Director? Producer? Artistic Director? Things to Remember When You’re In Charge

Actors tend to be jacks of all trades within their industry. The longer you spend in the business the more hats you start to wear. Especially for actors who are trying to create and produce their own content, cultivating strong leadership skills is a must. However, the transition from actor (generally an employee) to director, producer, or anyone with “employer” status, can be a tricky one to navigate. Here are some things anyone with hiring power in the arts needs to remember.

1. The flow of power.

Especially if you’ve spent most of your time as an actor, it can be difficult to remember that once you’re in charge, the flow of power is different. Actors and independent contractors are near-brainwashed to say yes. The fear of being labeled difficult and losing out on work or opportunities is a powerful motivator. In order to be ethical and responsible, if you are a director, producer, artistic director, or anyone in a position of authority, you need to take that into account. Spend time researching and strategizing how you can create a safe work environment where ideas and concerns can be uplifted and supported without fear of reprisal. If you’re having a difficult time determining whether this applies to you, ask yourself: do you have the power to bestow or deny jobs, opportunities, goodwill within the industry? If so, these considerations are crucial. Remember that this applies even to unpaid work and passion projects! If you are in charge, you are responsible for the artistic work environment you create.

2. The final call is yours.

Taking time to consider all the voices in the room is a good thing. Collaboration skills are essential for leaders in the arts. But at the end of the day, you can’t be afraid to make a decision. No one is going to give you permission. If you are the highest authority in the room, the call is yours. Make it respectfully and move on.

3. Take accountability.

Nobody’s perfect and eventually you will mess up. While there may be temptation to “save face,” sweeping your failings under the rug is ultimately more harmful than helpful. It can create distrust, distance and resentment amongst your team, and it only addresses the symptoms of the problem, not the cause. It’s also important to remember that modeling taking accountability at the top encourages that behavior in everyone. Transparency and communication are a great place to start.

4. Make your work trauma informed.

I cannot recommend trauma informed training highly enough. The work we do is emotionally activating and a large portion of artists deal with mental health considerations or have access needs that will help them do their best work. The pressures of leadership can also get very stressful and possibly triggering. Having some trauma-informed training will help you understand your own needs and reactions and those of your team, and provide you with better tools to create a healthy and supportive work environment.

5. Invest in EDI work.

Especially if you are heading up a larger project or organization, Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) committees are extremely important. Accept that there are experiences you will not be able to consider appropriately because you haven’t lived them, and hire consultants who can bring equity, representation and anti-racist work the to the forefront of your projects and organization. If you are in charge of a very small project or writing your own work, at the very least consider hiring a sensitivity reader.

6. Have a conflict resolution pathway.

Conflict resolution pathways (CRP) have been coming more into focus in theatres across the nation, and rightly so. The Chicago Theatre Standards went a long way to popularizing the institution of CRPs in regional spaces, but there are many models that might be better suited to your particular circumstances. Conflict is a given in any workspace, and for too long artistic spaces have been a bit of a lawless land when it comes to resolving them. A great way to start is to have a professional trained in conflict resolution in the arts (and ideally a mental health practitioner) look over and help build a pathway that optimizes safety, accountability and communication and supports the needs of all team members.

7. Delegate.

There will be aspects of the work that are outside your scope of practice. There is no shame in delegating these tasks. In fact, making sure your actors and artists are taken care of as professionally as possible is the best thing you can do in a position of leadership. Of course, the considerations of those in charge vary vastly with position and project. Certainly there are many more than are listed here. Often times budgets will be tight in the arts, and that can easily turn into an excuse to forgo some of these considerations. Don’t let that happen. It may take more creativity and effort, but the more you can invest in providing a safe and supported space for your artists, the better the work will be, and the healthier your team will be.

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