Author: andyfife

The Washington Bus engages tomorrow’s leaders on their own terms, and empowers them through education, civic and cultural engagement, and hands-on democracy.  They support young, progressive candidates and make sure the younger generation has champions in Olympia.  They make sure young people are registered to vote, know the issues, and fill out their ballots.  And they are putting the “party” back into politics with engaging and relevant events.

Fife Consulting worked a short project with the Bus to help organize and facilitate the annual board retreat which helped to establish a quick 18-month plan that will serve as a strategic road map for the near future.  This involved two planning meetings with the Executive Director and Board Executive Committee, a 6-hour planning retreat and support to the staff in synthesizing the outputs into a planning document.

Click for more information on our Board Development and Strategic Planning services.

Anchorage Alaska is working to become one of the top cities for creativity and the arts.  The City of Anchorage and the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation have hired Fife Consulting as a part of the Live-Work-Play Initiative to lead a discovery and scoping process around new services and capacity to support the creative and cultural communities of Anchorage.

During the fall and winter of 2014 – 15, we lead the first of a three-phase process that should result in a new organization or set of programs serving artists, creative professionals, arts organizations and creative firms in Anchorage.  The resulting planning document can be seen here.

The Vera Project fuels personal and community transformation through collaborative, youth-driven engagement in music and art.  VERA is an all-ages volunteer-fueled music and arts venue. By engaging participants at all levels of music production and community organizing, Vera fulfills its mission to foster a participatory creative culture through popular music concerts, arts programs, experiential learning and volunteer opportunities for all ages, especially young people.Vera’s programs are always all ages, with a focus on young people ages 14 to 24. 

Andy Fife of Fife Consulting is serving as Interim Executive Director through the spring of 2015.

Out North is a contemporary art center that advances contemporary art in Anchorage by presenting experimental work, supporting under-represented voices and encouraging cultural dialogue.

As part of a project with the Alaska State Council on the Arts, Fife Consulting provided Strategic Planning and Board Facilitation services to Out North, helping to develop a new mission statement and primary multi-year strategic goals.

The Alaska Council on the Arts (ASCA) is Alaska’s state arts agency, fostering the development of the arts for all Alaskans through education, partnerships, grants and services.

In 2014, Fife Consulting is working with ASCA to help develop a pilot program offering support and service to cultural organizations encountering turbulent leadership transitions.

We will be researching similar emergency and other transition service programs throughout the country and assess needs in Alaska while working in depth with Anchorage contemporary art presenter Out North.  The project will result in a transition plan for Out North and a research and recommendations report for ASCA.

In one of the largest public works projects in the city since the Denny Hill Retrograde, Seattle is remaking its waterfront.

With the Department of Transportaion (DOT) as the lead agency, the City of Seattle brought in Fife Consulting to lead a Cultural Programs Planning process, particularly focused on a potential site for festivals and concerts on Pier 48 at the south end of Seattle’s historic waterfront.

We spent six months working with a joint taskforce to research similar projects nationwide, assess the local inventory of existing venues and producers, and engage the local arts, music and performance communities.  The project culminated in a recommendations and research report offering options and guidance for design and technical specifications at the site, as well as program and management concepts for cultural programming throughout the waterfront.  The document can be viewed here.

Agencies and organizations involved in the taskforce include Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture, Office of Film and Music, Department of Planning and Development, Department of Transportation, the Arts Commission, the Music Commission and the Friends of the Waterfront.

TeenTix is a revolutionary arts access program for teenagers in Seattle that helps arts organizations connect with young audiences and empowers teenagers to engage with the arts on their own terms.

After 10 years as a program of Seattle Center, TeenTix is in the process of establishing independence.

We are working with the TeenTix leadership and advisory board to help coach and facilitate elements of their strategic planning process.