Now Is The Time To Rally Stakeholders Behind Required Vaccination Policies

It should come as no surprise that performing arts orgs are playing a combination of push and pull when it comes to establishing required vaccination policies. On one hand, they want to push decisions back as far as possible to see how rapidly changing pandemic conditions change. At the same time, they want to pull decisions from venue owners and guest artists on whether they insist on having vaccination requirements to perform.

This is where peer research becomes crucial and I’m all kinds of happy to report that the Vax Policy Database has turned into useful resource for groups as they make this decision.

At the time this article was written there were 143 total organizations listed across the following sectors:

  • 52 orchestras
  • 21 opera and chorus
  • 44 performing arts centers
  • 15 dance companies
  • 11 theatres

Of those groups, the lion’s share of organizations requires all four stakeholder groups to be fully vaccinated:

  • 75 percent require ticket buyers, artist employees, staff, and guest artists be fully vaccinated.
  • 90 percent require at least three stakeholder groups to be fully vaccinated.
  • Only 19 percent do not require ticket buyers to be fully vaccinated.
  • Four percent do not require artist employees or guest artists to be full vaccinated but do require staff and ticket buyers to be fully vaccinated.

A big THANK YOU to all the groups that have submitted your policies to date and I’m looking forward to seeing more arrive. And an extra shout out to those who have taken the time express appreciation for the effort on social media. Hearing about how much the database helps is not just gratifying but I know it encourages other executives and board members to embrace comprehensive and effective vaccination policies that require each stakeholder group to participate.

Visit The Vax Policy Database

Submit Your Group’s Policy Today

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

Related Posts

Leave a Comment