Mentoring programs
WA Opera has benefited from the Artsupport Australia mentoring program. lan Woodrow as Tristan and Susan Bullock as Isolde in WA Opera's 2006 production of Tristan und Isolde. Photo: James Rogers.
Artsupport Australia offers mentoring to arts organisations to help grow their philanthropic income.
In February 2006, Artsupport Australia developed a pilot philanthropy mentoring program with funding from the Australia Council's major performing arts board.
The six performing arts companies selected for the pilot program were:
- Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
- Circus Oz
- Melbourne Theatre Company
- Opera Queensland
- State Theatre Company of South Australia (case study)
- West Australian Opera (case study).
Artsupport Australia's mentoring consultant Wendy McCarthy AO selected a suitable mentor and monitored and evaluated the organisation's progress. Mentors were funded for two hours assistance per month over six months.
The program saw the participating arts organisations increase their giving programs between 70-90%, with one receiving a $20,000 bequest and another a $50,000 individual gift.
Based on these achievements, the following additional performing arts companies joined the mentoring program in August 2006:
- Bell Shakespeare Company
- Queensland Theatre Company
- West Australian Ballet
- Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Stage 3 of the program commenced in July 2007 for the following companies:
- Bangarra Dance Theatre
- Queensland Ballet
- Queensland Orchestra
- Sydney Dance Company
- Sydney Theatre Company
- Western Australia Symphony Orchestra