Research Study: Outsourcing as an institutionalization tactic for an international non-for-profit initiative in the post-pandemic world.

TACL (Turkish-American Cultural Laboratory) is a nonprofit arts organization that provides a platform for Turkish and American artists to collaborate in three main ways: performance (live events), education (masterclasses, workshops, academic exchange programs), and production (recording and commissioning new works). The initiative was launched in 2017 by Zeynep Alpan (violinist) and Mark Prihodko (cellist), two New York-based Juilliard graduates who identified a gap in cultural exchange opportunities between Turkey and the United States. During its two pilot years (2017-2019), TACL successfully met its ambitious entrepreneurial goals in Turkey. 

However, since its incorporation in the U.S., in 2019, until the start of the pandemic, TACL managed to identify and contact potential New York partners but failed to implement any of its programs, as demanded by its mission.

Based on my initial phase of interviews with TACL’s founders, I understood it was their belief that there was simply not enough time before the onset of the pandemic to realize their U.S.-based pitches fully. During the more critical evaluation phase, it became increasingly clear that the pandemic was by no means their only challenge in the much more competitive New York art market. It offered less of an identified target audience and fewer direct stakeholders interested in the bi-national exchange, which could be considered for potential partnerships and meant fewer funding opportunities.

Solving TACL’s lack of presence in the U.S. provided the consultancy’s objective: to find a sustainable solution to implement TACL’s programs within the competitive NYC arts and cultural marketplace. We mutually agreed that my focus on TACL’s NYC live concert performances would create the necessary exposure for TACL’s artists and the organization. During the analytical phase, it became evident that any potential New York partnership would compensate for TACL’s weaknesses and seek to align its strengths in search of artistic programming and reputational position. The most successful, mission-aligned partnerships could attract and strengthen similar target audiences, deepening TACL’s impact while generating greater sustainability. Such a partnership would provide the organizational, administrative, and funding structure necessary to implement TACL’s cycle of season-long programs that would propel its sustainable presence in New York. 

TACL’s previous operating modus and small team size also presented a vital challenge. TACL’s founders expended time, resources, and effort on each new programming opportunity instead of instituting a sustainable workflow and infrastructure. During our weekly meetings, it became increasingly clear that an essential step towards establishing TACL’s presence in New York would be finding a venue to present TACL’s extensive artist network. Given TACL’s small size and very limited resources, that would require identifying a mission-focused partnership willing to support TACL’s direct artist-to-artist programming.

Utilizing an application from the tech industry, the customized workflow maps up the process of concert production, indicating the outsourcing strategy used to maximize TACL’s creative output.

To develop an even more comprehensive understanding of the processes involved in concert production in the NYC space, I devised a questionnaire directed to eight New York City concert industry leaders, including acclaimed presenters such as Carnegie Hall, 92nd Street Y, and People’s Symphony Concerts. 

Competitive analysis of viable candidates for a strategic partnership identified the newly built Turkish House in New York. With its public spaces owned and managed by the Turkish Consulate, it holds the residence of the Turkish Mission to the UN and offices of the Turkish Consulate, features a new auditorium and gallery, and has a declared interest in Turkish artists that complement TACL’s mission.

Artistic autonomy is paramount to TACL’s mission. Anything that would infringe on TACL’S unique selling point–its “artist-to-artist” approach to programming–or politically hinder its artists’ freedom of expression would threaten its integrity. A conducted SWOT Analysis indicated that to avoid the risk that outsourcing could pose to TACL’s excellent reputation and artistic self-determination, TACL must preserve exclusive control over its programming. To this end, a Deal Memo for a cross-marketing partnership with Turkish House underlines the areas of responsibility. While both partners must sign off on its co-produced events, it sets clear parameters that allow TACL to maintain substantial creative control.

Given Turkey’s authoritarian regime's politics, it is unclear whether the mission will agree to that fundamental condition. TACL has had no conflicts with the government in Ankara during its years of programming in Turkey. And it has a good standing relationship with the Turkish Consulate in New York and its Deputy Consul Emre Manav.  In September 2021, TACL’s founders co-produced the opening ceremony of Turkish House, consulting on the event’s artistic programming and general logistics. As a result, it is likely to enter direct negotiations from a position of strength.

Finally, the paper discusses my recommendations, their potential impact, and limitations, adding personal observations about the challenges of this consultancy and the process in general. Inspired by the broad literature on entrepreneurship in the arts, I acknowledge that arts and culture organizations could profit more from other industries’ tools for their organizational assessment and operational alignment. While my recommendations follow the industry’s standard models, the research-determined combination applied to TACL’s partnership with Turkish House provides both a creative and transformative solution, as acknowledged by TACL’s leadership team.