Team: Surale Phillips
The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center (the Z), a restored historic theatre in New Bedford, Massachusetts, engaged WolfBrown to conduct a comprehensive Community Perception Study, selecting our team through a competitive RFP process. The study assessed how internal and external stakeholders perceive the Z’s work on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and its approach to collaborating with community partners, helping the organization identify gaps and opportunities to inform meaningful change.
Recognizing its role as a white-led organization, in the RFP, the Z publicly acknowledged its complicity in maintaining systemic racism and its commitment to becoming an anti-racist institution. It also stated its commitment to a lifetime practice of anti-racism and sought research to identify external opinion and perception of the organization as an equitable and accessible space, its current affiliations, gaps in community partnership, and barriers to attendance and engagement. The WolfBrown study provided critical insights into how the Z could live up to its potential as a space of belonging for New Bedford’s diverse communities.
Research Approach
WolfBrown consultants collaborated closely with the Z staff to refine research questions, develop a mixed-methods research plan, and implement the project with a local community partner. The research was informed by interviews and surveys of board members and staff to compare internal and external opinions. The study included:
- Quantitative Surveys: Capturing broad perspectives across community groups.
- Qualitative Interviews and Focus Groups: Gathering deep, nuanced feedback from key stakeholders throughout New Bedford.
- Triangulated Analysis: Synthesizing input from board and staff members, ticket-buyers, community leaders, and non-attendees to identify recurring themes and actionable insights.
In total, the study engaged 118 community members and established 10 metrics for measuring perceptions of the Z’s equity and accessibility across stakeholder groups.
Key Findings
The research revealed the Z was deeply cared for by the community but faced perceptions of being irrelevant to younger, racially diverse, and economically and historically marginalized residents. Feedback highlighted:
- A need for more and improved reciprocal community partnerships.
- A desire for programming that better reflects the interests of New Bedford’s diverse population.
- The importance of increasing board and staff representation from underrepresented groups.
The Z demonstrated remarkable transparency by committing to publish the WolfBrown report, embracing community feedback even when it was difficult to hear.
Impact and Next Steps
Following delivery of the research report, board and staff members met to discuss next steps in their institutional journey towards greater diversity, equity and inclusion. The findings served as a catalyst for institutional transformation. The Z expanded its Anti-Racist Task Force into the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action (IDEA) Committee, embedding equity into its planning and operations. They also launched initiatives like their “Community Time” policy and collaborative community events, signaling their dedication to change.
WolfBrown is proud to partner with organizations like the Z, who lead with vulnerability and commitment to listening, learning, and evolving in service of their communities.