The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Theatre Leadership Program
The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Theatre Leadership Program provides support for A.R.T./New York's mid-sized theatre companies to help them address and overcome challenges facing their organizations as they approach critical junctures in their development. These challenges include organizational structure, staffing, long-range planning, board development, transitions in leadership, debt consolidation, and other issues that cannot be addressed in a group environment, such as a workshop or roundtable discussion.
Since each of these issues is unique to each theatre, the program requires a customized planning process with each theatre's own culture and needs in mind. Each theatre is paired with a lead consultant with whom they meet regularly for a period of up to three years, in order to analyze the challenges they face and create effective solutions. Each consultant has a long-term commitment to participating organizations and, by working one-on-one with the core leadership of each company, is invested to such a degree that upon completing the program, the participating theatres emerge stronger, more focused, and have the tools necessary for future growth.
Anne Dunning and Nello McDaniel of ARTS Action Research serve as the lead consultants for the The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Theatre Leadership Program.
Anne Dunning became a principal consultant at ARTS Action Research in March, 2004. Before coming to New York, she spent ten years with the Danny Grossman Dance Company in Toronto where she was director of communications, associate general manager and administrative director. She has taken on numerous leadership roles in the arts community. In Canada she was founding chair of the national council of the Canadian Dance Assembly, whip of The Creative Trust endowment campaign, and continues to serve on the George Cedric Metcalf Foundation's Strategic Initiatives Advisory Committee. In the United States, she has been a trustee and Chair of the Board of Dance/USA, the national service organization for dance. She has contributed to the Dance Umbrella of Ontario's Step by Step electronic workbook, has taught for Humber College's arts administration program, and been a mentor and guest speaker for the University of Toronto's arts administration program. Before becoming involved in the arts, Anne studied biology at McGill University in Montreal, where she received an honors Bachelor of Science in ecology, evolution, and behavior.
Nello McDaniel is the Principal Director for ARTS Action Research and supervises all project activity and publication development from AAR's office in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to ARTS Action Research, Nello was Executive Director of the Foundation for the Extension and Development of the American Professional Theatre, an arts consulting company based in New York. From 1978 to 1982, he managed the Presentation and Touring Programs for the National Endowment for the Arts Dance Program. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer and Performing Arts Director for the Western States Arts Foundation. In 1993, he was named Fulbright International Fellow to consult with the New Zealand Arts Council and numerous New Zealand arts organizations.
Funding for The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Theatre Leadership Program is generously provided by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust and the National Endowment for the Arts.