Developing Next Practices for Internships in Nonprofit Arts

What strategies can nonprofit arts organizations implement in order to shift the ways we think about internships?

Image: Jack Leahy/The University Times
Image: Jack Leahy/The University Times

Changing perceptions

While working as the executive director of a summer stock theatre company, I hired two unpaid college interns to work with us. Over the course of the season, they proved to be just as involved and valuable as any of our paid company members. At the end of the summer, we were fortunate enough to have a small surplus and, given the quality of their work, I urged the Board of Trustees to split the money between the two interns. The befuddlement with which my suggestion was met came as no surprise. In the end, I had to defend my reasoning for placing a dollar value on the integral work performed by interns that the company had come to rely on throughout the summer; it became immediately apparent that I was disrupting the rules of unpaid labor in an effort to do the right thing.

This long-held assumption that interns are expected to work without pay — and without guaranteed professional support for next steps — is one that is familiar to many in the arts and culture field. What next practices and strategies can nonprofit arts organizations implement in order to shift the ways we think about internships and support the next generation’s careers in the arts?

Leading the change

Many internships, especially those that offer any form of a small stipend, often require a commitment of 40 hours a week with the expectation of additional night and weekend duties. For interns, who are happy for the opportunity to work at a prestigious organization or simply eager to get a foot in the door, they understand that their work can include a range of experiences — and that they will do it for little to no money.

I have come to realize that the structure of unpaid internships in nonprofit organizations perpetuates a culture of professional haves and have-nots, where only those most financially dexterous can afford to take on such time consuming work without earning a living wage. Often, these unpaid positions are ones that those with limited financial resources must sacrifice; however, these experiences are ones that could be paramount to the start of a career in the arts, where young leaders are expected to “pay their dues.”

Arts and culture organizations of the future must work towards upending the results of this current structure, where many eager and dedicated young people in the field are unable to gain access to what is considered a key stepping stone in an arts career. I believe that organizations must proactively pursue a more inclusive model to represent and acknowledge the true value of an internship experience.

A next practice

Universities offer scholarships for students in need, recognizing the importance of educational opportunities for students from a wide range of backgrounds. An adaptive arts organization could offer similar incentives when recruiting volunteers and interns in programs by thinking about those programs as opportunities for professional development and education. We have nothing to lose as arts leaders by pursuing a more dynamic approach to compensating outstanding interns, whether it is through personal sponsorships by donors or board members, new grants, or prioritizing capital in the budget to not just reward a job well done, but to create a system of support for those in need who are eager to work in the arts.

There are organizations, like McCarter Theatre (in Princeton, NJ), that have the privilege of providing their interns with company housing and a stipend while they pursue the development of their craft at a leading institution. If your organization is not in a position to offer some of the basic essentials, soliciting funding for the purpose of supporting a promising intern with the ability to positively impact your organization would be a dynamic proposal to funders looking to invest in innovative ways outside of programming. For other nonprofit organizations that do not offer housing or stipends, I imagine possibilities for integrating opportunities for scholarship or academic work in the culture of internship programs.

Next practices should include new ways for directly compensating the next generation of interns. But they should also contribute to the development of an organizational attitude that values the diversity those who can contribute to the field, and our tenacious spirit in making the impact we aspire to in the service of our communities.

What are your experiences with internships, as an employer or as an intern? Do you know of organizations doing things differently in their internship programs? Please share in the comments section below.

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