Seminars 1 and 2a Evaluation Highlights

(Draft)
The first two seminars for the National Arts Management Intensive in Trinidad and Tobago took place on
September 8 and 9, 2014 in Port of Spain. The sessions hosted approximately 55 participants each day
from 21 arts and cultural organizations. The first year of the program will go through September 2015.

Seminar 1 September 8, 2014 54 attendees

Seminar 2a September 9, 2014 56 attendees
Note: We received feedback from 27 participants (about 49% of the seminar attendees)

To evaluate the cohorts initial response to the program, the Institute conducted an electronic survey with
the participants, following the seminars on September 8 and 9, 2014. The survey assessed the suitability
of content to the cohorts needs, quality of delivery, future programming requests, participants
assessment of seminar content, and the Institutes ability to offer concrete steps for increasing capacity.
Anonymous responses included the following statistics and statements:
Did the seminar change the way you think about running your organization in any way? Please describe:
Yes:
Reinforced ideas:

81.48% (including 11.11% definitely yes)

18.52%

New Ideas
Presented?

Yes

Reinforced Ideas

This seminar was of tremendous value. It rejuvenated my enthusiasm and vigor to move
forward and implement objectives we have talked about, but didn't have a working strategy on
how to get there. There is much planning to take place with the right people in place.

Yes it did. Thus far we have been more focused on the artistic side of the organization, and
while we have gained significant headway in our field, we still believe we could do more. The
seminar helped us to realize that we need to do more work when it comes to the business
aspect of our organization.

The National Arts Management Intensive is made possible by the Ministry of the
Arts and Multiculturalism of Trinidad and Tobago.

Very much so. We have been very involved in Programmatic Marketing, spending a lot of
money on advertisements. That will change. Instead of moving from one big task to a next, we
will now look for smaller initiatives to keep the organization vibrant throughout the year.

We have been operating in a C-level mindset, not building the family we should have been
creating and fostering better relationships with persons and organizations that we should have
been doing all along. I am making a more concerted effort to build those relationships even with
those who may not fall within our organizations usual operating paradigm.

What new concepts or strategies did you learn from the seminar? Please list as many new ideas as you
can.

Clearly communicate, both internally and externally, the organization's mission statement; be
the best provider of our WHAT to our WHO in our WHERE; use the mission statement as the test
against which we decide if we will take on a new project or not. If a project doesn't fit the
mission statement, we say no.

Plan toward at least 3 big ideas, 2-3 years in the future. In 2014, what are our 3 big ideas for
2016 & 2017?

The A, B, and C project concept and the importance each type of project. Particularly finding
ways to turn C projects into A and B projects. The idea of creating mutually beneficial
partnerships to minimize spending and maximize financial and other benefits.

Overall feedback:

I believe this is a great move by the Ministry to attempt to raise the management skills of the
arts community in Trinidad and Tobago. It is equally commendable to have a prestigious
institute like the DeVos Institute to conduct the training.

The seminar was interesting and kept me focused throughout. The presenter was clear,
knowledgeable, and convincing in his presentations. I'd like to work with him again in a more
personalized setting.

We were very impressed with the personal touch. The site visit which we know was necessary
allowed us to define ourselves in a clearer way.

The program was quite great. To get to see how to use the things we take for granted to propel
our purpose and build interest in our organization was so amazing. I am looking forward to the
remaining information we're going to be exposed to.

This Intensive is coming at a critical moment in the existence of our organization. We just
completed our ninth edition, by all accounts, externally, the best edition ever. But, we still have
a lot of work to do. We hope that this intensive will support our evolution as a healthy arts
organization so that we can more effectively do the important development work to which we
are committed, and which is necessary for the building of the film industry in T&T and the
Caribbean region.

I wish to applaud our presenter for trying to create/build bridges amongst the participants and
for suggesting that we can collaborate of projects.

The presenter was versed in his field. The information was timely for me. I appreciated the
opportunity. I hope at the end of this program the presenters will realize the diverse task they
have to overcome.

The delivery of the material was clear, engaging, and inspiring.

Well prepared and organized - our group will definitely benefit from this training process.

The facilitator appeared highly knowledgeable and able to apply his expertise to Trinidad and
Tobago.

The seminar was extremely informative and mind-awakening, and although I was representing
one organization, I belong to a few others and I saw where I could use the information in those
groups as well.

The seminar is quite intensive and could assist an organization to achieve success and
transform what it does and how it is seen.

Participants Suggestions

The sessions should be more frequent. They should also encourage the groups to share real life
experiences instead of only the facilitator.

The seminar should have more than one presenter. There should not be any interruption, no
questions until after the presenter is finished.

The project screen should have been larger. Handouts should have larger print. Groups should
be selected to have joint projects as an assignment.