NET Membership Re-Engagement Pilot

The NET Bridge Ensemble and Board invite you to participate in NET's Membership Re-Engagement Pilot. This initiative, part of the NETneXt process, aims to revitalize the Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET) by engaging more deeply with our community in 2024.

Join us for our kickoff convening in Los Angeles in the Spring! Interested in participating? Let us know here.

  • We are convening membership past, present, and future, both virtually and in person, starting with 3-4 cities with the highest number of historical members. We begin by convening in Los Angeles, California, sometime in late May or early June, based on the host ensembles that self-identify through this form. 

  • Following Los Angeles, we are calling for interest from host ensembles or individual practitioners in The Bay Area, New York City, Chicago, or The Twin Cities. 

  • The Southwest, Southeast, Pacific Northwest, and other sites will come once we have passed through a few cities and built momentum.

  • Conducting interviews with board members and former staffers to ascertain a robust understanding of the NET we have all come to care so greatly for and to pinpoint needs for internal pivots going forward to a thriving future.

  • Launching an audience and budget survey to gather data on the state of the ensemble arts field and showcase the collective reach of the Network

  • We will map the ensemble ecosystem so that we can see each other from where we are now and, from there, reach out to ensembles that don’t yet know about NET and draw them in.

  • We are redeveloping and enhancing our membership portal, re-thinking everything from the cost of membership to tiers and points of entry to the foundational question: What is the value of being a NET member?

  • We are designing a new set of offerings and programs for connection, collaboration, and education that will carry us into the brightest future.

  • Interested in learning more about the WHY? Read a letter from the Bridge Ensemble on planning NET’s future here.

We want to do this big work with you! 

The Bridge Ensemble, as the interim leadership model, with the support of the NET board, will synthesize the data we have collected from these sessions to co-create a 2-year plan, a new membership model, develop an advisory council, and resourcing supportive structures for staff, leadership, and governance.

Why all this change?  

The abundant learnings of the NETneXt Circle up Series in 2023 were instrumental in moving these next steps forward. And, as we shared in New Orleans and on our blog, NET is at a crossroads where the original systems no longer support the staff, board, and the needs of the membership in ways that are helpful and healthful. For several years, the resources and financial partnerships have been dwindling. Alarmist– no. NET staff and board members have been aware of these issues for some time and have attempted to call the membership in to help co-create change through the NETneXt process. But, to move NET from its current location to a thriving future we need to more directly work with you to survive.

Read a letter from the Bridge Ensemble on planning NET’s future here.

CONVENING SESSION OVERVIEW

We have put together a very rough outline of the time together for these local events, but the aim is for participants to co-design with us as the process unfolds.

Full Session, 3.5 Hours

  • Block 1: 30 minutes -  Meal Share & Relationship Cultivation 

  • Block 2: 45 minutes - Interactive Regional Asset Mapping

    • Local/Regional Resource Map - A “Manual Connector” 

  • 10 Minute Break

  • Block 3: 1 hour - Community Conversations: Building Shared Strategies

    In full group or breakouts, or a combination therein: 

    • Regional Coordinated Strategy for Ensemble Advocacy (that defines and supports a coordinated National Strategy) 

    • Shared Resources & Opportunities

      • Marketing/Comms Shared Opportunities

      • Resource Generation

    • Shared Leadership Models / Transitions 

    • Healing / Accountability

    • Mutual Aid & Solidarity Economies

  • 10 Minute Break

  • Block 4: 30 minutes - Affinity Spaces: This could be identity-based or through a cascade of Legacy Member, New Member, Future Member 

  • Block 5: 15 minutes -  Closing Circle

Optional Add-Ons

  • Endorsed Local Artistic Viewing

  • Self-Determined Dine Arounds (we will provide restaurant lists and contact) 

  • Local/Regional Funder Panel

  • Artistic or Administrative Workshops by local Ensembles or practitioners

Help Us Advocate for the Ensemble Arts Field!

In our mission to support and enrich the ensemble arts community, we're reaching out to gather your insights through a brief survey. Your feedback is essential, enabling us to present a persuasive narrative about the scope and reach of our field. Understanding our collective audience and resources better positions us to advocate for our community's needs effectively. This includes boosting our capacity to offer travel support, organize meaningful events, and deliver valuable programming. Engage with us in this crucial step towards the continued growth and support of the ensemble arts, ensuring we remain a thriving and impactful force.

We invite you to participate in this pivotal micro survey. This tool is specifically crafted to allow NET to illustrate the true breadth and influence of our national ensemble arts community. Your valuable insights and data points fuel our advocacy, enabling us to secure essential resources for travel grants, events, programming, and more.

This survey is a quick but powerful way to contribute—it shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes of your time. Please, lend your voice to fortify our collective endeavors.