The CultureSwap program, founded by the 92nd Street Y, matches participants across the arts and cultural sector with peers at other institutions. The focus is simple: spend a day at a peer’s workplace, sharing insights and best practices, and brainstorming ways to tackle challenges both inside their institution and in the arts sector as a whole.
Why cultureswap?
In order to remain vibrant public institutions, arts and culture institutions need to constantly learn, adapt to changes in the field, and foster a new generation of leaders.
CultureSwap creates a space for professionals at all stages in their careers to help one another and their institutions grow through peer-to-peer mentorship and participation in a sector-wide network that infuses institutions with new ideas and supports the development of leaders.
Given the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on the arts and culture sector, now more than ever, arts organizations need to work collaboratively to solve the challenges our industry faces.
“Our mission statements might be different, but I think learning from those with shared values and those who can challenge your work/approach is so instrumental for growth, personally and professionally.
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How it works
Local organizations, individuals or small committees can decide to start a CultureSwap. Organizers are then responsible for recruiting participants and matching them in pairs. Once matches are made, participants spend a month shadowing one another, and spend a day at each other’s institutions.
At the culmination of swaps, all participants gather to discuss the larger themes that emerged. CultureSwappers walk away inspired with actionable tactics and strategies they can implement into their own working lives and at their institutions.
The CultureSwap toolkit provides tips for running an in-person, virtual or hybrid CultureSwap during the pandemic.
GRowing the network
Today, anyone, anywhere in the world can start a CultureSwap using our CultureSwap Toolkit. Visit our Start a CultureSwap page to find everything you’ll need to start a CultureSwap in your community!
CultureSwap was created by Liz Gwinn (The Studio Museum in Harlem) and Adjoa Jones de Almeida (Brooklyn Museum) in 2018 as part of their participation in 92nd Street Y’s Catherine Hannah Behrend Fellowship, a year-long program for visual arts. The pair identified a gap in service and communication amongst visual arts professionals at NYC organizations and thus created CultureSwap. Inspired by the success of the initial year, 92Y’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact adopted the program in 2019 and expanded it from an annual event to a networked community.