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Visual and Performing Arts in Sacred Places
A research project of
Partners for Sacred Places, supported by the Barra Foundation
Consultants:
• Thaddeus Squire, President, CultureWorks
• Marcel Williams Foster, Manager of Special Projects, CultureWorks
• David Bradley, Senior Consultant, CultureWorks
• Shawn Evans, AIA, Associate, Atkin Olshin Schade Architects, Senior Consultant
• Vanessa dela Torre & Rie Yamakawa, Project Interns, University of Pennsylvania

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Opportunity
• 70% of arts organizations have budgets <$1 million (“medium”
and “small”), and 40% <$250,000 (“small”)
• There are more than 200 dance and theatre organizations
members of our local service organizations, most operate under
$500,000.
• 1995 to 2005 median expenses for small organizations rose 124%
• Next to programming, “physical plant” is the highest investment
among small organizations: $2,614,000 per year as a group
Source: “Portfolio 2008,” Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, 2008.

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Goals
• To gather information that is useful to individual
congregations/arts organizations and indicates the level of current
use/relationships.
• To determine how to foster deeper partnerships between the sacred
community and fine and performing arts community of Philadelphia.
• To identify the resources needed to stimulate greater use of sacred
space by the arts community.

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Objectives
1. Develop a “Readiness Index” for partnership and space use
2. Create a list of organizations well positioned for partnership
3. Outline new Partners training programs for sacred places
4. Design a program for Partners to facilitate arts use of sacred
space
5. Outline a potential funding program to accompany this program

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Long-term Outcomes
• Take a Philadelphia pilot project into implementation by 2011
• Expand the project to other parts of Philadelphia
• Expand the project nationally to other regions
The arts and culture sector and the sacred community are able to support each
other more concertedly in the areas of financial and stakeholder development.

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Participants
• 43 Center City congregations, small and large and across multiple
denominations were invited to participate: 20 in core sample, the
balance subject to more restricted investigation.
• 32 visual and performing arts organizations operating in
Philadelphia were invited, representing dance, music, theatre, multi-
arts presenters: 20 in the core sample, with a special case study for
visual arts.
• Case studies of existing partnerships and feedback from emerging
organizations and individual artists.

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Selection
• This is a focus-style study and is not meant to be a comprehensive
survey of all sacred places and arts organizations.
• Participants were selected based on relationships and knowledge
developed by Partners and our local arts service organizations.
• You don’t need to have participated in the study to benefit from it.
The resulting programs will benefit the wider community.

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Process
We will be collecting three basic kinds of data:
• Physical and Technical Data
• Organizational Data
• Attitudinal & Leadership
We will be collecting this data through:
• On-Site Interviews (with organizational leaders)
• Electronic Surveys (administered to congregants/audiences)

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Physical & Technical Data (Sacred Places)
• Historical & Building Information/Code
• Space Types & Frequency of Use (including current arts use)
• Space Size & Capacity
• Controlled Access
• Accessibility (ADA)
• Visitor Amenities (transportation, parking, restrooms,etc.)
• Production Amenities & Equipment
• Physical Condition, Hazards, & Use Restrictions

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Physical & Technical Data (Arts Organizations)
• Space Needs & Frequency of Use
• Programming Capacity
• Technical Accessibility & Artist Amenity Needs
• Production Amenities & Technical Needs
• Current Use of Sacred Space
• Priority Needs (general)

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Organizational & Receptivity Data (both groups)
• Financial Information
• Personnel & Volunteers
• Operations & Planning
• Values & Perceptions
• Strength/Clarity of Leadership

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Audience & Congregation Data
(E-Survey)
We will ask a series of questions about the values, perceptions, and
demographics of both congregations and arts organizations.
We will also ask questions of both congregants and audience members
about priorities, barriers/benefits of attending arts events/sacred
places.

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Readiness Index
Organizational
Capacity
Physical/Technical
Capacity
Receptivity
Capacity

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Preliminary Findings: Attitudes/Receptivity
• There is great interest in partnership and needs fulfillment among
both artist organizations and faith-based communities.
• Most sacred places cite mission and the need to reach out and build
awareness for their work as the main reasons to want to partner, not
financial gain.
• Most arts organization cite audience development, and an
identification of similar mission (“the human soul”) as the reason for
partnership.
• There are complex value perception dynamics among faith

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Preliminary Findings: Organization/Operations
• There is deficit of human resources, tech expertise, and financial
capacity on both sides of the equation (arts organizations and sacred
places).
• There is a lack of shared language, understanding of organizational
dynamics/politics, as well as basic needs and operating “cultures.”
• There are no standards of cost/value among sacred places, and it is a
very difficult to negotiate financial relationships; sacred space is under-
valued.
• There are few processes and frameworks for talking about content and

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Preliminary Findings: Physical/Technical
• There is a wealth of under-utilized sacred space in and a fair amount
of arts use of that space, but nothing close to maximizing potential.
• There is a lack in most sacred spaces of key technical outfitting, spatial
flow, and ADA/code compliance needed for greater cultural use.
• There is a fair potential for multi-space use (administration, rehearsal,
performance, etc.) and availability is generally high.
• Overall condition of spaces and readiness for modest capital
investments (physical and technical) is relatively high.

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What is the solution?
1. Training Program for Arts & Sacred Communities
• Creates a “portfolio” of sacred spaces & arts organizations
2. Shared Management Structure @ Partners’ Office:
• FT Program Director (program mgmt & facilitation)
• Supported by contractors (tech dir., crew, site liaisons)
• Functions: marketing, vetting, contracting, technical, etc.
3. Rental Subsidy Program
• Rental re-granting program for members modeled on Dance/UP
4. Capital Grants Program
• For technical outfitting and cultural use space improvements

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Financial Assumptions & Sustainability
Training Program
• One-time development cost
• Ongoing operations offset by fees
Shared Management Structure @ Partners’ Office:
• Two-year ramp-up off-set by funding
• Ongoing operations off-set by membership and transaction fees
Rental Subsidy Program
• Available per fundraising; highly attractive “triple bottom line”
Capital Grants Program
• Available per fundraising; joint development with New Dollars?

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New Futures…
Every arts organization that so desires can find a home in
Philadelphia…
Every sacred space in Philadelphia teams with people
engaging in lives of faith and cultural experience…

20. Thaddeus A. Squire, President
tsquire@cultureworksphila.org
267 597 3803 T
Marcel Williams Foster, Manager of Special Projects
mfoster@cultureworksphila.org
267 597 3809 T
CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia
2920 Cambridge Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130-1116
267 597 3802 T
267 597 3811 F
http://www.cultureworksphila.org