Breaking Down Decision Making

Whether we are trying to figure out what to have for dinner or our strategic vision for the next 5-years, decision making can be a major source of conflict and discomfort. We all hold internalized values on how decisions should be made, but rarely do we take the time to clarify who will be part of making decisions, what their role will be, how they will make the decisions, and why any of that is the case. When we don't take the time to articulate our process, oppressive cultural norms make their way in, and resentments often build over time. Things work until they don't. But it doesn't have to be this way. In this participatory workshop, participants will gain tools and frameworks to help break down the elements of decision making for more strategic, more equitable, and more transparent processes where everyone's needs can be met. We will discuss what is gained and what is lost when making decisions horizontally and hierarchically, and how even hierarchical decision-making processes can include elements of democratic process.

Who is this workshop for?

Supportive Supervisors - Managers who want to create space for more collective leadership and greater buy-in across their teams.

Collective Collaborators - People working in non-hierarchical collaboration who want decision making to be clearer, more inclusive, and strategic.

Process Designers - Anyone leading a group from point A to Z and helping them make decisions along the way.

Location:

CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia

1315 Walnut St # 300, Philadelphia, PA 19107, US

Date and Time:

Monday, August 3rd

5:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Facilitator:

Daniel Park - Daniel Park is a queer, bi-racial, theatre and performance artist, movement facilitator, and organizer for racial and labor justice in the cultural sector. Through all of the above, his work brings people together to understand and experiment with their individual and mutual roles in bringing about the liberation of all people. Since moving to Philadelphia in 2014 Daniel has become a leader for radical thought in the local creative ecosystem and a trusted national source for guidance on the intersection between cooperatives and the arts. Daniel has self-produced multiple major works, co-founded the worker cooperative Obvious Agency (www.obvious-agency.com), created commissions for institutions such as the Barnes Foundation and Moore College of Art and Design, and taught anti-oppressive creation methodology at the University of the Arts. He was the recipient of a 2024 NTP grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts and a 2022 Art Works Grant from the Philadelphia Foundation and Forman Arts Initiative. Daniel has provided his services as a facilitator and consultant nationally with organizations such as Creatives Rebuild New York, The PA Governor’s Commission on Asian American Affairs, ArtPlace America, and many others. Daniel was also instrumental as an organizer and recruiter for Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists, a community group that brings together folks of pan-Asian descent involved in the performing arts.

Rate Description

Obvious Agency offers tickets to our workshops at a variety of price points:

Solidarity Rate - We offer five heavily discounted Solidarity Rate tickets for all of our workshops. This is a way for Obvious Agency to bridge the gap between our goal to support working artists who are systemically under-resourced, and our need to support ourselves as working artists under capitalism. 

Discount Rate - Acknowledging the reality that many arts workers cannot afford our sustain or actual cost rate, we also offer a Discount Rate. This rate is available if you bring a friend or colleague with you, or if you purchase tickets to multiple workshops. This act of solidarity allows us to not undervalue our own work, and to help us achieve our goal of having a robust community in each workshop. We ask that you only pay this rate if you are unable to afford purchasing at our sustain rate or above for one or multiple workshops.

Sustain Rate - Paying our Sustain Rate helps us cover the bare minimum expenses that come with developing and offering workshops.

Actual Cost - Our Actual Cost is the real price for a workshop ticket, and allows us to continue to build a dignified workplace, providing salaries and benefits to our hard working artist staff.

Redistribution Rate - Paying the Redistribution Rate allows us to offer Solidarity Rate tickets. The cost of a redistribution rate ticket is one actual cost ticket plus the difference between a solidarity and actual cost ticket.

Discounts

Tickets at our discount rate of $40 are available for anyone purchasing tickets to more than one workshop, or any groups of 2 or more attending a single workshop. Email Daniel at Obvious-Agency dot com to receive a discount code that you can use at check-out.

COVID Policy

Obvious Agency strives to create COVID-safer spaces in solidarity with immunocompromised and working class people. We require all participants to wear high filtration masks (KF94/KN95/N95) during our workshops, except when actively eating or drinking. For workshops longer than three hours, we also require proof of a negative COVID test from all participants. Obvious Agency will provide high filtration masks and COVID tests at all of our workshops for attendees.