Do We Really Want a Return to Normalcy?

By: Alex Sarian*

This blog is published as part of the #KeepMakingArt campaign. The curated series features voices in the arts/culture, education, and social change sectors to capture the deep thinking and innovation occurring as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“In the rush to return to normal, let’s use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.” – Dave Hollis

 As I sit down to write these words, I would be remiss if I didn’t start by thanking all of my colleagues, peers, mentors, and friends in the arts who have been stepping up to these difficult moments and demonstrating their leadership and compassion, not just with their words of wisdom and inspiration, but with their actions. Thankfully, there are too many of you to list. Artists, administrators, trustees, cultural consumers—and not just in New York, but in my soon-to-be-home in Canada: Thank you.

 I would also be remiss if I didn’t recognize and call out how incredibly privileged I am to be afforded this time to share my thoughts on this platform. While we all have severe cause for concern, to be given the gift of time to think and reflect is a rare opportunity that we are not often afforded in the arts, culture, and education sectors. I am lucky that I am able to use my time in this way.

Not “If” but “When”

I know that we are all taking this crisis one day at a time; but I also know that we will bounce back from it. It’s not a matter of ‘if’—but ‘when’. And when that day comes, I would like to think that it will finally be the turn of arts professionals to become members of a new wave of essential workers: those of us that will be called upon to help heal fractured societies through joy, community-building, and the reimagining of cultural experiences. 

We will be called upon to help heal fractured societies through joy, community-building, and the reimagining of cultural experiences.

The question then becomes: when we are called to task, will we be ready to take up arms, or will we be too devastated and weak to take action? I am convinced that a year from now, as we look back on these dark times, those who are able to successfully help rebuild are those who were able to use this time wisely, navigating uncertainty strategically, and preparing for a future that will call on the arts to rehabilitate and regenerate in new ways.

In order not to be overwhelmed by the monstrous task ahead of us, I’ve tried to simplify this process by coming up with a framework that offers a strategic and sequential approach to navigating these times. It is worth mentioning that while the process of ‘rebuilding’ will be a community-wide effort, I have approached it from my role as an arts administrator—but am confident that this framework is flexible and adaptable enough to help many arts/culture, education, and social change workers.

The Short-Term (1-6 months)

Everything about this phase will seem reactionary and will require a nimbleness to respond to ever-evolving challenges—we cannot freeze with inaction. It also cannot be overstated that decisions we make in this phase will directly impact our ability to transition into medium- and long-term planning. 

The normal tendency at this time is to compress and to react prematurely by shrinking severely and hoping for a bounce-back. And while making hard decisions are necessary in this stage, it is also pivotal to remember that you cannot shrink your way out of a problem. 

Laying off 60% of your staff might lessen the pains of your fiscal year, but we can’t just think about our need to crawl out of a financial hole—we will also need the brain power and talent of staff members to crawl our way out of a creative hole. As thousands of our colleagues in the arts are sadly losing their jobs, there are also positive examples of institutions that are getting creative on how to reduce and manage expenses without losing significant headcount. 

For example, The Metropolitan Opera in New York City has announced a new, temporary salary structure that allows them to navigate these times without the loss of a single administrative employee.

The Medium-Term (6-18 months)

This is perhaps the trickiest of the three stages. Hopefully, by now, we’ve been able to make short-term decisions to weather the storm, and the time has come to normalize and operationalize new behaviors. 

When the crisis is over, we will have to fight the tendency to fall back on ‘how things used to work.’ And while incredibly tempting to want to bask in the familiar, going back to how things were before the crisis is not only disastrously lazy, it’s also potentially the biggest missed opportunity an organization can face. The world is no longer the same, so why should we be the same? Not only does the success of this phase rely on us having been able to navigate short-term planning successfully, but it also requires the development of a new long-term plan… a new north star to which we must hold up all of our decisions. 

As an example, Aubrey Bergauer, the Executive Director of the Center for Innovative Leadership and Vice President of Strategic Communications for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, is someone who, in her thought leadership, is constantly bouncing back and forth between sound, short-term operational practice and innovative long-term planning.

 The Long-Term (18+ months)

Ironically, and sadly, I find that most people in the arts world are the most comfortable living in isolation in this stage, without an awareness of how the short- and medium-term planning can either make or break an institution’s long-term success. How many organizations do we know that spend time and resources developing strategic plans that sound impressive, but with no actionable steps to achieve it? 

My challenge to all of us during this phase is two-fold: first, even in the best of times, let’s not forget to connect short-term, medium-term, and long-term planning—let alone in times of crisis; and second, now is the time to reimagine the role of our institutions in society. 

Now is the time to reimagine the role of our institutions in society.

We’ve all been hearing Winston Churchill’s saying, “never waste a good crisis.” In my humble opinion, the arts sector would be wasting this opportunity if it didn’t align itself with a new value proposition—one that aligned itself with its social impact. For too long we have only ever sought to measure the impact of our institutions on society—how about we start measuring the impact that society has on our institutions? Let’s make sure our institutions, at all levels, are engaging in civic discourse as a means of staying relevant, impactful, and accessible in challenging and changing times. 

Remaining Adaptable and Responsive

Within the confines of this overtly simple framework, my thinking changes daily. I fill in the blanks and add texture with every news article, blog entry, research study, and social media post. As a result, it’s not just important that I share with you the framework with which I structure my thinking, but also start a dialogue about the resources and tools that have helped reshape my thinking during these times (I’ve listed a few of them below). 

I also welcome the opportunity to engage in dialogue: if you have resources that you’ve found helpful during these times, if there is something I’ve shared with which you vehemently disagree, or if you just need someone to listen, I can be found here.

Here are a few resources that I have found helpful in my evolving thinking:

We will make it through these times. We must. And once we are able to safely leave our self-isolation, we will find a world in desperate need of healing and repair. The arts need to be core to this restoration, and we, as ambassadors for the arts, must take the lead. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a more exciting and hopeful reality than the one that awaits us.

Photo by Will Young.

*Alex Sarian

Alex Sarian is the incoming President and CEO of Arts Commons, Canada’s third largest performing arts center. Located in Calgary, the Arts Commons complex occupies 10 acres and features over 560,000 square feet of world-class performance venues, rehearsal studios, production shops, education spaces, art galleries, restaurants, and public community areas. In addition to welcoming more than 600,000 visitors to its 2,000 events annually, it also serves as the artistic home to five resident companies: Alberta Theatre Projects, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Downstage, One Yellow Rabbit, and Theatre Calgary. In his new role, Mr. Sarian will also oversee the Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) Project, a $450 million expansion campaign that will double the organization’s square footage by building an adjacent, state-of-the-art facility with three new venues; as well as the modernization of all current facilities. 

Since 2013, Mr. Sarian occupied a variety of leadership roles at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, most recently serving as the fourth executive in the institution’s 60-year history to oversee all community engagement, cultural innovation grants, artistic programming for young audiences and families, global consulting, and the institution’s famed education department. Under his leadership, in 2019 Lincoln Center reached a first-of-a-kind milestone: building intentional and strategic relationships with residents in all of New York City’s 51 council member districts. During his tenure, he was also responsible for awarding more than $1.6M in grants to small- and mid-sized arts and culture institutions; and worked on projects in 15 countries spanning five continents.

As a recognized authority on the civic role of arts institutions, Mr. Sarian has lectured and given workshops across the United States, Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, and Spain. He has served on numerous governing boards, special advisory committees, and funding panels. He is currently a trustee of The New Group, an award-winning off-Broadway theatre company; an advisor to SXSW; a philanthropic advisor to Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires; and was the second arts professional to be invited to serve on the selection committee for the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize, an annual US$1M award to an outstanding educator.

Originally from Toronto, Mr. Sarian lived in Buenos Aires for fifteen years before moving to New York City in 2002 to pursue a career in arts administration. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees from New York University, and was an inaugural graduate of the Impact Program for Arts Leaders at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.