There is little doubt that the 2008/09 season will be remembered as a time dominated by uncertainty over cash flow, revenue streams, and artistic activity. Based on a year’s worth of tracking, it is clear that this uncertainly had an adverse impact on economic confidence levels throughout a variety of performing arts institutions. Nonetheless, it is crucial to note that institutions governed by wise leaders will resist temptations to embrace sweeping, institutional decisions that will have prolonged negative ramifications on future activity without first waiting for the economy to stabilize…
Cultural Confidence
Assessing Cultural Confidence As Seasons’ End Approaches
The latest polling cycle indicates cultural confidence levels are sinking slowly as the percentage of respondents indicating they believe economic conditions by the end of the season will be poor increased by the largest percentage since early February. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that with only several weeks left in most orchestra’s 2008/09 season, almost fifty percent of respondents indicated that current economic conditions will slip from “only fair” to “poor” during that time span…
Cultural Confidence Continues To Drift
The latest cultural confidence polling cycle indicates that positive attitudes remained somewhat unchanged and those with a negative outlook don’t feel quite as bad as the previous polling cycle. At the same time, the overall outlook on current and future economic conditions is decidedly negative…
Cultural Confidence Is Looking Up
Here’s some good news to start your week: the latest cultural confidence polling cycle indicates things are looking up for the first time in several months. In particular, the numbers of respondents indicating current economic conditions at their institution are “good” is at the highest levels since polling began in October, 2008. In fact, for the first time in the poll’s history, the number of respondents indicating economic conditions were “good” exceeded those indicating economic conditions were “only fair”…
Cultural Confidence Levels: It’s Always Darkest…
In a word, the cultural outlook is dreary. At least, that’s what respondents indicated when asked about their outlook toward economic conditions at their orchestra by the end of the season. On the bright(er) side of things, although respondents indicated a slightly lower level of confidence about current economic conditions, those levels were still 10 points higher than the all-time low experienced over the 1/18/2009 polling cycle…