As we move through the early days of 2024, we are mourning the violence and the loss of innocent lives in Gaza and Israel, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the mass shootings in the US, and in crises around the world that all too often don’t make it into the news cycle. We see and feel the impacts of climate change from the local to the global level: the famine and displacement, the rising levels of anxiety and hopelessness, the ways in which it only serves to exacerbate all the disparities and inequities that already run rampant. We worry about rising Islamophobia and antisemitism, political divisiveness, authoritarianism, and a United States Supreme Court that is undoing generations of progress. And as we honor Black History Month here in the United States, we are faced with structural racism so fundamentally woven into the fabric of our systems that it can feel impossible to overcome.
We know that in our field, artists continue to struggle to find funding that respects their voices and aligns with their values. Arts and culture organizations stretch to meet increasing community needs whilst maintaining a culture of care. And in the US, funding that was a result of the COVID pandemic and racial reckoning is running out – yet the challenges persist.
There is so much darkness in this season. And yet, amidst all of it, what gives us hope is you.
NAS exists because we believe in the power of values-based leadership and the ability of arts and culture to make change. We know you’re out there doing the work: making your community better. Making the world better.
So our work is to be here with and for you: to support you in your leadership journey as you and your organizations drive inspiring change for the future.
This year, some of that work includes:
- The Project – A new offering to help leaders face head-on the systems of white supremacy that operate within arts organizations and work to dismantle them.
- Homecoming – A chance for you to reconnect with yourself and one another, giving you renewed energy for your mission and a fresh perspective on how to get there.
- PEGs (Peer Exchange Groups) – An opportunity to break down the isolation of leadership, helping participants set and achieve meaningful goals with accountability and support from both NAS trained coaches and an aligned group of peers.
- Wallace Arts Initiative – A partnership to uplift, connect, and support BIPOC organizations
- Executive Leadership in the Performing Arts Fellowship Program – A program designed to help shift the leadership of performing arts centers to embody the diversity of the communities they serve.
These are just some of the highlights, but we encourage you to stay tuned as we learn and share more in the months ahead.
We are so endlessly inspired by the work of this community, from the local to the global. You teach us, you challenge us, and you hold hands with us through co-design to create more of the offerings that our sector and the world needs.
In this season of darkness, thank you for bringing your light.
