Breaking Down the Fourth Wall in Arts Management: The Implications of Engaging Users in Decision-Making

Abstract

This article examines the theory that widening the range of voices involved in decision-making can have transformational effects on the management of public institutions. It asks what the levers and barriers are for implementing such practices in the arts. The author analyzes 80 arts-funding applications, 11 surveys of local authorities, 15 in-depth interviews with policy-makers and arts managers, and one case study of an arts organization employing participatory decision-making in its management processes. The research reveals resistance to the concept of participatory decision-making in the arts sector while also demonstrating powerful outcomes, in terms of both artistic and audience development, where such processes have been used. Arts managers who involve the public in decision-making are better able to make the case for continued public investment, in the face of austerity, while also enhancing the creativity of their organizations.