Candid Learning - Collaboration Hub Theatre Alliance of Buffalo

Candid Learning - Collaboration Hub

Theatre Alliance of Buffalo

Participating Organizations

   ● MusicalFare Theatre Company, Amherst , NY
   ● Irish Classical Theatre Company, Buffalo, NY
   ● Theatre of Youth, Buffalo, NY
   ● Playhouse of American Classics, Amherst , NY
   ● Ujima Company, Inc, Buffalo, NY
   ● The Kavinoky Theatre, Buffalo, NY
   ● Road Less Traveled, Buffalo, NY
   ● New Phoenix Theatre in the Park, Buffalo, NY
   ● New Alt Performance Group, Buffalo, NY
   ● Shea's Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, NY
   ● Alleyway Theatre
   ● American Repertory Theatre
   ● ArtPark
   ● Buffalo United Artists
   ● Jewish Repertory Theatre
   ● O’Connell & Company
   ● Paul Robeson Theatre
   ● Shakespeare in Delaware Park
   ● Theatre Plus /at Alleyway
   ● Torn Space Theater

Please note that all data below was derived from the collaboration's nomination for the Collaboration Prize. None of the
submitted data were independently verified for accuracy.

Formation

Type of Collaboration:

   ● Joint Programming to launch and manage one or more programs
   ● Merger by which governance, programs and administrative functions have been combined but which may or may not
     have included the integration into a single corporate entity.
   ● An alliance or similar collaborative structure through which members retain structural autonomy and have defined roles
     and responsibilities to achieve specific social goals or purposes

Geographic Scope: Multi-County
Collaboration Focus Area: Arts and Culture
Population Served:

   ● Economically Disadvantaged
   ● LGBTQ
   ● Minorities

Year Collaboration was Established: 2007
Goals Sought Through Collaboration:

   ● Maximize financial resources
   ● Improve the quality of services / programs
   ● Leverage complementary strengths and/or assets

Reasons Prompting Collaboration:

   ● Funder initiated / mandated the collaboration
   ● High / increasing costs
   ● Advancement of a shared goal

Who Initiated Collaboration:

   ● Executive Director(s) / CEO(s) / President(s)
   ● Funder

Number of Participating Organizations: >10
Nature of Funder Involvement:

   ● Suggested / encouraged the collaboration
   ● Provided endorsement of the project

Were Partners Added or Dropped?: No
Consultant Role: To develop a business plan or strategic plan for the collaboration

The Theatre Alliance Buffalo Founded September 2004, in an unprecedented and groundbreaking partnership, sixteen
professional producing theatres from Western New York came together to create (originally named) The Buffalo Theatre
Alliance (TBTA).

The concept of collaboration became impossible to ignore when the old way of doing theatre business became inefficient
and costly. The need for collaboration and its proven success in other markets was recognized, best practiced were
adapted, outside assistance from the Buffalo Sabres NHL Hockey team granted in areas of marketing and sales -- the rest
would become history. Monthly meetings commenced among 16 theatre producers and operators, by -laws were adopted,
and, with an eye in establishing inclusive structure, membership guidelines were developed and implemented. The
collaboration is open to any established Western New York professional theatre organization.

The events that were only able to take place through collaboration:
Proactive measures in seizing opportunities that sustain and strengthen the theatre community.
Ex:
Closing of a regional institution, Studio Arena Theatre – TAB came to the aid of Studio Arena patrons by instituting a
special ticket offer allowing for one for one free ticket exchange at all TAB theatres for ticket holders of Studio Arena’s
cancelled productions.
With the focus on creating a 3-5 year Strategic Plan, TAB members agreed to participate in a two day creative
brainstorming retreat called the Strategic Planning Sessions - a two day Creative Problem-Solving session . Core values
were explored , a mantra : “Many Stages One Vision” established . 5 Bold steps were defined on how the collaboration
would reach its desired state in becoming “A nationally recognized alliance representing Buffalo as a hub for quality
theatre, development, and collaboration.”
Identify and collaborate on marketing initiatives to streamline costs, eliminate duplication, consolidate efforts.
Example:
Dedicated website central database (a shared patron database of over 75,000 contacts has been created, allowing for a
multitude of cross marketing initiatives to take place), montly email campaign, winter event: World’s Largest Cast Party!
Serve as a clearinghouse of information for all its members while invigorating communication among its members and the
community at-large.
Ex: Management of TCG’s National initiative, Free Night Of Theatre; management of the dedicated website, Annual
General Auditions.

Management
Management Structure: Jointly managed by the Executive Directors of the partner organizations

The collaboration is managed by regular communication and committees. The executive or managing directors of each
organization rotate the position of president for two-year terms.
Regular monthly meetings and committee meetings are held. Three committees: Executive, Development Committee &
Curtain Up!Committees--meet regularly to represent all levels of the collaboration.

One staff member is contracted The Primary duties of the position:
All administrative components
Implements all marketing & collaborative initiatives.
Manage, collect and contribute content for the dedicated website, shared playbill page of season schedule, community
festivals, trade shows and community events
Manage maintenance of TAB database for all members (77,000 contacts)
Secure sponsorships
Write and distribute all media releases
Fundraising and development
Serve as a de facto liaison to the community-at-large

Challenges
Challenges to Making the Collaboration Work:

   ● Addressing lack of staff or allocation of staff resources
   ● Clarifying partner roles
   ● Raising funds or integrating fund development to support the collaboration
   ● Internal and external communication

The first hurdle in the formation of the collaboration was gaining the trust of other would-be members and convincing the
organizations of the long-term benefits of collaborating and ensuring that autonomy would not be compromised.
Another challenge successfully met was the identification of the ideal candidate for the position that called for
communication, technology and administrative skill - sets as well as in-depth knowledge of the local theatre community.
This success was possible through the creation of a Search Committee, the implementation of an effective marketing
strategy to secure viable candidates for the position, and a process of committee vetting as well as primary and secondary
interviews of qualified candidates.
The development of a “marketing fee” proportional to members operating budget was developed to off set minor costs
(paper, toner etc) and to further prove value of membership and commitment to the collaboration.
The scope of the collaboration needs will eventually need to hire more staff.

Impact
Internal Efficiencies and Effectiveness:

   ● Financial savings - Combined / coordinated marketing
   ● Fund development - Access to new / more sources of funding
   ● Improved marketing and communications, public relations and outreach - Improved marketing and communications,
     public relations and outreach

Community Impact:

   ●   Increased collaboration with / among other community organizations (beyond the scope of the original collaboration)
   ●   Collaboration has served as a model for others

Annual Economic impact is an estimated $100 million in Erie County alone.Membership grew from the original 16 –
member organization to 21 members thus growing the database, strengthening the coalition for advocacy purposes,
increasing demographics and diversity, developing a reputation as a hub for theatre artists and assisting individual smaller
organization’s sustainability with the support of larger individual members support.
Impossible to quantify, the value of sharing ideas and intangible resources remains one of the most important aspects of
the collaboration.
The collaboration provides a uniquely diverse partnership providing individual choices of entertainment, education, shared
human experiences and quality of life components for families with children, individual life styles, and all ethnicities that
reside or visit WNY. The tangible results include: supplying jobs for people raising families and making homes in our
community; purchasing goods and services and providing programs that contribute in immeasurable ways to the social
health of WNY residents; creating important quality of life impacts associated with the business of theatre including:
Facilitating the ability to recruit professionals to area;
Contributing assets to our growing knowledge-based economy;
Providing entertainment; bringing national and international recognition;
Enriching educational programs in local schools, universities/colleges and continuing education programs.

Model
The collaboration has demonstrated significant impact in the community , improved the relationship between the members
and their patrons, and proves to other organizations considering collaboration that it works when approached with
diplomacy, commitment and democracy.
The TAB model endorses the belief that a thriving arts sector creates “ripple effects” of benefits throughout our
community. This philosophy is supported by large sports organization such as National Hockey Organization.

The Sabres have made an in-kind contribution of best practices and marketing staff expertise supporting the collaboration.
The Sabres Foundation contributed $10,000 to the collaboration. This cooperative sharing of expertise demonstrates
unprecedented community strength building.Large organization support National Hockey Team Buffalo Sabres in-kind
contribution to assisting in establishing a collaboration infrastructure is unprecedented.
The collaboration has been the catalyst in leveraging local support from all funding sources.

Efficiencies Achieved

Program Implementation
At general monthly members’ meetings proposals are voted on. This system is set up to encourage an inclusive voice
from all its member organizations. Current committees include:Development, Marketing, Membership
Initiatives&Outcomes
2010, the first annual General Student Audition initiative was launched which represented a majority of the theatre
companies in Buffalo. This program obviated the need for individual students to make separate auditions at a whole range
of theatre companies and provided students with an opportunity to be seen by more than 25 professional theatre directors
at a single audition. The idea of establishing Student General Auditions is to grow the event to General Audition that will
include professional auditions and attract talent from neighboring theatre communities including Rochester, Syracuse,
New York, Cleveland and Canada.

TAB continues the Free Night of Theatre in October joining over 600 theatres in 120 cities nationwide for Theatre
Communications Group’s (TCG) Free Night of Theatre. Participating TAB members offered tickets to a performance
completely free of charge. Over 1500 new attendees took part in 2008 and 2009; their information was collected and
added to our shared database. In addition, the Buffalo Sabres collaborated with Free Night coverage, sending to their fan
members of Sabres Insider an opportunity to see free theatre.

Free Night reservations and a brief survey were conducted online. According to the reservation break down, Free Night of
Theatre audiences were more diverse than typical theatre audiences. The program attracted a significant number of
attendees who fall into non-traditional theatre participant categories, including infrequent theatre attendees, younger
people, less educated, non-white and those with lower incomes than the general core of theatre going audiences.
Specifically, in Buffalo:
82 percent of those at Free Night of Theatre reported never having attended the
theatre.
26 percent were under age 35.
10 percent have high school and limited college experience.
10 percent are non-white.
15 percent have incomes under $50,000.

FACILITATED STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSIONS
With the focus on creating a 3 to 5 year Strategic Plan, TAB Members participated in an intensive professionally
facilitated, two day, 12 hour, strategic planning retreat. The sessions produced a coherent planning consensus by TAB
members on the future direction of the organization. And, that if TAB were to achieve its short and long term goals, a self
reliance model and a not-for-profit status would need to be established.
High quality visual materials that effectively tell the project story:
Theatre Alliance of Buffalo Website: http://www.theatreallianceofbuffalo.com
Google analytics report
Social networking application
Facebook: Group and Fan Page
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheatreAlliance
Monthly Email Campaign (over 2000 signed on members)
Power Point presentation summarizing Strategic Planning Session

Evolution

TAB was formed, in part, as a cost effective solution toward consolidating efforts, eliminating duplication, streamlining
marketing costs and thereby bettering the utilization of resources made available to their organizations.
All collaborative initiatives are driven by TAB members (professional producing theatre companies) through volunteer
subcommittees that are monitored by the Executive Committee, aforementioned in section F.
Three specific challenges
Consensus On The Direction of TAB
How To Keep The Process Inclusive
How To Maximize Member Attendance
The first two challenges encountered were in determining what direction the future of TAB should go, and how to make it
an all- inclusive process, were the first two challenges met. Key TAB members engaged a facilitator from the International
Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College. The Executive Committee and Communication Specialist met
with the facilitator to discuss the program before communicating the processes, fee, etc., to the members. A vote at a
monthly TAB meeting to pursue the session was agreed upon unanimously. A date and time was selected to facilitate the
schedules of as many of the 21 members as possible to meet for two six-hour days. A preliminary step was an agreement
to do an online evaluation that measured each individual’s personal creative style when working in a team. A total of 19
attendees (representing 12 TAB member organizations) participated and through facilitation reached a consensus that a
need to bring more structure (without neglecting flexibility) was to be established. An additional outcome was the need to
craft a shared vision for TAB.
For members who could not make the dates due to scheduling conflicts, information for the Strategic Planning session
was disseminated at a TAB meeting with a Power Point presentation, accompanied with a one page hand out, and
distributed at the meeting and via email, and followed by a group discussion.
A consensus on four important organizational components were established:
Core Values: Passion; Integrity; Accessibility; Community; Cultural Diversity; Developing an appreciation for the Arts;
Visibility; Unity
Mantra: Many Stages, One Vision
Desired Future State For Tab: “A nationally recognized alliance representing Buffalo as a hub for quality theatre,
development, and collaboration.”
Steps In Achieving TAB’s Desired State:
TAB become an established entity - 501(c) (3)
Set fundraising revenue generating goals – Select best funding tactics
Create/publish a written strategic plan
The outcome was considered a large success by the facilitator and all who attended. The group concluded the session
refreshed, recharged and more united as each member had an equal voice in the decision of which direction the TAB
would need to go.
Identifying ways to generate earned and contributed income were developed during the strategic planning sessions.
Through facilitation, each opportunity was prioritized by TAB members producing a high to low priority /feasibility matrix.
These priorities led to the formation of the TAB Membership , Development & Marketing Committees.
One way of measuring TAB's success is that its collaboration model has been emulated by other collaborative
organizations. One such example is a new grass roots organization the Greater Buffalo Cultural Alliance which is
committed to proactive, positive, and self-directed advocacy on behalf of all our region's arts and cultural organizations.
Other barometers include membership growth, website analytic readings and marketing campaign sign-up .
The Collaboration Prize will be an investment in the community that will garner substantial economic returns while
bringing immeasurable social benefits. Buffalo has enjoyed a growing arts scene in the past few decades, in fact, most
recently in a CNN report, Buffalo was deemed 2nd on the top 10 cities list of places in which to relocate. Now that scene
is jeopardized by crippling cuts within State, County, and City funding, and by general economic hard times. TAB is
working harder and with leaner resources with the abiding belief that a strong and vibrant arts community is essential in
redefining cities. The news of winning this prize will not only leverage additional funding toward TAB’s mission to become
a hub for quality theatre, but the rapid fire good news in the media can only build on the growing, positive perception that
Buffalo is a great place to raise families, build homes, and thrive as an artist.

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