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research question on staffing concern
by
Related to the points being made about program finances and value - I have always wondered how to balance the +/- of staff "types" (paid professionals, college students, volunteers - and everything in between)
Financial issues impact your staff choices (pay scale), and the skill level of the staff can affect the overall value of the product. (is it "you get what you pay for"?)
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some more fodder about this....
Strife is great in tight budget times. Theater is an "added" interpretive layer on top of the base-line design of an exhibit experience (we know not every visitor will encounter this interpretive program - so the exhibit visit must stand on its own).
There is an inherent (and very necessary) value placed on the heads of an institution's staff members who care for the museum collection (in my case, keepers are the life-blood - providing direct care for the animals). During tight financial times, it becomes increasingly hard to plan into an operating budget salary levels for interpretive staff and programs that approach or exceed the level of pay for the essential staff that provide primary collection care.
We are looking at grant opportunities - but even that funding is then limited....so how to best spend it when you have it?
While some facilities out there try to utilize volunteers, we can easily recognize the sacrifice in the product and guest experience. BUT - what about college students? (students of the arts - not just any BA out there)
Can college credit or some small stipend generate a group that will have the ability to deliver a successful product? Is it a viable way to generate a seasonal theater program that can be high on quality but more reasonable on expenses?
Besides skill level and financial differences, what other variables need to be considered with this sort of performer?
Well, Catherine - I'm not sure if this is an avenue of theater research that you were looking for...but it is one that I am curious about.
In these tough financial times, can we determine if it is worthwhile for cultural intitutions to invest in alternate sources for theater staff - or is the ultimate product not worth the investment?
best wishes to all -
*(i've been out of this "loop" for a while - working outside of the interp. stuff, on the animal management side of things - but am now back in a role that has me again focusing on interp. programming and guest experience. Looking forward to more good discussions!)*
Randi