Visions, plans and soft furnishings...

Building a work of art

It is not “curtains” for Downstage. We don’t use curtains. In fact, the company has never used curtains. Our bespoke venue was built in an era when the vision was to break down the barrier between audience and actor. The flexible space was designed to immerse the spectator with in the performance. It was modern, it was daring and it was ‘state of the art’ in 1974.

As our Production Manager, Simon Rayner, recently commented, “It is a work of art, which is why it is so damn hard to work in!”

Carnival Hound  3-5 Nov 2011

Our theatre has not closed. Maria Dobrowska's Carnival Hound and new music ensemble, Stroma’s Pounamu with Warren Maxwell are scheduled for October and November, as well as another scintillating evening of Pecha Kucha. In addition, the venue is available for meetings, rehearsals, readings and workshop space.

After much speculation in the media and elsewhere, I want to take this opportunity to let you know what’s happening at Downstage and more importantly, what will be happening in the future.

Warren Maxwell with Stroma 6 Oct 

 At Downstage we run four distinct programmes: the Presenting Partners and the Resident Company programmes, plus the Community Access programme and Subsidised Venue Hire (for our strategic partners incl. NZ International Arts Festival and Capital E). Information about these programmes is available on our website.

 The decision to curtail the Presenting Partners programme (where we showcase the work of independent artists and companies) has been forced upon us as a direct result of the economic climate in which we are currently operating. This was not an easy decision. Sadly, it entailed the disestablishment of three positions meaning the loss of three dedicated team members, and two others going onto reduced hours. It also means a loss of income for Presenting Partners and associated personnel affected by the cancellations.

We are also acutely aware of the wider impact on our sponsors, suppliers and other local business; restaurants, bars, taxis. Downstage is a part of Wellington’s regional economy, and what affects one part of the community will always affect others. Our Board are committed to strengthening our financial base and understands the benefit we bring not just to the social and cultural life of Wellington but our economic impact on this community. Their actions were prudent and responsible and were made with the long-term in mind.

The support and goodwill I have received from many of those directly affected and the broader industry has been gratifying.  We appreciate your backing and offer of assistance, especially those of you who live and work in other regions around the country. It means a lot that you are thinking of us.

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As a team, we care deeply about the New Zealand theatre industry, the artists and their work. We believe in the value the Presenting Partnership model and its capacity to deliver in terms of creating futures for our artists, platforms for our stories, and inspirational entertainment for our audience.  Our task now is to strengthen the support structures around this model, to develop a secure and stable base that enables us to weather the inevitable market fluctuations.

Our theatre is undercapitalised. Since 2008 the situation has been made more acute by a significant drop in funding from Creative New Zealand. This year, CNZ has endorsed the Presenting Partners programme and increased both the amount and the duration of its funding commitment. That funding remains, however, 35% below the pre-2008 level, without adjusting for inflation.

What this means is our theatre has leaned more and more on the box office revenue to sustain the overhead costs of the building and staff, which have remained steady since before the funding reduction. For two of the previous three years we managed this, delivering a small budget surplus. This year, however, was a different story.

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There is no question we have work to do in developing a taste and appreciation for locally-produced, contemporary New Zealand theatre works that is the backbone of our programming. We must continue to set ourselves apart in the local market and champion our unique identity.

However, I believe that securing the long-term stability of our theatre, and with it the future of our independent creative artists, lies with our foundations.  That is why the Board and I are tasked with seeking capital investment in the theatre. The Presenting Partners programme carries its own weight; it’s our responsibility to enable the theatre to sustain itself.

This has always been my vision for Downstage, and developing the company’s core financial strength is the smart business solution which will achieve it. This has always been the plan for the post 2011 phase. It’s regrettable that the events of this year have meant we are moving into this phase ahead of schedule, and that people’s livelihoods have been affected. On the positive, the months ahead are a window of opportunity for us to make headway on these strategic changes faster, and more comprehensively, than we may have done otherwise.

Imagine a situation where sponsorship, donations, even core funding was invested as capital, creating a means by which the theatre is a self-sustaining, secure base of operations for the artwork. The programming could then take the full measure of its generated revenue, allowing us to reinvest in developing artwork, creating collaborations, enhancing productions, and taking New Zealand theatre to the world.

All this is possible.

I am very excited about the future.

HB

It won't happen overnight!

Vagabonds & whores (in a very Gay production)
'The Beggars Opera', 18th c

In 18th century England it was the interpretation of a work that was far more important to an audience than who wrote it or even appeared in it.  They believed the many strident disagreements and frequent controversies surrounding works of art were as important as the work itself.

These interpretations threatened the status quo or establishment of the day, which is why anything new was ridiculed by those who were threatened the most by their implications. This in turn is the reason why right up until the 19th century the theatre was seen as the profession of vagabonds and whores. It was important to keep it in its place while people wrestled with the momentous changes taking place within European society at the end of the 20th century. 

Dame Pat Evison in 'Happy Days' by Samuel Beckett
Downstage 1965

The establishment of Downstage made a huge impact on society back in the 1960s. Not simply because it was the first or only professional theatre in New Zealand, but because it began a process of looking at the world from another perspective, an act of courage and the beginning of a new cultural identity.

At Downstage we have extended the meaning of creation beyond just the invention, fabrication or handiwork of getting a show to the stage.  We understand that a work of art is not created overnight but over time. 

Nor is it a book to be read or a picture to be looked at and commented on; it is a live performance; not a thing but an event.  Within the performing arts the work is the production as a whole - the actual realisation and interpretation of the work and its relationship to an audience and the ensuing conversations it generates.

Jack Shadbolt and Eli Kent in'The Intricate Art of Actually Caring'
Downstage 2009 & 2011

A singular outing will not usually be enough to generate heat.  Productions need time to simmer, so we embrace the re-working and re-staging of productions.  In each case we’ve found the return season has developed into a richer brew, and attracted a larger audience base than the first outing. 

Lately we’ve been keenly aware of the need to enliven discussion and debate over the relevance of our productions to contemporary life - like the audiences of 18^th Century England who revelled in hotly debating the art of their time.

An ongoing conversation between artists and audiences?  This is what it means to create a masterpiece.

We’re all creative, but can we all be artists?

This is what I know.

Lightbulbs: Cheap.
Electricity: Expensive

Ideas are a dime a dozen. Turning ideas into realities, practical realities; making them actually happen, is a whole other story. And then having another idea, to start all over again, to have the ability to do that over and over – coming up with great ideas and making them happen – over the span of a career is something else altogether.

So the issue for me is less about whether or not we are all creative and more about how do we sustain that creativity and remain productive over a lifetime commitment to our art. And even more challenging, how do we make it earn us a living?


Born to act

The author (left)
  clearly born to act - 1980

This notion that you are “born to be an artist”, or in theatre terminology, “born to act”, (that you can’t do anything else, that it is a God-given vocation) has its origins in history. As an actor for instance you would have been born into a family of players and learnt your craft by observing those around you. Or maybe you were sold into a circus or travelling troupe or even run away to do the same. Back then, there were no professional training institutions issuing tertiary degrees in the creative industries of performing arts.

Times have changed. Now every year, hundreds of graduates – full of great ideas and a student debt – leave the protective and creative environment of a training institution and start on the career path of looking for work or at least an outlet for their creativity.


So, you think you can act?

Cinderella listens to her iPod

So what? Reality TV may have changed everyone’s idea of what it takes to be an artist by believing in the myth-making and money-making and the hype around “living your dream” – The Susan Boyle Story being just another version of Cinderella – but the question is can these people – the winners of Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, have talent or X-factor etc. – sustain a life-long career? Only time will tell if they live happily ever after.

Sadly, in this digital age the camera does more than lie, it can visually and aurally enhance talent (or at least the appearance of it).

"Two tickets for this evening, please" 

Thankfully, the digital age has given rise to another breed of artist. In the US they call them the Ren Gen or Millennial Generation, in New Zealand and Australia they are called Computer or Digital Natives. And while we hate labels; it’s just a shortcut way of identifying the generation that has grown up with, and never known a world without, digital technology, computer games, mobile phones and i-pods.


This generation is smart, stylish, tertiary educated, well connected, socially networked, locally-based and internationally-focused. They want to make money; to make a difference; change or improve their lot or the entire world order. They are thinkers, doers, collaborators. And best of all they’re entrepreneurial.

Entrepreneurs have been around for a long time but the digital age has given them power, speed and visibility. They have learnt to subvert the well-trodden career paths and created their own direction, at times to great success (The Flight of the Conchords being a local example). They are turning great ideas into realities. They are the Independent Sector.

Hipsters, entrepreneurs,
Downstage class of '03

And cities that cultivate (or have by osmosis) an “indie culture” – thrive! Think Seattle, Portland, Toronto, Glasgow, Manchester, Melbourne, Brisbane, Wellington. There has been a great deal written about this – especially cities that have reinvented themselves by capitalising on their creative communities.

And this is what I also know: all this “greativity” (great creativity) goes nowhere without recognition and support: infrastructure, mentoring, guidance, money, professional development, encouragement, opportunity.

Supportive Acts
Downstage designed the Presenting Partners programme to support the independent theatre sector, to reinvigorate the local theatre scene, to provide opportunities to showcase work, to guarantee paid employment and investment in independent artists and companies and to make projects happen – to ensure that great ideas see the light of day. We are just at the beginning of this way of working and we have BIG BOLD IMPOSSIBLE ideas.

We’ve been around for a long time – a life-time – 47 years and we plan to be around for a lot longer. Downstage is a repository of all that has gone before, a vibrant history that has led to our evolution. That knowledge and experience gives context and shape – a clear direction. By being a dynamic resourcing partner, we are not looking to back winners but to invest in people and their ideas, and to help them carve out sustainable careers that have a future.

Stanford and Beyond

I was rudely awakened this morning by a phone call from Tim Spite. Tim and his wife Gabe are the co-writers of The Spy Who Wouldn't Die Again opening tonight at Downstage. "Gabe's gone into labour and we're at the hospital", he tells me. "It looks like a Cesarian section. You'll have to cancel the show." My brain whirls into action: call in staff, contact audience, inform Board, reschedule media night." The list is endless. "How's Gabe?" I say. "Fine. It's April Fool's." Sadly, it didn't click, Tim had to repeat that phrase three times and add "It's a joke!". What? "Got you again!" Tim says gleefully, having done the same thing last year!

Work is not the opposite of fun! Work is not the opposite of fun! I chant. Work is not the opposite of FUN! My mantra while plotting revenge!

My previous blog stated my intention to implement small shifts in thinking in order to make a big difference to our company and our community. The first lesson to come out of the ENPL was from the "Ropes Course", Day Two. I took to heart the words of one of our team members who, like me, chose to be a member of the ground crew not a high-flyer. She said (I paraphrase): that when you are not close to the heat of the action - the main goal - you can feel isolated and proactively marginalised from the core group. I certainly experienced that and was aware this could happen to a person or be self-inflicted. I had to work hard to ensure my contribution was not dismissed and that my role was acknowledged as vital to the overall team success without my having to explain or rationalise my choices.

Keeping this in mind, I have stepped up my interaction with casual Front of House staff. After all, they are our frontline people, and have direct contact with our audiences. It's not that there was no contact or consideration for the great job already being done by a fantastic team of people. We had already instigated a different approach to our recruitment process of ushers and bar staff with good results before I left and run a customer service session with staff. In addition, programming had begun to provide cheat sheets of show information (previously generated for the Box Office) for use by FOH staff. This week, we invited casual staff to attend the dress rehearsal of "Spy" and a briefing session about the production. During the interval FOH Manager, Tony Hewitt and I discussed the show, its style and content, and then outlined our Resident Company programme (RC), its purpose and value and where this sat within the Downstage Business Model. Part of the first RC intake was SEEyD, the creators of Spy, and this world premiere marks the end of their three-year residency. (The benefits of this RC programme will be published in our 2010 Annual Report and made available on our website.)

Then I turned the spotlight on the staff with the first in a series of sessions to be conducted over the next few months, which had us examine some of the topics covered at Stanford. We are doing this in the context of our three strategic outcomes: our artists, our audiences, our community. This preliminary session was attended by all staff - during a production week (they really are stars!), looked at the traditions of theatre, the language and lore of enabling "shows to come in and shows to go out" year after year after year. Because regardless of the recent changes to our business model, the core business remains the same, the this company has an outstanding track record of being able to deliver to task and on time. This is project management of a very high calibre and under the current administration and Presenting Partners programme (PP), to budget. (Generating increased revenue through box office, donations and government funding is a separate issue.)


Little known fact: Downstage generates 60% of its income through ticket sales.


I then invited our Associate Producer, Sonia Hardie, to present one of her techniques that enables her to play a part in ensuring the "show must go on". This was a "props table", the area backstage that lays out all the properties or objects actors use during the production such as glasses, cell phone, bottle of fake whiskey etc... These are laid out on a table criss-crossed with masking tape, labelled with the character's name and divided into acts or scenes, depending on the complexity of the play. Mess with this table and you have Sonia to answer to. (Sonia now plays a mentoring role within the company, passing on her skills to incoming companies whose stage managers may not have had formal training).

This short demonstration easily translated into other areas of our work, illustrating that systems are essential for flow of work and team co-operation. Remove some of the elements without telling people, dumping rubbish on other's work, whether figuratively or literally, or simply not following the plan, step by step, makes for a rough and uncertain voyage. This discussion led into the importance of our Strategic Framework, a tool we have been using since 2008, and one that has enabled us to move forward with a clear path to follow into an unknown future. Using the same framework, we are now preparing the final stages of our application for multi-year funding for the next five years. And as they say in the theatre "the plot thickens!"

And finally, I invite staff and all interested parties to comment at any time and provide other perspectives on any of the content in this blog or the up-coming sessions.

Day 18: The Final Postcard

I'm taking a photo when two people cross in front of me. "Tourist Alert!" I say.

"What did she say?"
"Tourist alert."
"That is so funny." (said without so much as a smile.)

There is a great deal I will take with me from this trip, the deadpan sense of humour is one of them. This is my last postcard. I am now home sitting at my desk looking out onto a brilliant Wellington day. The city has really turned it on for my return. It feels good to be here and I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone.

United Airlines finally lived up to its reputation and I ended up having an extra day in San Francisco. I buddied up with a fellow passenger and we took off for SFMOMA. My companion was a museum docent (visitor guide) and we were given free entry. So I got to see my first Paul Klee exhibition and better still works by Frida Kahlo and Deigo Rivera, and I also dropped in on Jessica at counterPULSE.

On our last day of the ENPL we had the opportunity to say a few words, much of what I wanted to say was echoed in those who spoke before me: great professors, lasting friendships, life-changing insights (you gotta love: work is not the opposite of fun!), outstanding accommodation and service, so much to take back and digest.

When I spoke I was surprised at the well of emotion that bubbled up (awkward!) but what I said rang true: this course saved a life, not just the life of a theatre but it's community. A theatre contributes more than entertainment, we also contribute to the local enconomy. We may be a small theatre company on the edge of the world close enough to Antartica as to be insignificant, and yet we have stories to tell - past, present and future - and an irrepressible way of telling them, and the ambition and will to take them to other parts of the world.

Stanford also saved my life. I have worked as a professional theatre practitioner since I was 19 years old. My first engagement was with Four Seasons Theatre, Whanganui. I had been captured by the spirit of performing since age 11, when I started theatre workshops with Mrs Brady of the Brisbane Children's Theatre, in her suburban Corinda home and held ransom by the myth of fame and fortune. But I have been lucky enough to work with people who showed me the value and power of creative endeavour and its capacity to have us think differently; hopefully, more humanely.

I have never forgotten my first experience of theatre nor that seminal Downstage production of Arthur A. Kopit's "Wings" with Alice Fraser. It shifted my world-view. I align with DAE when they say, "the human spirit brings light and insight to the darkness". Its a fellowship I am very proud to be part of, and this pride extends further into the non-profit family. It was an honour to be in such esteemed company and I thank you all for the privilege of hearing your stories and ambitions to change, to grow and to make this planet a better more loving place to live.

As I said on the last day, I am not going back to Downstage to make extravagant changes, I go back to make small shifts that I trust will make a big difference. I also want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for my Board of Directors who made this opportunity possible and thank my staff who held the fort in my absence. "I am because you are."

And that's all from me. At least for now.

Day 17: Degenerate Art Experience

Degenerate Art Ensemble (DAE) is a Seattle-based performance art group that defies definition. Founded as an experimental orchestra in 1999, the company is an evolving collective of sound engineers, artists, filmmakers, composers, costumes fabricators, physical theatre performers, dancers, musicians, instrument makers, graphic designers and anything in between. The company has been around for about 15 years involving anywhere between six - 20 ensemble members on any one show. They have been described as some of the most "richest, interdisciplinary, immersive, gleeful work in Seattle".

Taking their name from an exhibition mounted by the Third Reich in 1937 entitled Degenerate Art (it showcased some 650 modernist works, believed to defile the purity of the Nazi Party line but in fact, proved so popular, it had to be taken down!) DAE performances are a mad mix of dance, music, projection and installation. What differentiates this company from most presentations of performance art is this company cares about its audience.

"Our audiences matter, we share their dreams and respect their intellectual curiosity." I didn't get to see a performance but a retrospective of their work is being currently exhibited in the Fryre Museum - in itself a first of its kind and a grand undertaking. (Ironically, the Fryre started out in life as home for late 19th century German paintings!) As luck would have it, the day I visited the museum, an artists talk and tour of the exhibition had been scheduled and numerous DAE company members were present. I got to chat with co-director and founder Joshua Kohl, sound and installation artists, Robb Kutz and Nik Weisend - they reminded me of a number of Wellington artists who have worked at Downstage - their ideas and enthusiasm were infectious. They had this to say about the company, "There is great darkness in the world, the human spirit brings light and insight. We believe there is great beauty in the darkness" And while this sounds very heavyweight, they were delightful, so it not surprising their work has been described as: “whimsically disturbing!" Wandering around the exhibition, what I saw was reminiscent of Warick Broadhead’s work in the 70s and 80s - part spectacle, part perforamnce art, part theatre.

In all, I visited five theatres while on the west coast: The American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) and counterPULSE in San Francisco both I've blogged about before together with Seattle Repertory Theatre), and another ACT (A Contemporary Theatre) and OtB.

On the Boards (OtB)
Unquestionably, OtB was a standout for me because of its courageous programming, its committed vision and mission. Since its inception, OtB has become a legendary centre for the creation and presentation of contemporary performance and has featured breakthrough performances by art stars including Laurie Anderson, Bill T. Jones, The Wooster Group (featured in the NZ International Arts Festival last year), Dumb Type, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Sankai Juku, Gisèle Vienne, Bruno Beltrão, chelfitsch and DAE.

I met with OtB’s Managing Director, Sarah Wilke, on my last day in Seattle. We exchanged credentials then got down to talking about the business of running a theatre. OtB used to be tucked away in a small venue for around 20 years until a generous benefactor helped them purchase outright the current premises, which in the US means providing adequate parking, So, they got the lot across the road as well! It’s a large converted warehouse that houses two auditoriums: a 300 seater, and 120 seater/studio for new works, and the ground floor is leased out to an art gallery and cocktail bar.

OtB raises 15% of earned revenue through their Box Office, the rest through Foundations. Relationship with their audience is tantamount. It starts the moment you walk in the door. Everyone is a potential abassador. The real mission is to introduce audiences to artists they don’t know and to celebrate performance art pioneers. (Sarah liked the Downstage's concept of Our Stage - scroll down to bottom of screen).

OtB has many similarities to Downstage on an operational level. They were established around the same time, they have 9 fulltime staff and a board of 27? They meet once a month! Decision-making is a community exercise, although an executive committee ensures operations are not held up.

Sarah and I traded some ideas and innovations around artist and audience development and then it was all over. Time to go back to Inn Queen Ann and pick up my bag.

Only one regret, I missed visiting Theater Schmeater, a company that specialises in re-stages of “Twilight Zone”. I simply couldn’t get a ticket. Now what does that say about the state of theatre?!!

Day 16: Seattle has coffee!!!

Seattle has over 2,000 coffee houses. It's the home of Starbucks after all, which like many of the local independent roasting houses, started small. The little Internet Cafe I frequent, Cyber Dogs, is a good example of the "indy" spirit of Seattle. It's an eclectic collection of stuffed dogs, 70s furniture, computer terminals and local music - everything from Jimmy Hendrix to Nirvana and those I have never heard of - Death Cab to Cutie - but the wait staff are proudly parochial and seem to know a great deal about the local scene.

Before I left Wellington, my friends Jane and Peter frequently looked at each other, rolled their eyes and turned to me and said in that knowing way, "You are going to love Seattle, Hilary." (which is worrying because chances are I won't just to be perverse, then what?) But they were right, I love Seattle so much I could marry the city and live here for the rest of my life. This is a city that has taken art and culture to its heart and elevated it to new heights of civic pride.

First nights
They are always unsettling whether a new production, a new lover or a new town. My hotel was described to me at reception as "older style" - meaning not everything works - or, at least, takes a little getting used to after the luxury of Schwab. I'm on the 3rd floor of Inn Queen Anne. There is no lift. There is also no overhead lighting and it takes a while to work our how the bed lamps switch on - they are both different. There is an old radiator but it, along with the fridge, doesn't seem to be working - then I realise I need to plug them in and turn them on! On the up side, I've a corner room with views over the city, and a bathroom with a bath and the most poetic folding of hand towels I've ever encountered. I'm a block away from the Seattle Center: a cultural precinct which includes well-known tourist destinations: the Space Needle, Monorail and Pacific Science Center; it's also home to Seattle's Children's Theatre and Seattle's oldest professional company, Seattle Repertory Theatre - spelt the European way. Everything I want to see is in walking distance (Thanks Rebecca! You did good!) I check out the local paper and circle my "must-sees". But first things first, the local supermarket. This is choice gone crazy. I just want a box of cereal, some milk and fruit. It takes me a good hour!

Experience Music Project
This museum rocks! The architect, Frank Gehry, has designed a building to outdo the Sydney Opera House, Federation Square and Te Papa! It is an expression of sound in visual motion - rolling waves of brightly coloured sheet metal, and tile and glass surfaces that wrap around each other like sound waves. Inside, the museum explores the rich history and current state of popular music. There is a huge tribute to local NW (north west) artists (under renovation) and an exhibition dedicated entirely to Seattle-born Jimmy Hendrix. The exhibits are all interactive - and given this is the home of Microsoft - the technology is highly sophisticated. You can enter a Sound Lab and record your first track, go On Stage and be part of a massive rock concert and leave with your own poster! A sound sculpture of a thousand guitars that can break out into music. An unexpected highlight was a fascinating exhibition - I would never have guessed this - on the making of Battle Star Gallactica. But if that doesn't grab your interest you can learn about the birth of the guitar to the present day.

Dinner for Two
I had forgotten how generous helpings are in the US. (I lived in NYC for a couple of years in the 80s.) This evening I select the local Thai, Phuket and order a soup and my fav - Larb Gai. When the dishes arrive at my table my jaw drops. There is no way I will ever finish these servings. They do things big here and are big-hearted to boot. I don't finish my meal so it is packaged in box to take back to my hotel. I feel very Helen Hunt. But I had forgotten, other than Australia, you can take leftovers with you. (It's a botulism thing in Oz. Heat breeds nasties.) So I get two meals for the price of one! I love a bargain.

Back at Inn Queen Ann, I drop into bed and drift off to sleep with the words of Jimmy Hendrix swirling around in my head. "Imagination is the key."

Tomorrow the Olympic Sculpture Park, Pike Fish Market, Frye Museum and a performance of the American classic "Of Mice and Men" at SRT.

Day 15: Boo Hoo Hoo!

One evening at Stanford, we entered the dinning room to find brightly coloured napkins decorated with cartoon captions on our tables. There was no allocated seating but as I took my place I noticed mine depicted a sophisticated woman sipping a martini. The caption read "Oh, Boo - frickin' Hoo! Have a cocktail and get over it." I was called over to join another table and when I sat down the same napkin confronted me. "Boo - frickin' - Hoo! Have cocktail and get over it." Was someone trying to tell me something?

During the course, United Airlines received quite a knocking from our Professor Jim Phills and others who travel a great deal - the usual thing; long lines, late flights, heinous customer service - you know the kind of thing.

This is what happened next...

It was a wet, rainy departure from SFO and I was flying United. Having been warned about the over-bureaucratic security measures at airports since 9/11, I left early to ensure plenty of time. I joined a group of classmates who were taking a van. I made sure I asked beforehand what the financial arrangements were; how much, were we tipping etc., I had it all clear in my head. As we approached the airport, the driver asked which airlines we were with and it became I was clear I was going to be the last drop-off. Oh no, I thought. When we got to the first stop everyone was getting off but me. The driver said it was $90.00 all up and that he didn't do credit. "Hold up", I said, "That's not what they told me at reception. It was $70 all up and no gratuity. Credit cards accepted." He said, $90 all up and if he took credit, he would have to check with the office for each transaction." The others caved, gave him cash and rushed off to their destinations.

Now, it's not about the money. It's the principle! Anyway, I decided nothing was going to spoil my trip so I happily chatted with him the rest of the way. When we got to my stop, he said he was more than happy to take my credit. "Don't you have to check in with head office?" I asked. "No, he said, "I'm a good judge of character." Yeah right, I thought.

I process my boarding pass at a Check and Go counter outside the building to avoid lines and I was gratefully helped by a cheerful airport attendant. Next step, Security. I only have cabin luggage, which has surprised numerous people. I have Daphne James to thank for that (I only took one extra item - Daphne - a raincoat. Wise move given the weather forecast for Seattle). On arrival, the lines were moving evenly and all was going well until I was asked to remove my shoes and scarf. Not wanting to be a "Herbie"(someone who creates a bottleneck and holds up the flow of progress) I threw my passport and boarding pass into a tray along with my scarf and bent down to take off my shoes (and a voice in my head said, this is not a good idea). "Bag Check", someone yelled. I had forgotten to take my bottled water out but I was happy to have it confiscated. I had plenty of time. Nothing was going to spoil my day. I went to the bathroom, took in a bookshop and made my way to the boarding lounge, Gate 93.

Once I sat down and began to arrange my personal belongings it dawned on me, I was no longer in possession of either my boarding pass or passport. What would a leader do? I think to myself. "Not panic", the voice in my head said. So, with veiled panic, I explain the situation to the woman at the United Airlines counter who directs me back to Security. I have plenty of time, she says, so I end up back at there with my tale of woe well rehearsed. They check the trays, and ask if I double-backed to the bookshop and bathroom. Two uniformed men check the bag I am carrying; I have already gone it through twice, already! But they adeptly calm me down. They are not the enemy; I am not upset. I am grateful they are taking it seriously. Someone must have seen it. But I'm worried a passenger has picked it up by accident. They check video footage and confirm I did put it in the tray. Relief spreads. Everyone in the area starts a search but now I don't have much time. The lines are getting longer. I'm a Herbie! Security gives me contact numbers for "Lost and Found", the SFO Airport Administration etc and I hurry to catch my plane.

The staff member at the United desk is very sympathetic and concerned for me. "I'm really sorry to hear that, M'am", she says. Once on the plane, it appears there is no more room for overhead baggage but finally a spot is found, I'm right down the back of the plane (my father who survived three aircraft crashes during the WW11 suggested this. "The tail goes down last!" he told me). When I get to my seat it's a window rather than an aisle, my preference. I clamber over people and take my seat. By this time I am close to tears. I was looking forward to arriving in Seattle, unwinding and soaking up as much culture as I can. Now, I'll be running around like a chook with its head cut off to get documents so I can return home. "Boo Hoo Hoo! Get over it." I turn to look out the window. Raindrops stream down the window pane. "Ms Beaton?" I look up. It's the woman from United Airlines. "We have your passport."

As we break through the cloud covering the sunshine is brilliant.

Note to Self: Listen to the voice that says "this is not a good idea!"
Note to Jim Phills: United Airlines is on the move.
Note to SFO security, especially, Lester Low and his team: You guys rock!
Note to CEO of United Airlines: Your staff are great. Good luck with the merger with Continental.

Day 14: Closing Ceremony at Stanford Stadium: Fear the Tree.

And now we own a Certificate of Participation from the Stanford Graduate School of Business confirming we have attended the Executive Education of Non Profit Leaders. Plus a glossy photograph of the Class of 2011. They are a pretty good looking group and over the past two days I have tried to make contact with all those who participated and not connected with, driven by a little separation anxiety. The laughter from The Rosenberg Lounge isn't quite as loud tonight.

Practising Evidence-Based Management

So this morning dealt with change management styles within organisations. It was a little like our Systems Management lesson, except this called upon us, as leaders, to make considered, well-thought out strategies with clear measurables that we tested before implementing. When you are at the front line so many decisions are made on the fly. Our case studies couldn't have been more different, an organisation that handled kidney dialysis operations and a gambling casino - although it was only ever referred to as an entertainment venue. What they did to generate income, was not in question. What we looked at was the way two very distinct kinds of leadership changed the companies around. One candidate dressed up as a Musketeer, replicated a village environment , met in The Town Hall and mustered his staff with cries of "All for one and one for all!" (Needless to say, not my style. In fact, I have an abhorrence to dressing up, I'm sure it's a kind of stage fright.)

The second style was to do whatever it took. "No one takes a nap before changing the world", says our fearless leader. Really? Why not? But it was not even the external style that was under scrutiny, it was those processes or steps that the two men took to turn around their individual companies. In this area, I found similarities even with what we have been doing at Downstage.

The value of this session was the importance and currency of tracking and measuring results. Jeffrey Pfeffer, an author of numerous books on organisational behaviour,  provided a persuasive argument for getting serious evidence-based management. His motto: we said, we did. Lots of great pointers for measuring performance and garnering and utilising hard facts as opposed to half truths or pure nonsense. "Healthy organisations create healthy communities", Pfeffer concluded.

Power and Influence

Taking the film "Twelve Angry Men" we looked at power plays within groups, meeting conduct, acts of persuasion and body language pertaining to high and low status. This was a long session that included a working lunch and some fun role plays. We are cramming in as much as we can before we leave.

12 Angry Men (1957) directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Henry Ford and J  Cobb (anyone remember these actors?), is an engrossing examination of a diverse group of twelve jurors (all male, mostly middle-aged, white, and generally of middle-class status) who are brought together to reach a verdict on a seemingly open-and-shut murder trial case. The goal is to come to a consensus within an hour. Our job was to observe how people persuaded others to vote a particular way and to identify tactics used by the men to achieve these ends. The exercise was not suggesting we use these tactics, simply to be aware that this is often at play in meetings. This was followed by some exercises that looked at body language and it's impact or the impression generated in the work environment. It was all good fun, very insightful and a great way to end the day.

Introduction to the Centre for Social Innovation

We were then introduced to all the services and resources we now had access to as graduates of the programme. Such as internships, webinars, newsletters and no doubt entreaties to donate. I nearly wet myself when I heard Stanford had an Endowment Fund for $14 billion. This, of course, heavily subsidises the non-profit course, something for which I am eternally grateful.

After class and before dinner, I dropped off my FedX box full of notes, papers and the obligatory Stanford T-shirts for shipping to Wellington, then started the process of packing. The car to the airport is booked, the alarm clock set for 6.30am. 

Graduation Ceremony

The graduation dinner was held at the Stanford Stadium which looks exactly like everything you have ever seen on TV or in the movies.  Pristine with the symbolic columns outlining the arena, all that was missing was the players, cheerleaders and roaring crowds. We were in the corporate dinning area. Beautiful views at sunset across the campus over to the outlying hills. Dinner consists of : Burrata Cheese with Upland Cress and Olive-Tomato relish, Seared Veal with Peppercorn Sauce and Duchesse Basil Potatoes, followed by Pear Clafoutis with Berries. Another standing ovation for the Chef and Service People.

After dinner we were presented with our certificates. One by one we went up and shook hands with Faculty staff member Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, while showered with accolades and acknowledgements from our classmates! Lots of group photos. We gave Professor Jim Phills a signed ceramic bowl, flowers to the two amazing admin assistants, Brett and Alicia, who took care of all our logistic needs, and a large gratuity for the wait staff. More photos, a slow walk back to Schwab. Final farewells. Goodnight.

Tomorrow I fly to Seattle.

Day 13: Standing Ovation

Tonight in Vidalakis Dining Hall, we gave the Chef and his Wait Staff a standing ovation for around 3 minutes flat out. The food and service here at Stanford has been outstanding. We have been spoilt. Very, very spoilt. No meal has been duplicated; you name a country, we have eaten it - Mexico, Asia, Italy, Spain, Greece, Hawaii, in fact, all the states of America! The options endless; gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan and desserts that make your mouth water! Fresh fruit, fresh juices including carrot, every manner of sandwich filling, every salad under the sun! Thankfully, my friend and colleague, Karen Fifield who is the CEO of Wellington Zoo, warned me about this aspect of the course. (Thanks Karen!). Karen recommended I apply for ENPL and it's the best referral I have had in a long time. (Again, thanks). Oh, and before, I forget, all produce is grown locally and there are fresh flowers on the tables everyday!

Here are some other great features of Stanford; we have received binders, books, materials, a strategy toolkit, notepads, pens, highlighters, page dividers, everything gratis...laundry powder! A service for shipping all your materials home. There are refreshment rooms we can access 24/7 stocked with snacks and drinks. The list goes on and on. This is customer service supremo! Automation rules here; flushing toilets, water from taps, lights that switch on and off. In fact, all you have to do is wash and dress yourself! They make it so easy. It is so cool - and unreal.

There are other people who need recognition. Every class has a technical support person and class content person who are on call for the professors. When we break, a team come in and clear away all the rubbish and wipe the whiteboard clean. I wonder if any of these guys would like to come and live with me in New Zealand?

Tomorrow is our last day. I can hardly believe it. People have already started leaving and I have noticed a different type of energy entering the lecture room. An impersonation of Jim Phills has been posted on UTube, already. It seems Todd Philips, the Director of Government Relations San Deigo Workforce Partnership, who I now sit next to in class, has a new role in life as an entertainer. More and more people are attending to texts and messaging, some openly doing work on their laptops during the sessions, others skip session to make phone calls or attend meetings with colleagues while they are on the west coast. It's called multi-tasking, I believe.

Another little known fact about Jim Phills - he rides a Ducati! Not only clever but sexy, with it.

Building Strong (Non Profit) Brands
Professor Jennifer Aaker dealt with branding. While a great deal of the material was familiar to me, it was the innovative ways my colleagues design and promote their organisations that was engaging. We all got outed - our brand names were placed in a variety of arrangements. Downstage fell under the dimension of excitement. Words to describe this were: imaginative, unique, up to date, independent, contemporary as well as exciting, trendy, daring, spirited and cool. I was happy with that!

But the section on making mistakes made the most impact on me. We understand this innately with theatre practice but when it comes to our administrative work, we are less forgiving. And yet, studies show that companies that take risks are forgiven more readily than companies that are sincere. Mistakes can hurt, but they can also help. They point to things, especially an appreciation of a relationship you may have with your customers, constituents or donors. Everyone makes them but what matters is how you handle them. My favourite quote of the day was: "In any relationship, one partner will eventually fail - a really smart person!"

The Power of Social Technology
Aaker is the author of the Dragonfly Effect a book on social media. The title conveys the message that; small acts can create big change, and this happens when the core of an idea is deeply meaningful and I would add to that lots of fun, especially in the arena of social media.

This was a session on social persuasion, the strategies and tactics that have successfully harnessed social media towards a specific goal. My favourite quote: people love to buy but hate to be sold to! We were told that research shows that non-profits are seen as warm, but incompetent, while for-profits are seen as competent, but cold. And we were asked, "How do you bridge the gap?" And of course the answer is in the stories we tell.

Humans are not ideally set to understand logic; they are set  up to understand stories, says Robert Shank, Cognitive Psychologist. Then we were given breakdowns of the Obama Campaign and  C&D's Lemonade fundraising campaign for kids with cancer. We also looked at who buys and who donates and why? To build brands that are authentic, to develop messages that spread, and to harness social media, we are told, we need to get focused, grab attention, tell a story, and enable action.... oh, yes and read a good book.

Making Connections
In our free time before lunch, I met Jessica Robinson-Love of CounterPULSE and Colleen Bailey from The National Steinbeck Museum. We have made a connection because we run theatres; venues and programmes. We took this opportunity to share our "trouble spots" and "bright spots"; and critiqued each other websites. It was a very productive engagement with a robust exchange of ideas. The generosity of like-minded organisations is very powerful.

Computer Simulation: Refugee Relief 2009
After lunch we were back in our study groups testing our queueing theory. The task was to run a simulation, based on a refugee camp, in order to make decisions about patient priority and staff scheduling.  What we learnt from this exercise was that increased utilisation of your resources didn't necessarily (in fact never) resulted in higher  throughput. We then investigated this phenomena as mathematical equations and in excel spread sheets. And this is where I hit the wall. While I understood the principles, the details and graphs  confused me - and I wasn't the only one! However, I could see the application in our organisation to our scheduling of staff, especially Front of House casuals and production week labour and even queues created by audiences preshow and in the intervals. I'll be interested to test this with staff. But I'll need the wizardry of our Financial Manager!

The 'take away' from this session was simply, Snapshot Management is bad; it leads to unintended outcomes and you suffer the consequences. Systems Management is good; it manages flow, inventory and response time. The ratio is between the demand for work versus the supply of work. According to our professor, Jim Patell, priority schemes have no effect on the work to be done, re-ordering does not change the amount of time. However, wait time effects how long somebody waits!

Day 12: Making Sense

Sunday night our study group changed. My fellow swots are Sandra Christie, NHS Wirral, who I also sit next to in class, Danielle Silverstein, Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club, Canada, Luke Ifland, Global Healing, USA and Colleen Bailey, The National Steinbeck Museum, USA. Tonight, we collectively and very quickly, decided to have a short session and get an early night but somehow we started talking and time flew! Politics, funding, the Tea Party, Greenpeace, the recent earthquakes... you name it, we touched on it. Then we heard a great ruckus in the Rosenberg Lounge - what was up? When we arrived we discovered everyone was watching football! And now I'm watching Glee and multi-tasking. It's called balance!

Corporate Strategy
This session investigated multi-layered non-profits that establish income generating social enterprises to supplement or replace diminishing government and/or other forms of funding - especially in a recession or post a major disaster, when money gets tight. The idea is that by diversifying you make your organisation more financially viable, with an aim in some cases to become self-sufficient. In class, we looked at the impact this had on organisations and examined how diversification can add costs or constraints that might put added stresses on a company. Again, Prof. Jim Phills led the questions: How do these organisations distinguish growth and evolution with say, mission creep and/or conflicts of interest? Is it better to partner or collaborate? The question being: is the whole greater than the sum of its party? Oops! I meant parts.

Downstage has three distinct non-profit units. They are the Hannah Playhouse Trust (the venue), the Downstage Theatre Society (membership and fundraising) and us, the Downstage Theatre Trust (the company), and to one degree or another we all raise revenue. This is not an unusual structure for companies such as ours. The Royal Court in London, Steppenwolfe in Chicago and  Malthouse in Melbourne all have similar structures; they have separate business structures that operate the venue, production company and catering, generally, meaning the bars and hosting, or as in our case, fundraising. 

The difference with our company, however, is we don't have one overarching Board setting goals for the three entities, which in our case are Trusts. The Trusts work autonomously for the "greater good" of providing Wellington with professional theatre, a mandate first articulated in the 60s that remains with us today. The economic logic of how we fit together is based on a lot of historical arrangements, the most predominant being the Trusts have been run by its founding members or associates. The other more contentious arrangement has been the role the other two Trusts have played when the company is in financial trouble, as it frequently has been over its checkered history, they bail us out. Sadly, it has become almost a badge of honour for those Trusts and a reason for not changing the structure. "If it hadn't been for us, the company wouldn't be here today." And I agree, there has been a great deal of generosity and fiscal commitment to keeping the theatre operational.

But is this the most proactive, clearly planned way of operating a business? Other decisions, while having good intent, have had negative impact on our organisation, such as outsourcing the ground floor to what has now become a sports bar.  All Black supporters are audible throughout the theatre on nights a game is played. God knows what it will be like during World Rugby Cup! In addition, the ongoing maintenance and upgrade of the building has been approached on a case by case basis, rather than an overall strategy for venue management. The membership and some fundraising is the responsibility of a volunteer workforce and managed by a tireless and dedicated committee. They can (and do) make autonomous decisions outside of the theatre's brief. And I have no doubt that from another POV, the company has made decisions with consequences for our two partners.

A diversified organisation has competitive advantages, it enhances it's business opportunities and shares risks. This is a good thing. But the time is ripe for the three trusts to sit down and design another governance model, one that relies less on past history and is built for the future.

Balancing Business and Social Objects
I think that this session brought so many of our discussions and questions succinctly together. It looked at  the real role of leadership in non profit organisations, balancing business and social objectives or as we might say in our sector, the art and business of running a theatre. This cultural tension has to be continually addressed, especially when some shows are financially risky but artistically vital to the health and development of the art form. Our professor, Bill Barnett, said it this way: it's a case of balancing the purist with the pragmatist. He suggested we don't separate the tension, you lose the debate.

This was music to my ears. Bill also said, entrepreneurship is stifled when the fear of failure outweighs the hope of being a genius. I see this happen time and time again in our sector, where great ideas lose momentum because being knocked back by the funders is the first taste of failure. At Downstage, because our key staff have all been practitioners, we have the ability to see the issues through artists eyes and then address those issues by reflecting our insights into their concerns. It's a powerful dialogue.

If everyone is agreeing with us - we're not cutting edge. So we don't necessarily want people to agree with our model, just respect our right to run our organisation as we see fit. Nor do we want to control the artistic process, we leave that to the independent artists and the companies we engage. My belief was echoed today in Bill's words, if you control the process you prevent foolishness - this is where the real artistry begins - the ability to explore freely a concept or idea in a non-judgemental environment. My job when I get back is to make sense of all of this! What we need is a corporate strategy and possible restructure of our current governance framework.

Days 10 and 11: Rolled into One

It's 9.06pm (21.06) and I've just returned from Study Group. These happen after dinner with a smaller, select group of  participants (5 in our case). The purpose is twofold; to review the day's sessions and discuss what is relevant to our individual organisation, followed by a list of study questions relating to tomorrow's topics. Thanks Clare (YouthNet School Based Mentoring) for suggesting this structure - it really worked! Prior to our classes, we have a lot of reading to do: academic and journal articles by our professors, extracts from published books and case studies that prepare us for the discussion and these groups test our thinking. Last night, for example was a study of a very large non-profit, AARP (American Association of Retired People) and tonight was the Wild Salmon Center.

Monday was a full program: Gaming for the Greater Good (yes it exists!), Capacity Management, Understanding Congestion and Delay in Business, Social Innovation in Large Established Nonprofits and then our final session for the day was a workshop with Chip Heath (Switch, Sticking Point) in a research project on decision-making. A BIG DAY! Not helped by the earlier starting time due to daylight saving.

Going back over my notes for the day some 'bright spots' stood out (I'm misusing the term, I know, but it works for me).

Gaming for the Greater Good
The question our professor, Byron Reeves posed was: how to engage people in things we care about? The focus here being interactive technologies, in particular online gaming, and more importantly how can these games can be used in the workplace to provide personal and purposeful engagement. "Play is not the opposite of work" - this will please my staff no end!

Reeves reminded us that "people remember information better in a story". [One of our course reading materials was The Goal by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt. Described by Wikipedia as a management-oriented novel, it combined the trials and tribulations of a middle manager struggling with work and relationship troubles, while explaining the Theory of Constraints in manufacturing]. Games are big, worldwide. Millions of people play them everyday. According to recent research, the profile of a gamer is 30someting, in full time employment, with an average annual income of US$85,000, predominately women spending up to 25 hours a week, replacing TV by 5 hours per day - a million miles away from the unwashed, pimpled-faced, pizza eating, dark-circles-under-the-eyes geek you first think of as a gamer. And what the research is saying, is this pastime is creating leaders because many of the skills utilised in these games are the same used in business - even non-profit business.

"In the realm of online games, specifically massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs), leaders emerge that deftly navigate the motivational, emotional and social needs of their direct reports in a highly competitive, distributed, virtual environment. And there are many lessons to be learned." Virtual Worlds, Real Leaders, Global Innovation 2.0 

Capacity Management
Process is described as a continuous and regular action or succession of actions, taking place or carried on in a definite manner, and leading to the accomplishment of some result. We are pretty good at process at Downstage, shows go in and shows go out, on time and generally to budget. The variable here is the Box Office which peaks and falls but averages out (or not ) by the end of the year - after all, we are a not for profit! But there's a hitch (or is that a Herbie!?*) every organisation has a bottle neck. A bottle neck is any resource whose capacity is less or equal to the demand placed on it; it sets the maximum ability to produce products or services. "Often CEOs are bottle necks" says, Prof. James M. Patell. Jim summarises, clearly and succinctly, The Goal, which he reminds us, is to produce satisfied customers or constituents by delivering goods or services better, faster, cheaper. Better being quality, faster being responsive, and cheaper being to budget in our case.

* You have to read the book.

Congestion and Delay in Business
Jim continued after the break with Queueing Theory. This is the mathematical study of waiting in lines, or queues. The theory enables mathematical analysis of several related processes, including arrival time at the back of the queue, wait time in the queue and service at the front of the queue.

At the outset, Jim asked us if we had ever stood in a line. (LOL, especially from US citizens). When the answer was clearly yes, he speculated the amount of time standing in lines took up in our lives and wondered why we never talk about it or teach it. It seemed disproportionate to the time we talk about sex, he suggested.

The example explored was the mathematical equations of lines in airports where we compared statistics pre- and post- 9/11. Naturally, I thought about our Box Office in the 20 minutes prior to a show. But I also thought about the congestion around the creation and funding of work, especially new works, and began to use the airport line as an analogy to examine ways to ease congestion.

Social Innovation in Large Non Profits
Led by Jim Phills, this session asked the question whether large non-profits could be social entrepreneurs or innovators? When revenues from royalties and other sources of earned income exceed revenues from membership dues or core business, does this create an actual or apparent conflict of interest? It's a problem I'm looking forward to the theatre having!

Decision-Making Workshop
This session looked at the sequence of decision-making. Chip Heath with his brother Dan is writing another book and we were provided with the opportunity to trial a process they have formulated to help people come to a decision that avoids a 'confirmation bias', which I understood to be a forgone conclusion. What I took away from this session was a better way for the comapny to structure and test our decisions before implementation. Can't wait!

Sunday in the (Sculpture) Park
Yesterday, I took time out and visited the Cantor Arts Centre which houses the complete Stanford Rodin collection (200 works). As I wandered through the galleries, I found myself ruminating on the sexual politics of Rodin's working life. I read  a book once that was colouring my view. It looked at how he had 'relations' with his models, many of whom were young, aspiring artists, that never graduated from a position of making copies of the "great man's" work. I find myself skipping through the 24 galleries - the art of Asia, Africa, Oceania, Native Americas, and am instantly reminded of an anecdote fellow student Lori (Girls for Change) told me about her trip to the Louvre, Paris. We were talking about Americans overseas. She said, she and her daughter took a half hour to look around the exhibitions and one and a half hours in the gift shop!! LOL. (sorry, Lori) I wasn't quite that bad but as I thought of this, I looked up and saw a large sign for contemporary American works. Where did I spend my time? - Go Figure!

Go Figure includes 25 figurative paintings and sculpture, including witty examples by Karel Appel, Richard Shaw, Richard Stankiewicz, Viola Frey, and Roger Brown; politically charged works by Robert Arneson.  Why do I love the contemporary above all else? It's a good question. I guess, at first glance, it is not obvious what it is the artist is asking you to see and the work demands you take a deeper look, or at the very least, a second look. Sometimes these work are so left of field they do not resonate. But unwittingly, these images have provoked thoughts or feelings that return, not at the time of viewing, but later, having been embedded in your subconscious. And I simply love the transition within art movements when something moves from being reviled to being revered. Think French Impressionists! We are such strange creatures, we human beings.

 I have always loved the words of Australian artist Margaret Olley, "to understand a piece of modern art you have to live with it." We have to live with ourselves a long time before we can understand who we really are, and sometimes it takes the next generation to reflect back to make sense of it all.

Yipes 24.38!!!

Day Nine: Squirrels, Blue Jays and Chipmunks

Okay so... [an aside: this is how our professor, Jim Phills, starts all his sessions or more accurately, "Okay so, so, so, so, so..." which I think is a reflex he's developed while waiting for students to settle down.]

Okay so... the party raged on 'til 3am and I noticed a lot of sore heads and bleary eyes at breakfast. I  confess, I didn't last that long, needless to say I had a great time. LOL. The evening started with a game provided by Simon - an Aussie and CEO of Camp Quality -  an organisation committed to providing quality lives to children suffering from cancer and their families living in Australia. He challenged us to a reveal two lies and one truth about ourselves. You know the sort of thing: I have three testicles, have been married three times, and have been baptised three times; I have a tattoo on my body, I once had an ear-piercing and I have visited a brothel in Amsterdam; I have tattoo on my bum (another Aussie), I was Kate Moss' PA for three months, I was born in England; I grew up in a refugee camp, I once worked in a brothel as a social scientist and... you get the picture. (The sources of these lies and truths will remain private so as not to damage the character of any future executive leader).

My three? Okay so... I have sheared a sheep, I once got into a taxi with Sigourney Weaver although I didn't know who she was, I am a part owner in a cattle farm in Western Queensland. Pretty straight forward, I would have thought. But of course, this is an international course and things got lost in translation. So, with my accent, most people heard "I have shared a sheep." I said something like "Sig - nor - gay" (I have never been able to pronounce Sigourney) and of course, this led to a great deal of speculation as to my credibility. Luckily, there was no quibble with the third option. Although, I purposely said cattle "farm" not cattle station, which might have given rise to a question around why cattle travel on separate trains. Anyway, I'll let you guess which one is the truth - not many got it, I have to say. On a scale of one to ten this party rated a clear 150. It was a hoot of a night!

After breakfast I went for a long walk into Palo Alto via the very beautiful parkland that is part of the campus. The weather is pure spring - my favourite kind - sunny, crisp, clear, not a cloud in the blue, blue sky. I saw squirrels, blue jays and chipmunks, which points to the fact I'm on a different continent - was I ever in doubt? - and, of course, to look right when stepping off the footpath. (I've got that right? It's right. Right? Not left? Hmmm? No, it is left. Remember to look left.) But walking into town there are other things: the long queues to purchase i-pad 2, the winter hours of the shopping precinct (They don't open til 10am - this part of the country doesn't know what bad weather is! That reminds me daylight saving starts tonight and we skip ahead an hour.); the way shop windows are framed by the building and look smaller compared to our full glass shopfronts in NZ. And the names too. My favourite is "Lovin' Hut". Inside there is an honour board of elite vegetarians and vegans. They include Prince Charles, Richard Gere, Natalie Portman, Pythagoras, Leonardo da Vinci, Martin Luther King's wife, Coretta etc. The sign reads: They are intelligent, brave, beautiful, athletic. You can be too. Eat healthily. or something to that effect. You get the jist. Still... I haven't found a good coffee. I'm not going to am I? I should give up now while I'm ahead!

Day Eight: Tsunami Warning

 I awake to the news of the earthquake in Japan. The feeling is very unsettling. For a start, the population size of a city in that country is much larger than any city in New Zealand. I learn it is a much bigger earthquake than the one that hit Christchurch and feel a sense of dread, knowing this is not going to be good. And of knowing how much worse it can get.

Calls from friends help to cheer me up. Are you okay? Are you near the coast? Will you be in the path of the tsunami? No, thankfully, I'm inland; a mountain range divides us from the coast. But it is the only topic of conversation at breakfast; a world in natural turmoil. Before class, I try to find out the impact of the tsunami on New Zealand but can't locate any information.

When we enter the lecture room, all our name places have been changed. I am now sitting between Sandra Christie, NHS Wirral, UK and Susan True, First 5 Association of California, USA. This is also unsettling. How like change!?

Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation /Social Innovation and the Global Contect
Our discussion today is on people who seriously change the world by shifting current thinking or practice. The big question was how can individuals (artistists) or companies (theatre) that have boundless passion and creativity generate opportunities in markets traditionally neglected by established competitors? We have addressed this in our region by implementing the Presenting Partners, a programme that empowers and builds capacity within the independent sector. We move people from the fringe to centre stage and help their artistic endeavours and audiences for their work grow.

More importantly, throughout the day, I felt comforted by the fact I'm in an environment where people consistently find creative solutions to what appear to be insurmountable problems, like the two MBA students who found a very innovative solution to waste disposal in Bangladesh. Projects like these give me hope whatever the disaster. They are great models for change.

It's the one thing I have always said about people working in the arts industry, there is never a shortage of creative solutions. The question for my company is what is our potential to impact practices that has theatre catapult into future and leave a long and lasting legacy of innovation?

Week 1 Wrap Up
It's Friday, we wrapped up the week by sharing our key learnings from the course so far. Mine were simple; I have gained a language with which to explain in business terms what we are doing at Downstage and, with the help of the other participants, garnered future possibilities that I'm eager to share with staff to get their feedback and ideas.

I realised that we are already doing a great deal at Downstage of what is being discussed here at Stanford; value creation, capacity building, rehabilitating market failures, cross-sector partnering, differential pricing, generated employment, secondary benefits and sustainability. I have always known that Downstage's existence is vital to the industry and to the community. Our benefits encompass the environment, wellbeing and cultural enrichment. We can quantify our social value and economic contribution. We are locally driven presenting locally created product. We are not encumbered by the "status quo''. On the contrary, we are purposefully different, an inexhaustible resource of ideas and innovation.... as I said, we're bloody fantastic!

Leading by Design: The Power of Personal Integrity
In the afternoon, Gaby Jordan introduced us to executive coaching on "Areas of our own Lives" we want to improve. We touched on areas of personal integrity, which was described as an alignment of our head, our heart and our actions, and considered a life created by design rather than default. Hmmmmm? It's a work in progress! More on that later. But the purpose of this session was to lead us into the weekend and to get us thinking about what we might do in our spare time.

Thank God, it's Friday. There's a party in the Rosenberg Lounge after dinner. I am totally there!

Day Seven: Investing in Change

While many of us in the arts understand the term 'social capital', it is often hard to understand for those people who cannot raise their eyes above the bottom line. Something that looks highly risky in the "for profit" world simply would not be pursued if it was not going to yield a large return in the short or long-term. It's not what shareholders and increasingly, not what governments want, to fund a risky business. "We'd love to, but hey?"

Financial Markets and Shareholder Value/Making Investment Decisions
This morning was spent looking at how "for profit" companies account and analyse finances in order to inform and reach decisions. This process was then compared to the "not-for-profit" sector, which by another name can be called "for social value" organisations. In other words, what is often missing in our equation, and made our bottom lines look so dodgy, was the 'social value' of the work we do. And, more importantly, the financial impact of what would happen if our services were not provided.

Vaccinating children is a good example, regardless of where you stand on the issue. Vaccination has gone out of fashion in the USA like many other advanced countries. Now, diseases that were once eradicated have returned and are killing vulnerable children. Just recently a number of children died in the US from whooping cough. If children are not vaccinated what will be the cost to a government, especially if there is an outbreak of epidemic proportions? What is the social cost? Law courts now evaluate the pain and suffering caused by trauma as well as loss of wages in particular cases. We know only too well that negative impacts on society have economic ramifications.

The challenge for non-profits like Downstage is the question of evaluating investment opportunities when there is so much uncertainty concerning outcomes. This session again looked at what can be carried over  from the "for-profit" sector and be applied to "non-profits".

This class was one of the most stimulating to date and provided some clear steps to help us value our work in real terms. Not just quantifiable artistic, social and economic benefits or even the intangibles but, in dollar terms, the impact on our communites or market failure of not doing what it is we do.


Change Management
The afternoon was spent in the company of Chip Heath of Made to Stick fame, which I'm sure many of you know about, if not read. It's in the ilk of The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. In his latest book Switch, Chip looks at how to change things when things are hard. Let's face it, in the non-profit sector where resources are scarce and in some cases non-existent, it's always hard. Chip posed the idea that knowledge does not change behaviour. He says it is the small adjustments that lead to big changes. He cites some wonderful examples, in particular, the story of Jerry Sternin who worked for Save the Children.

Sternin went with his family to Vietnam and was given six months to reduce the rate of malnutrition in children, in a country where he couldn't speak the language! He didn't do it by listening to government funding bodies or by acting on data provided by on the ground experts.He called that kind of information TBU (true but useless). What he did was a gather a group of mothers and asked for their help. He sent them out to the villages and asked them to measure and weigh all the babies. Once they had done this, they identified those families whose children didn't suffer from malnutrition and investigated why.

What they discovered was a practice by some mothers in one village that was a deviation from the norm. (This led Jerry to explore Positive Deviance). Then by getting mothers from other villages together in groups of ten to work with those women whose babies weren't malnourished, and by teaching them to make a couple of very simple adjustments to the way they prepared and served food, a miracle happened. Today, as a result of that programme over 2,000,000 children have escaped malnutrition.

I realise I'm not revealing how all this new learning relates to the theatre's current situation or what I plan to do with it. This is a conscious choice. I intend to use everything I have learnt to enhance what we have already started at Downstage but I am not willing to do this until I have had a chance to share ideas with Board and staff. But I will say I felt a decision I made when I first entered the theatre was the right one. I decided to speak with artists and our audiences before our founders and key stakeholders. While everyone has a part to play, artists and audiences are our raison d'etre, without them there is no Downstage.

Now we skipped study group tonight because we were all soooo tired and most of us - including myself - have a huge amount of reading to do on tomorrow's topic - Social Entrepreneurship.

A quick weather report. While it is still winter, I am still enjoying a quasi Kiwi summer - sans wind. We are experiencing bright sunny days, turning to cloudy and occasional showers in the afternoon with a sharp chill at night.