At the start of 2021, Tessitura adopted our first ever vision statement:

We are working toward a day when every human in every community we serve has arts and culture as a meaningful part of their lives.

We believe that arts & culture has an essential role to play toward creating positive, lasting change in the world, by fortifying societies to meet our many modern challenges.

Some folks scoff at the idea that arts & culture has an essential role to play in 2021. How, they ask, can we fiddle while Rome burns? This argument might make sense if you are simply reacting to the latest crisis, treating the symptoms as they emerge. But what if we take a moment to look beyond the latest crisis? What if we focus on longer term, systemic solutions to the world’s problems?

What if we focused on healing the patient versus just treating the symptoms?

If we want to heal the patient, we need to build societies that value healing the patient.

Positive, lasting change can be achieved when societies value innovation toward a better world; understanding of one another; and the inherent worth of every human.

Innovation requires communities that encourage curiosity and creativity.

Understanding occurs when societies foster compassion and commonality.

The worth of every human is made clear in a world that celebrates what it means to be human.

Curiosity.

Creativity.

Compassion.

Commonality.

Celebration.

When combined, these five traits can allow us to achieve positive, lasting change for the world. And there’s only one sector that can deliver all five in a single afternoon: arts & culture.

Arts & culture has the power to spark curiosity, unleash creativity, nurture compassion, create commonality, and celebrate what it means to be human.

I call these the Five Superpowers of Arts & Culture.

Imagine a town where every child grows up learning these superpowers; a city where every businessperson manages with these powers; a country where every elected official makes decisions based on these powers.

That would be a world that values innovation toward a better world, values understanding of one another; and values the inherent worth of every human.

That would be a society focused on healing the patient.

Which brings us back to the Tessitura vision:

We are working toward a day when every human in every community we serve has arts and culture as a meaningful part of their lives.

As a mission-driven not-for-profit, we are called to bring our technology and services to cultural organizations so they can reach and enrich every human in their communities, bringing positive, lasting change to the world.

Is arts & culture essential in 2021? Yes. This post is the start of a series that delves into each of the Five Superpowers of Arts & Culture. I hope you will join this journey.

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Scroll up to watch Andrew speak on The Five Superpowers of Arts & Culture in this talk from the virtual stage of the 2021 Tessitura Learning & Community Conference.

Top photo: Andrew Recinos presents on the stage at Portland Center Stage.