Best Practices
This resource provides guiding questions and considerations for collaborating with artists across creative disciplines. It promotes intentional and mutually beneficial interactions that respect artistic practices, research, and community engagement.
Page Contents
Who: Key Stakeholders
Who: Key
Stakeholders
Artists
1) Are you familiar with their work?
2) What are their needs and expectations?
3) Do they work solo or collaboratively (e.g., with ensembles or communities)?
Collaborators & Facilitators
1) Who is responsible for specific tasks (e.g., project management, technical support, promotion)?
2) Are additional personnel needed (e.g., creative directors, production managers, interns)?
3) Do they work solo or collaboratively (e.g., with ensembles or communities)?
Audience
1) Who is the intended audience?
2) How do you want participants and/or the audience to engage?
3) Are there specific communities involved or being served?
What: Goals & Resources
What: Goals
& Resources
Collaboration Objectives
1) Are the goals and intentions clearly defined?
2) What does each party expect to gain from the collaboration?
3) Do they work solo or collaboratively (e.g., with ensembles or communities)?
Medium Specific Needs
1) Are supplies, equipment, and/or space required and/or expected?
2) Are tech riders or stage plots provided?
Compensation
1) What is the artist’s fee, and does it reflect their labor expertise (e.g., W.A.G.E. Certification)?
2) Are resources for medium-specific compensation being used?
3) Are the additional needs of the artist’s work and/or project accounted for financially?
Process Expectations
1) Is the work new, developed or improvisational?
2) Is the scale small or large?
3) Is the work solo or team-based?
4) How will the collaboration unfold (e.g., co-creation, clear division of labor)?
Documentation
1) How will the process and outcome be captured (e.g., video, journals, photos)?
2) Who handles, distributes, and pays for documentation?
When: Timeline & Scheduling
When: Timeline
& Scheduling
Project Phases
1) Is there adequate time for the artist’s creative process?
2) Does the timeline need to align with institutional deadlines?
Rehearsals & Performances
1) Are schedules for rehearsals, sound checks, and performances clearly defined?
2) Are adequate breaks and sustenance provided?
Residency & Public Engagement
1) If applicable, when is the artist in residence?
2) What public-facing events is the artist interested in doing (e.g., talks, workshops); what events are expected?
Where: Location & Environment
Where: Location
& Environment
Physical Spaces
1) What kind of rehearsal, performance, or installation spaces are needed?
2) Are green rooms, studios, or specific site conditions required?
Venue Needs
1) Is the venue equipped to handle technical demands (e.g., sound systems, projection, sprung floors)?
2) Are facilities accessible (e.g., bathrooms, transportation)?
Installation & Deinstallation
1) Who is responsible for installing work, taking work down, and paying for these services?
2) Does the artist need to be present for these processes?
Why: Purpose & Intentions
Why: Purpose
& Intentions
Alignment with Goals
1) Why was this artist, medium, or approach chosen?
2) Have you communicated that with the artist?
3) How does the collaboration align with institutional or community values?
Mutual Benefits
1) How does the project support the artist’s vision and institutional goals?
2) Are the benefits and contributions equitable for all parties?
Community Impact
1) Who benefits from the work and how?
2) How might the work engage the audience or community?
Additional Considerations
Support & Assistance
1) Technical crew for sound, lighting, or set design.
2) Staff for logistics, documentation, and promotion.
Performing Arts
Personnel:
Number of performers, writers, or directors involved.
Rehearsal/Performance Space:
Specific spatial or technical needs.
Performer Sensitivities:
Address intimacy, physical contact, and cultural expectations.
Visual & Plastic Arts
Site Visit:
Meet collaborators and understand space requirements.
Shipping and Handling:
Clarify logistics for art transportation and installation.
Music & Sound
Instrumentation:
Number of members and equipment required.
Rehearsal Needs:
Schedules for rehearsals and sound checks.
Recording/Live Performance:
Technical and time considerations for both formats.
This is a living document. We are working artists and we want to hear from you!
What are your best practices?