By Grace Okereke
I was sitting in a busy eating establishment in New York one cold January morning, enjoying an overpriced avocado on toast and a lukewarm cappuccino with Karen Toftegaard, Head of International Programming and Production for CPH Stage and founding CEO at WILDTOPIA, Denmark.
As we conversed about our respective roles, she mentioned using the title Cultural Entrepreneur. This term immediately resonated with me, prompting introspection about its applicability to my own work in the (non-profit) performing arts sector. As time passed, I continued to think about this term. I found it hard to decide where I stood, so I started researching definitions to have a base point of reference. Using the trusted method of typing words into Google and seeing what came of it, I searched for the definition of Entrepreneur, with the top response stating:
“a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.”
Then, I explored the meaning of Entrepreneurship, finding the following definition on the Geeks for Geeks website for “the difference between Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship”, which stated:
“Entrepreneurship refers to the process of creating and managing a new business venture to achieve financial success and make a positive impact on society. It involves identifying opportunities in the market, developing a solid business plan, raising capital, creating products or services, managing employees, and overseeing the business’s day-to-day operations. This requires a unique blend of skills and qualities, such as innovation, risk-taking, creativity and resilience.”
Both descriptions felt accurate to how I feel a lot of us work, whether we do it independently, or within a business model; we grind and hustle our way through creating opportunities and productions, ex nihilo. However, one sentiment mentioned in both descriptions, I believe, makes many of us arty folk reluctant to fully embrace the definition: that being the suggestion that entrepreneurism aims to “achieve financial success” by working for the hope of “profit”. Business – or good business – is arguably about finding the gap in the market, filling said gap and making a profit for your efforts. This seems diametrically opposed to the non-profit performing arts sector, where we engage in activities more for social and community cohesion, self-expression and other (arguably) altruistic reasons. Here, money is viewed as a necessity but not the end goal and where breaking even financially can be a challenge. We often rely on subsidies and charitable donations for continued sustainability, which, as I have written about before, is a precarious method of survival for many of us.
There are some segments of the performing arts that do focus on profit and mainly operate in a commercial framework, but this is not the case for most of us. Nonetheless the performing arts contributes to the economy with the financial value added to the UK economy in 2022 estimated at £11.5 billion. In addition, an article published by Arts Professional (“Performing arts among fastest growing sectors of economy”, Author: Chris Sharratt, pub. 28-09-2023) which states that, “data in the DCMS Economic Estimates report show the category of music, performing and visual arts is 17.9% up on its pre-pandemic level…”, demonstrates the resilience we possess in the face of adversity. Whether by nature, or through continued necessity, I genuinely believe there is an innate ability for many of us in the performing arts to be entrepreneurial. But how should we navigate that sticking point of profit? I for one am not afraid of making profit and at times want to lead with this as the driving force for working on some projects. However, I do recognise that many of us attribute profit with greed, and there lies the underlying issue. But with existing funding pots shrinking and more people clambering for their share, we need to think more broadly about sustainable financial models. Maybe it is time to reframe the notion that profit equals greed and fully embrace what we as Cultural Entrepreneurs could be, by reframing our practices to serve culture and communities without abandoning our integrity.
At Uprise Rebel, we strive to lead with an entrepreneurial lens as we endeavour to improve the future of the sector by finding sustainable methods of operating. By realigning long-standing metrics of process and procedures, we hope to be one of the true cultural change-makers.
Grace Okereke is Founder and Executive Producer of Uprise Rebel and has been in the dance sector for over two decades. Her career has evolved from performer and teacher to manager, with the latter being the predominant role. She founded her own company, Uprise Rebel, which supports Black and Global Majority female choreographers and administrators, as well as developing inclusive audiences. The overarching aim is to challenge the structures and hierarchical archetype currently in place, and to set a new paradigm for the representative faces of the contemporary dance sector.
Outside of her work with Uprise Rebel, she is an independent producer and has worked with organisations including FABRIC, Birmingham International Dance Festival, Horizon Showcase, Diverse City and One Dance UK. She holds a Fellowship with ISPA representing England. www.upriserebel.com