Get A Glimpse Behind The Grant Panel Curtain

As if he wasn’t already bringing his A-Game on a regular basis, Joe Patti recently published an article at Butts In The Seats that provides a behind the scenes look at one of the more cloistered processes in the business: the grant panel review process.

If that weren’t a good enough topic in and of itself, it’s wrapped inside the context of barriers to engagement; both perceived and tactile.

I mentioned that something that can’t be discounted was the impact a renovation to the physical spaces of the facility had on the community…I went on to talk about the pre-renovation experience where the line to the women’s restroom in our facility was so long that it extended out the front door and the men’s room often had to be closed to men in order to accommodate women. Still intermission would need to be extended. I spoke about the restroom renovation garnering the most effusive response from people…My mention of the impact of the renovations met with some criticism by the panel. What annoyed me most about this was that the panel was comprised of artists or those associated with arts entities drawn from throughout the state.  I could understand if panelists drawn from the general public didn’t understand the importance of the physical environment in arts and cultural experiences.

It’s a thought provoking read and well worth your time.

Door To Seat As Important As The Quality Of The Event

I’m very curious to hear from readers who have been on both sides of that table, as Joe has, experiencing the process as an org seeking a grant and a panelist tasked with reviewing applications and ranking award candidates.