Passion doesn’t pay the bills

Leading in the NOW

It’s been long recognised that passion doesn’t pay the bills, especially in the performing arts.

For as long as I can remember, the arts have relied on a combination of the passion of its workforce and an inherently elitist system that favours those whose livelihoods don’t depend on an arts salary. Only recently did we call our modus operandi, as it applies to workforce compensation, into question. Hastened by the pandemic, the Great Resignation and reshuffle, and generational shifts, arts leaders now face new expectations and standards. We are being asked to be transparent, equitable, pro-competitive, pro-labour. It’s not the arts alone that are shifting, but American work culture overall. This is new to us. It is the culture of NOW. And I think it is a good thing.

How did we get here?

Most performing arts organisations operate as non-profits, a business model that can be an awkward fit in the US. Sure, we’ve got a lot of different kinds of people and a lot of different values, but capitalism is the business model of this country. To be in business means to make the most (financially) that we can while seizing every opportunity. Most Americans, too, expect the same of their careers. However, non-profits, which evolved under a patronage model and rely heavily on volunteerism, aren’t well equipped to meet those needs.

So, on one hand, we’re raising Americans as capitalists, and on the other hand, we’ve got a business model that doesn’t align with capitalism yet still needs to retain, attract, and compete for its workforce. Nonetheless, we are workers, we are businesses, and we operate in capitalism.

Leaders take note

Arts leaders must pay attention to this massive cultural shift. We must be thoughtful and responsive to the NOW. Adaptability is an important attribute for CEOs, as is recognising that we are stewards of the work, which also means leading necessary changes in how we operate.

Being of the NOW means accepting that we are in an environment that begs us to resist reverting to ways of working that don’t serve our humanity. Therefore, we must ask: “What does it mean to have transparency and inclusivity in the workplace and why is that important? What can we all agree on that will improve our work culture?”

Businesses must shift to keep up and to continue to attract a workforce that is of the NOW. There’s no going back… Our people are educated and socialised in the NOW. Policies are changing to support the NOW. It only behoves us to embrace the NOW — it’s a big part of the job of a leader.

Where do we start?

First, we must get over what some of us have been told about money — we don’t talk about it! Shining a light on compensation, regardless of how troubling the numbers or data may be, is a critical first step. Unfortunately, there is a lack of comprehensive salary data available for nonprofit leaders in the US. Nonprofit workers hold one in ten jobs in the US, and yet, nonprofits are almost entirely left out of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ quarterly data.

For performing arts presenting organisations, APAP’s recently released Arts Compensation Project Data and Trends Report aims to begin to fill that vacuum. It compiles data from organisations in 28 US states, representing more than 1,000 job positions, and is available to current APAP members. (You can learn more via the link at the end of this piece.)

The next step is looking at ourselves. How does your organisation stack up in terms of its ability to compete for the best talent and ensure our industry’s collective strength? What can you do to advance these goals? Where do you need support?

Like any other industry, expertise in the performing arts takes time to develop. People get good at their jobs through years of experience, supported by a robust educational system of arts management. Those working in the field are investing their lives and offering valuable, transferable skills. Leaders want the best, and so we need to be offering the best. (Kudos if you are already giving it your best!) If we don’t attract these people, our competition will, and where’s that going to leave us as an industry?

Simply put, we must get serious about our workforce, the people that do the work, so we can keep the work. The world of NOW is pro-labour, the world of NOW is competitive, the world of NOW is transparent. The world of NOW is not satisfied with the way things have been. We hope salary data like the Arts Compensation Report fuels our passion for a better future. With this information and inspiration, together we can lift up the performing arts workforce. The return is bigger than any single mission statement — it represents a vision for a whole and thriving industry.

To learn more about the APAP Arts Compensation Project Data and Trends Report, visit bit.ly/ArtsCompensationProjectReport