Arts administration, also called arts management, is a field of study providing graduates with the tools to create, develop, facilitate, and evaluate arts and cultural programs and organizations. Arts management offers a viable and rewarding career path for thousands of people across the globe.
A concentration in Theatre Management at Centenary is interdisciplinary, combining classes in Business, including Social Media, Communication and Visual Arts along with Theatre Arts, giving students a well-rounded skill set to work within the non-profit Theatre Arts world, continue their studies in Graduate schools or apply their varied skills to a related field. The existence of an equity theatre and production entity on the Centenary campus allows students to experience real world practical applications of these skills. In addition, there are numerous opportunities to network with not only the artists who pass through these doors, but the various companies that perform here as part of the season.
The new summer musical theatre series will continue to provide employment and internship possibilities for our students and graduates. The arts administration field was established to meet the ever-growing demand for leadership and organizational acumen within arts and cultural organizations. Arts administrators bridge the worlds of performing and visual arts with applied managerial, financial, and programmatic skills.
According to Americans for the Arts, 702,771 businesses are involved in the creation or distribution of the arts in the U.S., and they collectively employ 2.9 million people. What’s more, the National Endowment for the Arts reports that the non-profit arts sector generates $135 billion for the economy which has led to 4.1 million jobs.
Theatre Management takes many forms. A partial list prepared by the Association of Arts Administration Educators gave the following examples of Managerial and Administrative Job Functions in Theatre:
Examples of managerial and administrative job functions in theatre:
| Advertising | Audience development | Finance |
| Fundraising/development | Human resources | Staff management |
| Labor relations | Production | Programming |
| Board relations | Company management | General management |
| Grant writing | Marketing | Operations |
| Public relations | Research/analysis | Education/outreach |
| Event planning | Graphic design | House management |
| Patron services | Producer | Social media management |
Examples of employers with jobs in arts administration:
| Artist residencies | Dance companies | Jazz companies |
| Producing entities | Art councils | Festivals |
| Museums | Theatre associations | Arts education centers |
| Foundations | Opera companies | Theatre companies |
| Auction houses | Galleries | Orchestras |
| Think tanks | Consultants | Grant makers |
| Presented |
Derived in part from a list published by the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE).