Three Areas of Focus Not for profits, including arts organizations, must succeed in three distinct activities. Firstly there is delivery of the mission, in this case producing opera. Secondly, there is raising revenue by reaching out to audience, donors, sponsors, granting agencies and volunteers. This is often referred to as development or income management. Finally there is administration, which supports both of the other areas of activity, negotiates with granting agencies, helps keep current sponsors, donors, volunteers and subscribers happy and renewing, and maintains the books.
Innovation means different things in each area of activity.
Delivering the Mission What might be labelled misguided innovation at the pointy end in an arts organization can be very risky. It is necessary to distinguish between innovation and recklessness. Innovation for an opera company does not mean staging a world premiere of a locally created atonal opera, or the production of a rarely staged opera by a forgotten contemporary of Monteverdi's on the assumption that, if produced, the audience will come. However innovation is related to artistic vision, and the execution of that vision over a few nights, after something in the order of a month's work, with a team of perhaps a hundred singers, musicians, players, stage personnel, etc., brought together from around the world just for the event. New productions tends to be more expensive than rented productions so some innovation can be bought, but exciting is always more important than lavish when it comes opera.