We make art because we believe it makes better human beings. We make art because we believe it makes being human better. So why do we spend so much energy quantifying the economics of what we do, and so little time quantifying the impact?

Theatre Bay Area is pleased to release the final reports for the past two years of intrinsic impact research, available now! These final reports, including the final report by research firm WolfBrown entitled “Measuring the Intrinsic Impact of Live Theatre,” as well as interviews with 20 prominent artistic directors and essays by Diane Ragsdale, Arlene Goldbard, Rebecca Novick and more, are all available in a brand new paperback book, COUNTING NEW BEANS: INTRINSIC IMPACT AND THE VALUE OF ART!

Read the foreword by Ben Cameron of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Read the introduction by Brad Erickson of Theatre Bay Area

Essay contributors include: Alan Brown, Rebecca Ratzkin, Diane Ragsdale, Arlene Goldbard, Rebecca Novick, and Clayton Lord

Read the executive summary of the WolfBrown final report, "Measuring the Intrinsic Impact of Live Theatre" by Alan Brown and Rebecca Ratzkin

Includes interviews with: Susan Atkinson, Keith Baker, Anne Bogart, Dudley Cocke, David Dower, Oskar Eustis, Steven Glaudini, Taylor Greenthal, Rachel Grossman, Todd Haimes, David Kilpatrick, Jessica Kubzansky, Martha Lavey, Barry Levine, Rob Melrose, Bonnie Metzgar, Michael Michetti, Terrence Nolen, Diane Paulus, Jill Rafson, Bill Rauch, Jack Reuler, Michael Rohd, Howard Shalwitz, Tony Taccone, Sarah Taines, Sydni Taines and Sixto Wagan

Read a sample interview with Roadside Theater's founding artistic director Dudley Cocke
See a sample set of wordclouds generated from the interviews with some of the artistic leaders

Intrinsic Impact Takes to the Web

Throughout the spring, we will be rolling out portions of COUNTING NEW BEANS: INTRINSIC IMPACT AND THE VALUE OF ART's content on websites across the web, including HowlRound, ArtsJournal, and right here at theatrebayarea.org. In addition, watch American Theatre magazine and Theatre Bay Area magazine for excerpts and results!

Read an excerpt from Diane Ragsdale's contribution, "Creative Destruction," on Jumper, her ArtsJournal.com blog.
Read excerpts from Clayton Lord and Rebecca Novick's included essays, as well as excerpts from interviews with five of the artistic directors in the book, at HowlRound.

Buy the book!

COUNTING NEW BEANS: INTRINSIC IMPACT AND THE VALUE OF ART is now available for $24.95 plus tax (+ $3.00 shipping and handling per book). To purchase your copy of the book, including the full-color final report from WolfBrown as well as original essays by Diane Ragsdale, Arlene Goldbard, Rebecca Novick and Clayton Lord, please click the link below.  Thank you for your purchase!

Study your impact!

Theatre Bay Area and WolfBrown are now offering the ability of any arts organization to measure their own intrinsic impact using a custom-built online surveying tool and results dashboard!  The service is available for as little as $1,500, and will provide you with tons of data on the actual impact that your art is making on your patrons.  To find out more about how to enroll in this work and start surveying your own audiences, please email Clayton Lord, project manager, by clicking the button below.

Give your input!

COUNTING NEW BEANS: INTRINSIC IMPACT AND THE VALUE OF ART includes 24 interviews from artistic directors, patrons and executive leaders of theatre organizations all across the country--and we'd love to hear your stories, too!  Click the link below to give us your testimonials on what the role of the audience is in the making of art, what the impact of art is on the audience and what the future holds for arts organizations and the patrons who love them.  You'll be working from the same questions used to interview the leaders and patrons in the book.  Periodically, we'll be updating this page with responses from you, including word clouds and excerpts. You can also take your responses (generated at the end of the survey for you) and plug them into www.wordle.net to see your very own wordcloud!