While I’ve led cultural institutions, I’m a marketer at heart.
During my time in the marketing industry, one of the things I was passionate about was the need for organizations to stay culturally relevant. That is, they need to understand how the world outside their walls is evolving and how that impacts how their organizations are perceived. Now that I’m in the world of cultural institutions, I see that same need particularly pronounced among legacy organizations.
Culture is ever changing. Over a decade ago, I wrote that businesses should think of culture as a medium, one that influences how an organization is perceived and how its messaging is understood. Evolving an organization’s programming, operations and positioning becomes critical to keeping it relevant to the communities and audiences it serves. Remaining culturally relevant is not just about survival; it’s about thriving and continuing to fulfill a vital role in society.
The Importance of Cultural Relevance
Cultural relevance means more than just keeping up with trends; it involves understanding the deeper shifts in society and responding in ways that resonate with current and future audiences. For arts organizations, this means ensuring that programming, exhibitions, and outreach efforts reflect contemporary issues, diverse perspectives, and the interests of the communities they serve. Failing to do so can lead to disengagement and alienation, particularly among younger and more diverse demographics.
When I arrived at Weeksville Heritage Center in 2017, it was struggling with lack of relevance to its community. An elected official even characterized the place as “sleepy”. Weeksville is a cultural center that preserves and celebrates the history of one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America. It stewards three original houses from the late 19th- and early 20th century. On a deeper level it represents timeless values such as self-determination, entrepreneurship, creativity, and emancipation.
One of the things I immediately saw was that audiences felt indifferent about Weeksville. The organization hadn’t given them reasons to be excited about visiting. One of the first things I did was to institute a more frequent marketing cadence. Consistently reminding audiences about your great programming is what solidifies for them that your organization is one to pay attention to. In combination with the introduction of a few higher profile offerings to augment what was strong foundational programs, people began to realize that we were producing exciting, relevant programs. And once we got people onsite, we had the chance to connect Weeksville’s history to their lives today.
After a year, we’d doubled our attendance and reasserted the organization’s relevance.
The key is communicating freshness and excitement around an organization and its programming. But it’s also about keeping an eye on how the world around you is shifting.
5 Strategies for Staying Abreast of Cultural Trends
1. Keep your organization's underlying themes and values front and center
You can evolve your programs and offerings any way you want as long as it’s connected to underlying themes that your organization embodies. Again, back to Weeksville, its underlying themes are self-determination, entrepreneurship, creativity, and emancipation. Any programs we developed tied back to those themes. These themes also provide a lens to evaluate the ways in which your organization can develop new programs. Why, for example, did I introduce a literary series? Because of Weeksville’s history as a site of literacy and education for the formerly enslaved.
2. Engage Your Community
Regularly connect with your audience to understand their interests and concerns. You can do this through surveys, focus groups, social media engagement, and community events. Listening to the voices of your community is key to ensuring that your programming remains relevant and impactful. A caveat: Arts leaders need to be a little bit like the late Apple founder Steve Jobs, who said, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them…Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page.” Leaders must have a strong sense where their audiences needs and interests intersect with the history, assets and themes their organizations embody. This insight can spur the development of programs that surprise, delight and engage audiences.
3. Collaborate with Diverse Voices
Partner with artists, curators, and cultural leaders from various backgrounds to bring fresh perspectives into your organization. These collaborations can help introduce new ideas and ensure that your offerings are inclusive and reflective of a broad spectrum of experiences. In particularly, arts leaders need to regularly bring these voices and perspectives to board and staff meetings to help spark thinking among those most invested in the organization.
4. Monitor Global and Local Trends
Stay informed about cultural trends both globally and locally. This includes keeping an eye on the latest developments in art, technology, and social issues. Get used to viewing trends through the lens of your organization’s mission and themes, and you’ll start to see where these trends and your audience intersect, and ways you can add value.
5. Leverage Technology
Embrace digital tools. As audiences congregate on new platforms or start using new communications channels, evaluate the extent to which your audience is leveraging them. Don’t be afraid to empower a younger staffer to try new platforms. As it makes sense for your organization, use digital tools to engage with your audience where they are.
4 Ways To Maintain an Objective View of Your Organization
To remain culturally relevant, arts organizations must also take a clear-eyed, objective view of their own practices and structures. This requires a willingness to assess and, when necessary, change the status quo. It’s incredibly easy to get into a bubble, especially when your organization is doing well. However, know that current successes will be short-lived because the world around you—the context in which your organization exists—is constantly changing. The more regularly you assess the external environment, the more likely you will be to identify shifts that present opportunity (or peril) for your institution.
1. Regular Audits and Evaluations
Conduct regular assessments of your programming, audience engagement, and overall mission. This can help identify areas where the organization may be lagging behind or failing to meet the needs of its audience.
2. Foster a Culture of Openness
Encourage open dialogue within your organization about its cultural relevance. This includes being receptive to feedback from staff, collaborators, and audiences. An environment where constructive criticism is welcomed can lead to significant improvements and innovations.
3. Avoid Complacency
Resist the temptation to rely solely on past successes. What worked five years (or pre-COVID) ago may not be as effective today. Audience needs and expectations have shifted. Stay proactive in seeking out new opportunities and challenges that can push your organization forward.
4. Diverse Leadership
Ensure that your leadership team is diverse and reflective of the communities you serve. Diverse leadership provides a broader range of perspectives and helps the organization become aware of blind spots.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining an organization’s cultural relevance is an ongoing process that requires vigilance, flexibility, and a deep commitment to serving your community. By staying attuned to cultural trends, embracing diverse perspectives, and maintaining an objective view of your organization, arts institutions can continue to play a vital role in shaping and reflecting the cultural conversations that are taking place in the communities they serve.
