When people feel seen and heard, they think and act differently.

Concerts and events are where we come together to express ourselves and to bear witness, to contribute and to receive. To me, programming requires going beyond what is happening on stage to consider the total audience experience, and understanding how a network of creative acts can create a constellation of support within a community much larger than any one event.

Programming also requires us to address the needs of audiences and communities, challenging ourselves to co-design dialogues in which participants see their agency reflected in meaningful projects and impactful change. This requires listening as much as presenting, and a willingness to involve members of the community in the planning process. We cannot hope to create change unless we are willing to be changed ourselves.

Inevitably, these dialogues lead us beyond the traditionally-held boundaries of where artmaking belongs, and what it can accomplish for organizations, their audiences, and the communities they serve. One of the most exciting ways a project can culminate is in the creation of new contributions to the artform.