Page 64 - APAP - Inside Arts - Conference 2020

What is most important is the lasting effect
the program and the project had on me and my colleagues: We are perpetually rethinking the charge of our organization's mission and our relationship with all of the community members that make up our town. We are figuring out how to incorporate more voices and perspectives into our programs
and actions. We are rejecting the notion of our organization as a monolith, a tower or silo. We
are enthusiastically embracing a path toward a horizontal existence within our community.
This is the challenge I think about most: How
do we make room for new leadership in the field? There are so many exceptional younger and middle- aged leaders "in-waiting" across our field. How
do we find opportunities for them to bring their vision and efforts to small, large, traditional and
alternative organizations? The other side of that question is this: How do older, sage leaders share their experiences and transition to emeritus roles in the arts community? Of course, there isn't a singular approach, but we need to be conscious of this challenge as we build the future of the field.
For me, more than anything at this moment, leadership is about being a better listener.
For real, my cohort. All of the cohorts. I am learning from all of these LFP heroes around me.
he LFP program connected me to an incredible
network of colleagues who have made a commitment to advancing issues of equity, diversity and inclusion
in our field in the most innovative and powerful ways. By being in their company, I am motivated to do more and to do better. The support I have received through my cohort as I navigate issues in our field and in my work has been invaluable. We lift each other up, but we also hold each other accountable as we face challenging circumstances in our industry and our world.
62 INSIDE ARTS CONFERENCE 2020
KATHRYN STURCH