Music, Fellowship, and ServiceCelebrating our Heritage & Fortifying our Future

Annual MeetingMay 12, 2015

• Annual Retreat Led to focus on youth/arts education

• Stakeholder Interviews Deepened our understanding of Singing City

• Benchmarking Interviews Deepened our understanding of the field

• Planning Committee Meetings Helped us sort and shape our findings into a framework

PROCESS OVERVIEW

• Desired focus on arts education/access for youth

• Notable funding demand for arts education programming

• Trends are toward focused education/enrichment programs

• Opportunity for choral music within Philly’s arts education field

We need to look at Singing City’s programs and business model from the standpoint of all three of it’s core values/activities.

KEY DISCOVERIES

Arts – Making great music together.

Everything related to the presenting concerts, touring, etc.

Fellowship – Building bonds and supporting each other.

Retreats, spending time together, building relationships

Service – Serving others in our community.

SCCC, performing and other work in the community.

CORE MISSION AREAS

Singing City is really three different “businesses”:

• Arts – Arts Presenter

• Fellowship – Intentional Community

• Service – Social Service Organization

CORE BUSINESS AREAS

Arts

1: Increase the ambition and overall quality of musical programming.

2. Increase regularity and depth of artistic partnerships and collaborations.

Fellowship

3. Make fellowship a more intentional programmatic focus.

4. Increase interaction with other social impact leaders in Philadelphia.

Service

5. Refocus our social mission on arts education and access for youth.

6. Provide opportunities for young professional artists to be role models.

STRATEGIC GOALS

Mission

Through Performance, Arts Education, and Fellowship, Singing City strives to be an artistic, social and spiritual force, bringing people together through choral music.

Vision

People throughout the Philadelphia region find refuge and a whole life through music, fellowship, and service to their community.

MISSION & VISION

Socially Transformative – for the members of the Singing City chorus and the many audiences and people they reach with their music making Musically Ambitious – introducing the singers and audiences to the breadth and depth of choral music historic and contemporary  Diverse – with respect to the people who make up the chorus and audience alike, as well as the genres and repertoire performed Fellowship Focused – an act of intentional coming together and sharing of common bonds and a strong sense of loyalty, friendship, and durable care for one another

CORE VALUES

Home Season 3 main programs, one big bi-annual collab, pop-up programs

Biannual Concert Tours 1 domestic tour every other year, 1 international tour every four year

Annual Commissioning/Collaboration FundSupport fund for new social-focus commissions and collabs.

ART PROGRAM VISION

Annual Retreat & Social Practice Mini-summit (fall)Annual retreat with special social practice/change-maker guests

Monthly Meet-ups & Alumni NetworkCoordinated monthly meet-ups and social action and conversations

Senior Fellowship in Social Practice ArtAnnual, 9-month fellowship supporting all program areas

Annual Singing City Reunion Challenge (spring)Big annual reunion sing-in on Belmont Plateau, Fairmount Park

• Season-long, team-driven “crowd-built” attendance (1,600 people)• Modest ticket price + food/drink picnic contribution• Culminating in a large-scale public “sing-in” with documentation• Opportunity to broaden community reach and engage alumni

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM VISION

Singing City Children’s ChoirWill continue its work and expand to one or two schools

Singing City in the SchoolsWith a partner, bring the adult choir into Philadelphia schools

Singing City Youth Mentorship ProgramMember-driven, volunteer, youth arts mentorship program

Junior Fellowship in Social Practice ArtsSupporting the Senior Fellow, an emerging artist fellowship position

SERVICE PROGRAM VISION

Musical & Artistic AssistantAssists with all musical and artistic functions

Senior Fellow in Social Practice ArtsLeads the annual Retreat & Reunion program; supports collab projects

Junior Fellow in Social Practice ArtsSupports the Senior Fellow and Mentorship Program

POTENTIAL TEAM ADDITIONS

Questions?

DISCUSSION