The Audacity of Relevance: Critical Conversations on the Future of Arts and Culture

by Alex Sarian

The arts and culture sector is in crisis—a crisis of relevance. Whether it’s grappling with dwindling audience sizes, shifting trends in philanthropy, or addressing social challenges, experts have been documenting this slow decline for decades.

At the core of Alex Sarian’s international career is the conviction that cultural organizations must embrace a greater civic purpose and build a new business model—one based on the social impact of the arts.

Throughout The Audacity of Relevance, Sarian engages in conversations with leaders from across industries to paint a potential future for arts organizations—a future built on measuring our sector’s success by how positively we can influence the many local communities that surround us.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned executive or are just beginning in your career—the principles and anecdotes in this book will inspire you to see the world of arts and culture for what it truly is: filled with endless possibilities for reinvention.

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Elle E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Sarian begins The Audacity of Relevance with a bold proclamation: "The arts are a luxury good over-consumed by too few people." It’s a jarring statement that cuts to the heart of an uncomfortable truth: the arts are often seen as an exclusive domain, an indulgence for the privileged few. Sarian’s thesis—that the arts need to reclaim their role as a collective experience—is an urgent and thought-provoking call to action.

Central to Sarian’s argument is the idea that the true value of art, particularly in forms like theatre, lies not in its status as a leisure activity but in its ability to create shared, communal experiences. This collective dimension, he contends, is the beating heart of the arts' relevance. The pandemic, which saw a surge in solo arts consumption, serves as both a backdrop and a cautionary tale. While it might seem paradoxical, Sarian argues that consuming art alone is dangerous—it erodes the connective tissue that binds communities together.

Yet, Sarian is quick to acknowledge the pandemic’s peculiar duality. While we were physically isolated in our homes, we were united in a strangely collective experience—a shared text of global crisis. Early on, this collective understanding brought us closer together before fracturing under the weight of prolonged isolation. It’s a poignant observation that highlights the tension between solitude and shared experience, a tension that arts organizations must navigate in the post-pandemic era.

The book is most compelling when Sarian grapples with the barriers that prevent people from accessing arts and culture. Financial, geographic, and—perhaps most insidiously—perceptual barriers reinforce the notion that the arts "don’t belong to them." Sarian sometimes critiques the commodification of art, where the audience is positioned as a consumer buying access to a product. While he doesn’t fully escape the capitalist frameworks he critiques—understandable, given the economic realities of arts organizations—his analysis is nuanced and thought-provoking.

Sarian’s vision for arts organizations is strikingly egalitarian. He calls for them to take inspiration from public institutions like libraries, which embrace all members of their community regardless of socioeconomic or ideological divides. This public-facing ethos is a far cry from the exclusivity that too often defines arts institutions. For Sarian, the arts are not a monologue performed by the artist but a dialogue that unfolds in the intersection of artist and audience. It is in this intersection that the magic of collective experience happens.

In The Audacity of Relevance, Alex Sarian delivers a passionate, challenging, and sometimes uncomfortable manifesto for the future of the arts. While the book occasionally stumbles into familiar debates about capitalism and access, its core message is clear: the arts must reclaim their role as a collective force in society. Sarian’s vision is both a critique and a blueprint, urging arts organizations to reimagine themselves as spaces of radical inclusion and shared experience. For anyone invested in the future of the arts, this book is a must-read.

[Jill Dewes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit I struggled to get into this book at the start, but by the end, I was engrossed, finishing the last 4 sections in one sitting.

Themes of humility, generosity, and curiosity resonated throughout, and I particularly enjoyed the People & Culture chapter.

The deep dive into the internal culture at Arts Commons (and the later chapter on how they retained so many of their staff during Covid by asking 3 questions) was my favourite part, and I also love the idea of a lobby over a lodge, ramps for all, and a more porous architectural experience to welcome more people into former ‘palaces’ of culture.

I can’t wait to see the new spaces open in Calgary.

[Enid Wray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a dissection of an experience and a how-to-manual to deal with revitalising arts and cultural communities on other places all wrapped up in one.

While there are some most interesting discussion points - and philosophic musings - I found it a bit of an uneven read.

I did particularly enjoy the fascinating debrief of the ways and means by which the Calgary Public Library re-fashioned itself to stay relevant.

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital arc... Apologies for being tardy in getting my post up.

[September · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

I’m glad I came across this book. The author makes arguments I’ve been trying to make, but from a slightly different framing that may be more accessible & palatable for anyone who doubts the validity of the arguments.

It’s interesting how much push back there is for more human oriented, more effort-full methods versus doing things by the numbers, etc. But by the algorithms & “we’ve always done it that way” mentalities, are no longer working on multiple levels. It’s just a matter of how long it’ll take until it’s seen/acknowledged.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book! Thoughtful and insightful, Sarian paints a compelling case for rethinking theatre arts administration and how those in the field engage with audiences, artists, and others. Truly an inspiring book that I will be thinking on for months to come. And a great resource to turn to again and again.

[Kent]

Good points that weren’t expanded on and read like GPT