Instinct Arts
Nonprofit Concept Project | Arts Leadership
For this nonprofit concept project, I was tasked with creating a concept for my own original nonprofit organization, including mission and value statements. The concept for Instinct Arts unquestionably incorporates my own personal artistic values and ideals. Ultimately, this is the type of organization I hope to some day create or work for. This project was completed as part of my Master’s in Arts Leadership and Management. Images used for this page are stock images.
Instinct Arts
OUR MISSION
The mission of Instinct Arts is to build a vibrant community of artists and audience members alike by empowering the innovative work of artists, producing stimulating, cross-disciplinary experiences for the community, and inspiring all people to follow their artistic instincts.
OUR CORE VALUES
Community
We believe in the power of shared experience through the arts. We aspire to build an inclusive community that welcomes and inspires artists and audiences alike.
Diversity
We believe in a diverse community of people that makes diverse art. We aspire to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion in all our actions and to embrace all forms of art that are stimulating and innovative.
Accessibility
We believe that the arts for everyone. We aspire to build accessibility into every aspect of our organization and to actively invite new people into our artistic community.
Empowerment
We believe in empowering people to follow their artistic instincts. We aspire to encourage every person to explore their artistic passions and to embolden artists to make the work that excites them.
More About Instinct Arts
A VIBRANT COMMUNITY
At the core of Instinct Arts is the goal of creating an inclusive community that encompasses artists, administrators, and audience members. When reading Michael Kaiser’s book Curtains? The Future of the Arts in America, I was struck by his discussion of building an organization’s “family” and his explanation of subscriptions in the early days of modern nonprofits. More specifically, I was intrigued by the fact that many people purchased subscriptions because attendance at nonprofit events became part of their social life. The idea of regular arts events being a desired component of a dynamic social life resonates with me – but I feel that many nonprofits miss the mark on this. In my personal experience, my interaction with organizations is often sporadic or program-specific – rarely do I feel a true sense of community. With Instinct Arts, almost building on the concept of salons, I want to create a space where people feel a personal connection and investment, and they are motivated to frequently revisit for new, inspiring experiences.
EVERYONE IS AN ARTIST
In the Instinct Arts community, artists, administrators, and audience members are equals because they do not play a static role. In many of the nonprofits I have observed, there seems to be a divide between these different groups. It works for some organizations – the artists make the thing and the audience members just want to watch. But our mission is to inspire all people to follow their artistic instincts.
For artists, I want Instinct Arts to feel like a home, a place where they are equally eager to create their own art and attend events to learn from others. No doubt, our administrators will come from a background in creation, and I want to empower them to continue exploring their artistic passions. Especially, I want our audience members to be motivated by our programming to go make their own art. It is certainly in the realm of possibility that an individual who was previously “just an audience member” returns to Instinct Arts as an “artist.”
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
If Instinct Arts genuinely believes that everyone is an artist, then the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion need to be built into the fabric of the organization. It is a new organization – so we will learn from the mistakes of existing organizations. What does this look like in practice? First, understanding the broader community the organization exists in and embracing it is essential. Instinct Arts needs to be accessible and inviting in all its actions, whether that be ticket sales or marketing. We cannot outprice our community, and we need to market in creative ways that reach a diverse audience where they are.
Since our work starts with empowering artists, from the beginning, we need to actively seek out and invite diverse artists to work with us –diverse in demographic, diverse in discipline. Building from that, we need to encourage our artists to invite their circles to the organization. If we incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into the foundations of our organization, it will ripple outwards. Hopefully, if we act with intention in the creation of the organization, inclusive actions will become sustained and second nature.
CROSS-DISCLIPLINARY ARTS EVENTS
Instinct Arts will be a cross-disciplinary arts organization. Honestly, this is rooted in my own refusal to pick a single art form. But more importantly, I think there are endless creative possibilities and opportunities for growth when we widen our vision to include theatre, music, visual art, dance, film, writing, fashion, design, and more. Certainly, there are some audiences that only desire to listen to Beethoven at the symphony. Unquestionably, there are some artists who wish to give all their focus to acting in hopes of a Broadway career. But I think there is great deal of arts-minded individuals who will find it invigorating to consistently engage with similar-yet-different people and ideas.
When talking about Instinct Art’s programming, I am choosing to use the words “arts events.” The phrase leaves the door open for all sorts of possibilities, and that versatility is vital. Across the board, our events will be stimulating, arts-centered, and promotive of camaraderie. But from month to month, events might be immersive theatre pieces, experimental chamber ensemble concerts, or art installation cocktail receptions. Since each event is unique, we want our community members to think, “Wow, we can’t miss this!”
Our events will have an educational component associated with them, but our approach to education will be “How can we learn from each other’s creative perspectives?” Just as our events are varied, our educational programs will be catered to the nature of each event. So, an art installation may be paired with an artist-led, medium-specific workshop, and an immersive theatre piece might be joined by a talkback with the creative team discussing how the project was conceived. We will strive to create educational programming that allows audience members to explore their creative skills and facilitates artists learning from each other.
EMPOWERING ARTISTS
Without a doubt, the financial model will need careful planning – but across the board, I want artists to be well compensated for their work. Beyond this, an important part of Instinct Arts is empowering artists to make the art that excites them. I foresee Instinct Arts doing a mix of presenting and producing, but overall, I want our programming choices to be innovative and artist-driven. I believe that if we make it possible for artists to create work that inspires them, audiences will be eager to experience it.
Additionally, a significant function of the Instinct Arts’ platform will be to amplify artists’ voices and visibility in the greater community. The Instinct Arts brand will be overarching, but I think our artists’ personal brands are equally important. Over the course of a season, the organization will work with many different artists, and I will not ask artists to leave their identities at the door. If we generate genuine buzz for our artists, we are also creating lasting awareness for the organization. The goal is that, instead of saying, “Oh, we’re attending a concert at Instinct Arts,” our audience members will enthusiastically tell their friends “Tiessa Mills is premiering her new work at Instinct Arts. We can’t miss it – come with us!”