Ford Foundation

ProgrammingResearchAdvocacyProject ManagementFacilitation

Mar 20

ACTIVE PROJECT

Performing Arts Futures: A Funder Gathering

SERVICES PROVIDED Research · Curation · Project Management · Speaking & Facilitation

ADC TEAM Alejandra Duque Cifuentes · Carrie Blake · Cléo Charpantier · Maleni Palacios

ADC Consulting supported the Ford Foundation’s Performing Arts Futures: A Funder Gathering, a two-day in-person gathering of national funders and key partners working in the performing arts which took place on June 26-27, 2024 at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in NYC.

What Is Performing Arts Futures: A Funder Gathering?

The Ford Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities at the Institute of Museum and Library Services invited national funders and key partners to take stock of the landscape of performing arts funding and state of the field in order to help map new funding paradigms that must emerge from this moment. The two-day, in-person event created a space for shared learning and coordination among leading funders. We began to generate funding solutions to address current challenges and advance a future where performing artists, workers, and organizations are an abundant and thriving presence in all communities, animating the histories, documenting the realities, and helping people imagine the potential of our multi-racial, feminist, and inclusive democracy.

Alejandra, light-skinned femme with highlighted mid-length hair and in a red shirt, and Carrie, white femme with red glasses, dark suit and blonde hair, at a podium speaking. Alejandra is looking at Carrie while Carrie makes remarks.

A group of people sitting around a round table and discussing something. The table has snacks, beverages, a table number 3 in the center, and around the table a black masculine person with a hat and colorful clothes, and a light-skinned femme with d

All photos by Carey Wagner Photography.

A group of people sitting around a round table in conversation. There are beverages, snacks, papers and pens on the table, and a diverse group of folks are sitting around listening to somebody in a green mask speak. Somebody is also taking notes on

Four diverse femmes on a panel sitting in a row, with one speaker on the mic and the others listening. A group of diverse audience members backs are to the camera, listening to the panel.

ADC Consulting’s work on the project included:

Managing the host committee who supported the curatorial process and project direction.
Conducting research on performing arts funding trends using available data, additional research, and an advanced survey of convening participants.
Curating the event by identifying discussion topics, artistic interventions, and key speakers.
Spearheading the production plan and coordinating all onsite facilitation and production alongside the Ford Foundation’s team.
Creating and executing event-related communications.
Preparing an executive summary report of key learnings and recommendations from the convening.

For more information, visit https://events.fordfoundation.org/performingartsfutures.

back to all projects

Alejandra Duque

Ford Foundation

Performing Arts Futures: A Funder Gathering

Jacob’s Pillow

Understanding Arts Service Organizations in a Changing Arts Ecosystem