Closing Out Preparedness Month: The Art of Being Ready
Updated: 6 days ago
TIPS FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sometimes preparedness starts with just a few minutes. Here are three things you can do—in 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour—to make your organization, workspace, or venue a little more ready.
10 MINUTES
Add a two-sentence safety message to your curtain speech or opening remarks.
Some might say that bringing up safety will make visitors anxious. I beg to differ!
When I’m sitting in an audience and a theatre representative welcomes me and says:
“Please note the lighted emergency exits. If necessary, we have ushers to help guide you safely outside.”
I feel better. I know they’re paying attention—and paying attention to safety and security.
A small addition to your welcome can help visitors know that you’re prepared.
30 MINUTES
Take a look at your nonprofit bylaws.
Make sure you know how your governance should operate if an emergency comes up.
Look for clauses that specify:
When and how the Board can call an emergency meeting
Whether the Board Chair or Executive Committee is authorized to act on behalf of the entire Board
What powers the Board has to authorize emergency expenditures
Whether the organization can take out emergency loans
How the nonprofit would be dissolved if it became necessary to close
That last point may seem unlikely to matter—and hopefully it never will. But if an organization needs to sunset and its bylaws don’t specify how, the process can require attorneys, additional time, and unnecessary difficulty.
Thirty minutes with your bylaws now can save significant confusion during a crisis.
AN HOUR
Take a preparedness walk around your building.
When you need a stretch break, get up and walk around the outside of your building.
Whether it’s your home studio, arts center, office building, or another creative space, keep your eyes open for things that might need attention.
As you walk, ask:
Are water downspouts and runoff areas clear of debris?
Is water being directed away from the foundation?
Is there pooling water that needs attention?
Are sightlines for exterior lights and security cameras clear?
Does vegetation need to be trimmed?
Do locks, latches, and fixtures look solid and operational?
Are there loose items—trash containers, seating, signage—that could blow over or away in high winds?
Do you know how you would secure those items?
Does the roofline or flashing show signs of damage?
Are there cracks, water damage, or openings where pests could get in?
Are emergency exit doors completely clear of obstacles?
Are exterior doors properly secured? It can be easy to prop open an exterior door for convenience, but doing so can also allow unwanted visitors inside.
If you can, take a colleague with you. Two people can see more, take notes or photos, and use the walk as an opportunity to cross-train.
SPOTLIGHT ON BAARN
Building artist readiness in the Bay Area—and sharing resources beyond it
BAARN, the Bay Area Arts Readiness Network, is a major pilot program serving ten counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, BAARN is building artist readiness through:
Classes
Resources and tools
Readiness grants
Support for local arts response networks
While the project is focused on the Bay Area, many of BAARN’s resources are available to artists and organizations wherever you are.
Popular NCAPER classes have also been retooled to focus specifically on the practices and needs of individual artists and small artist-run organizations.
Six classes have already been recorded, and you can watch them anytime on the NCAPER YouTube channel.
READINESS REIMAGINED
The Arts Crisis and Disaster Preparedness Conference
Over 150 artists, arts administrators, researchers, educators, and students gathered at the University of Kentucky in Lexington last week for the second Arts Disaster and Crisis Preparedness Conference.
The national gathering focused on building readiness, sharing innovative research and practices, and strengthening the arts sector’s ability to respond to crises.
The conference is a project of the University of Kentucky Department of Arts Administration. In 2018, the Department launched a full-semester Arts Emergency Management course as part of its master’s program—an important step in treating emergency preparedness and resilience as a formal area of professional study for arts administrators.
Starting with response networks
The first day’s preconference focused on Arts and Culture Response Networks, which exist in 50–60 communities across the country.
While each network is unique, they share something fundamental at their heart:
A promise to support one another when a crisis happens.
Learn more about response networks through PAR Networks and Alliances for Response.
Readiness in practice
On Friday, NCAPER faculty Emily Sollenberger, Michelle Dobbins, Mital Lyons-Warren, Dr. Anne Huang, and Tom Clareson joined Executive Director Mollie Quinlan-Hayes to present five workshops focused on artist and
organizational readiness.
A lunchtime breakout hosted by Americans for the Arts encouraged participants to think about how policy changes at the local, state, and national levels could better incorporate and serve the arts in mitigation, response, and recovery efforts.
Before adjourning, participants heard the Kentucky premiere of an original work for flute ensemble and narration by Julie Hobbs, featuring a recitation of Appalachian poet Pauletta Hansel’s poem “Aerial View of Catastrophic Flooding,” accompanied by “Down by the River.”
20 FOR 20
Mark NCAPER’s 20th anniversary with a $20 gift.
For 20 years, NCAPER has worked alongside artists, cultural organizations, and partners to strengthen preparedness, response, and resilience across the arts and culture sector.
Through resources, education, partnerships, and connection, we help people prepare before disaster strikes and find support when it matters most.
As we celebrate this milestone, the need for this work remains strong.
Your gift helps NCAPER continue connecting people, sharing knowledge, strengthening preparedness, and building a more resilient arts and culture community.
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