What are the benefits and challenges of co-producing arts events?

By sharing the financial and operational responsibilities, co-producing organizations can mitigate risks and reduce the financial burden associated with organizing large-scale arts events. This shared risk allows for more ambitious programming and production value.

Co-producing arts events is very dependent on how well the principals of each organization communicate with each other. They'll be collaborating on budget, marketing and logistics, all things that must be shared in such an partnership. And they need to have discussions about liability if something goes wrong and they need to cancel, and logistically what would happen and who would be responsible for what. Collaborations between arts groups also gets the attention of granting organizations, who want to see arts groups working together, And can lead to additional funding for the event as well as the groups themselves. This kind of endeavor can be instrumental in expanding an audience base past one group's potential.

Co-producing arts events involves collaboration between multiple organizations or entities to create and present cultural experiences. Co-producing allows organizations to pool resources such as funding, venues, technical equipment, and expertise. This collaboration enables access to resources that may not be available individually, enhancing the scale and quality of the event. Collaboration brings together stakeholders with diverse backgrounds, expertise, and perspectives. This diversity fosters creativity, innovation, and the exploration of new ideas, resulting in more dynamic and engaging arts experiences. By sharing the financial and logistical burden of event production, co-producing organizations can mitigate risks.

Partnering with other organizations can expand the event's reach and attract a more diverse audience. Co-produced events often benefit from the combined marketing efforts and outreach channels of all participating organizations, resulting in increased visibility and audience engagement.

Make sure the correct organization is taking the right pieces of the puzzle. I've had the co-presenting org insist on leading marketing efforts when our organization had lower ad rates and/or more expansive resources to reach the right audiences (email lists, street teams, etc.). It's never an easy conversation and may require additional work up front to have the data to reinforce pushing back.

In my experience and not only co-producing arts events, you need to make sure each collaborator understand their role and priorities. Not only their own but also other's. It's key each of them agree beforehand their responsibilities and expectations. There should be transparency and recurring check points to align priorities and manage risks as soon as possible.

Retrospective sessions are a powerful tool that should be implemented across all industries. It helps teams to talk about key problems and come up with short term actions or solutions. The facilitator is essential running these and following up and making sure that all the solutions are successfully actioned.

Co-producing organizations must align their brands and identities to create a cohesive and unified event experience. Maintaining a consistent and coherent brand message while accommodating the distinct identities of each partner can be a challenging balancing act but good opportunity for further learning.

Coordinating schedules, decision-making processes, and communication among multiple stakeholders can be challenging. Differences in organizational cultures, priorities, and expectations may lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and delays in planning and execution. Allocating resources such as funding, personnel, and equipment among co-producing organizations requires careful negotiation and compromise. Disparities in resource availability or contribution levels may strain relationships and affect the equitable distribution of benefits and responsibilities. Balancing artistic vision and creative control among co-producing partners can be complex. Conflicting artistic preferences, agendas, or objectives may arise.