From crisis to collaboration: How the Joffrey defied odds

President and CEO Greg Cameron, Better Magazine 

“One out of every ten non-profit arts organizations in the U.S. reports that they ‘doubt their ability’ to survive the pandemic,” The Wall Street Journal reported on January 21, 2021.

As a college student, I clearly remember calling my mother from the communal phone in my dormitory at Illinois State University. I was struggling with what, at the time, seemed like a life-or-death decision. My mother’s words, “Decision terminates panic,” have stuck with me ever since. Her sage advice was key to how I managed The Joffrey Ballet through times of crisis.

In March 2022, The National Endowment for the Arts assessed the financial state of performing arts organizations during the pandemic. They announced, “Performing arts organizations were particularly hard hit, with a nearly 73% drop in value added by performing arts presenters and companies between 2019 and 2020. Other sectors, such as museums and independent artists, also saw substantial declines.”

It has been three years since the Wall Street Journal questioned the survival of the arts and two years since NEA’s grim announcement, and I often reflect on what made the Joffrey’s story quite different. When the future was uncertain, we pivoted quickly and found strength in the power of collaboration and partnership. We became members of the Advisory Board for the Arts (ABA).

In January 2020, Joffrey’s Gollub Board Fellow Emma Rolfs, working under Board Director Patrick Gallagher, presented a thorough risk assessment to the Board of Directors. We thought we were ready for anything. Certainly, no one foresaw the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, which would soon turn the world upside down.

By March of that year, when the pandemic officially arrived, we knew we had to pursue a different strategy than the risk tool. Our Joffrey Board of Directors acted quickly, so for the next several months (and, in complete honesty, to this day), we prioritized decision-making focusing on the health and safety of our artists, administrative team, directors, and audience members.

At the same time, I was also asked to participate in an Advisory Board for the Arts webinar on ZOOM (also a new platform for me). Any way that Joffrey’s experience could help local, national, and international colleagues would be a wise investment of my time. I remember sitting in my kitchen with my iPad elevated on books and lights adjusted so that I appeared to look somewhat professional on screen. I knew I did not have all the answers and in April 2020, most of the questions had yet to arise. What I do remember sharing was our commitment to health and safety and keeping our patrons “sticky.” Looking back four years later, I am pleased to report we accomplished both.

The ABA Zoom webinar reinforced the most critical point: partnerships would keep the performing arts sector moving forward. ABA commits itself to the exchange of ideas for a thriving cultural sector. It comprises members from performing arts organizations, festivals, schools, and museums, which provide research, advisory, and networking services in fundraising, digital, DEIA, marketing, human resources, programming, governance, and social impact. Among those members are the American Museum of Natural History, Boston University, Carnegie Hall, Goodman Theater, Harris Theater, Houston Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Ravinia, and San Francisco Opera, to name a few.

Arts leaders are confronted daily with new challenges. ABA’s collective data and expertise, collected weekly and applied from its membership network, have continued to help us drive change by utilizing their insights and referencing trends among our peer organizations.

To stay strong, you’ve got to have friends, especially in times of crisis. Together with our partners at ABA, we continue discovering creative new ways to solve problems and move forward.

This post was submitted as part of Better's “You Said It” program. Read the full article here. 

Greg Cameron is the President and CEO of The Joffrey Ballet. His lifelong love for the arts, his hometown, and connecting with people from every background drive Cameron’s work. Thanks to Cameron’s partnership with The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater, the Joffrey Ballet has set new box office records and secured the strongest financial foundation in its history.