organizations Working Together - Us versus Them - Long Term Initiative for the Arts - How to Generate Younger Audiences - Sustaining Artists' Residencies in Non-arts Environments - Papering Bank: Filling Those Empty Seats - Raising (Creating) the Organization's Visibility - Building Partnerships with Community Organizations - Arts as a Power Base - How Do You Keep Fear and Censorship Out of Your Artistic Programming? - Competing with Mass Culture .and more. If they want, I would be happy to connect Mr. Atwood to my client at Haas if he has any questions about Open Space's use in this context. Take care, Lisa ________________________________ L i s a H e f t Consultant, Facilitator, Educator O p e n i n g S p a c e 2325 Oregon Berkeley, California 94705-1106 USA +01 510 548-8449 [email protected] -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Peter or Esther Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2004 10:01 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Arts Council Open Space Dear OS Listers, I have received the following email and will answer it according to my knowledge, but wonder if any one has any short suggestions on topic? Warmly, Peter Fisher Asheville, North Carolina THE MESSAGE WAS: we are planning on having a retreat for the Asheville Area Arts Council Board of Directors some time in March... and Raphael thought that this methodology might be something that we investigate for our planning process during the retreat.... this is still preliminary, but I would be interested in any additional information you might have and more importantly, what is the cost (I assume daily) for such a session... Look forward to hearing from you.... Phil Atwood Interim Executive Director Asheville Area Arts Council * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
