Distributed Leadership
Grounded in collective vision, Bridge Live Arts' model of distributed leadership represents an intentional step away from founder-led, hierarchical arts nonprofit and toward an emerging, new model. In alignment with B.L.A.’s organizational values, our way of working currently embraces shared leadership across all aspects of the organization, pay equality across artistic & administrative staff, a re-imagined Board comprised of 100% working artists, and a paid curatorial Artist Council comprised of artists from the community.
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WHY WE VALUE DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP
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Organizations tend to calcify. Like skilled dancers, we must constantly re-awaken ourselves to respond to a changing world. We practice distributed leadership to calibrate our internal structures to the values that drive our programs; to increase artist ownership over our programs; to align our intentions and our organization with movements for collective liberation.
We welcome dialogue about this work so we can grow together.
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Learn More about Distributed Leadership
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In Practice: Stepping Back to Move Forward (In Dance)
Inside Power Shift: A Conversation on Distributed Leadership (Grand ReUnion)
Shifting toward Models of Equity (Stance on Dance)
Collective Models in the Arts (S.F. Chronicle)
Another Bridge Toward Equity (S.F. Classical Voice)
Notes on Stepping Back (the body is the brain)
Value-Driven Restructuring (the body is the brain)
Presentation on Re-Structuring Arts Organizations (video)
Organizations B.L.A has consulted for or shared our Distributed Leadership work with:
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Arts Connect International
Artichoke Dance
Berkeley Cultural Trust
Creating New Futures (White Caucus)
Dance Artists National Collective
Dance NYC Conference
Dance/USA Conference
Draper/Echoing Green Leadership Transition Cohort
Sustainable Economies Law Center
LeaderSpring
National Performance Network (National Conference)
New Yorkers for Culture and the Arts
North Carolina School of the Arts
On the Boards
Western Arts Alliance