Dallas’ arts entities collaborate toward streamlined efficiency

by Chase Wade of The Daily Campus

Poised to become a major player in the national and international arts worlds, Dallas is working smarter to ensure its Arts District is funded and operating at top capacity.

Courtesy of Nigel Young / Fosters + Partners

Five of the Dallas’ major performing arts institutions have embarked on a collaborative initiative.

DALLAS — With the opening of Klyde Warren Park, the addition of Museum Tower, and the just-broken-in City Performance Hall, Dallas’ Arts District has experienced a year of growth and acquisition.

In an effort to further Dallas’ arts district growth, five major names have announced a back-end collaborative effort that will save the institutions both money and man power.

The organizations involved are the AT&T Performing Arts Center, The Dallas Opera, Dallas Summer Musicals, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Dallas Theater Center.

The five institutions will put forth efforts to combine back-end work streams such as ticketing and facility management. While the venues may be working together, their spaces will remain separate both physically and artistically.

“Dallas is a rising star on the national and international arts stage and we all want each other to succeed,” Blaine Nelson, chair of the board of directors for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, said in a statement. “That means working smarter, adapting to change and leveraging our collective strengths. I see this as a very positive move for all of us.”

Collaboration is not new to these arts institutions.

Dallas Opera invited Dallas Theater Center [DTC]to collaborate on a chamber opera, The Lighthouse at the Wyly Theatre. The Dallas Symphony recently performed for the opening of Klyde Warren Park and will perform at the annual “Holiday at the Center Tree Lighting.” Last year, DTC joined other local theater groups to produce the popular Horton Foote Festival.

“This is a historic change for the Dallas performing arts community,” Roger Nanney, chair of the board of directors for the AT&T Performing Arts Center, said. “Government support is shrinking and donors are telling us we must all work together to find more efficient and sustainable business models. Working collaboratively, we can get there.”

A key entity will be the City of Dallas, which owns all of the performance venues these organizations use.

“As both a businessman and an arts supporter, this initiative makes all the sense in the world,” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said. “We have some of the finest performing arts organizations in the country and we want them to focus on what they do best. And the city is ready to participate.”