Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater

Focus: Community Engagement & Audience Development
Timeline: 4 months (beginning January 2024)
Services: Strategic Facilitation, Staff Training, Systems Design

The Client
Arena Stage is a Tony Award–winning institution in Washington, D.C., dedicated to American voices in theater. Through new works, reimagined classics, and community-driven programming, Arena celebrates democracy and diversity while inspiring civic action across the DMV region.

The Need
As Arena Stage entered a new era of leadership under Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif, the organization sought to reimagine its approach to community and audience relationships. Despite strong ticket sales, the institution recognized the need to deepen its long-term engagement strategies, align internal teams around shared values, and define itself as a destination for new, diverse audiences.

The Process
CNTR ARTS designed and facilitated a four-month engagement to help Arena Stage develop a systems-based approach to audience and community building. The process included:

• Bi-weekly cross-departmental working group sessions (virtual + in-person)

• Executive coaching meetings to align artistic and organizational priorities

• Trainings on The Five Phases of Principled Partnership and equity-based audience frameworks

• Collaborative exercises to define Arena’s criteria for meaningful partnerships and loyalty-building strategies
  
  

The Outcome
The engagement produced a shared vocabulary and set of values for community and audience engagement across departments. CNTR ARTS provided an analysis of existing strategies and ROI, identified opportunities for growth, and proposed new initiatives to cultivate long-term, reciprocal relationships with community partners. Arena Stage left the process with actionable next steps for audience diversification, loyalty-building among new patrons, and a sustainable framework for ongoing collaboration and evaluation.