Arts & Cultural Organization Management

Arts & Cultural Organization Management (ACOM) is a weeklong intensive learning experience at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University for developing arts and culture leaders that historically have not been centered in organizational leadership and development opportunities. ACOM will kick off its fifth cohort in December 2025 and convene in Cambridge, MA in May 2026.

ACOM’s rigorous curriculum is tailored each year to serve the professional goals and interests of the cohort, discovered through one-on-one conversations with upcoming participants and strategists from UBUNTU, A.R.T.’s ACOM research and evaluation partner. Prior topics covered by subject-matter experts from Harvard and beyond have included “Community Engagement + Arts,” “Workplace Wellness,” “Foundations and Grant Writing,” “Advocacy and Political Change in the Arts.”

The week also typically includes a visit to a local arts organization, meal-time conversations with ACOM alumni, and experiences at A.R.T. Each day offers a mixture of professional development and community building.

ACOM’s Alumni Network—now with over one hundred members from over forty different cultural institutions—remains connected digitally, as well as through convenings and social events like A.R.T. performances. ACOM alumni are also invited to nominate future participants each cycle.

“I’m beyond thrilled to be bringing together this extraordinary group of artists, administrators, and community builders from across Massachusetts and beyond to strengthen the Commonwealth’s arts ecosystem,” said Dayron J. Miles, A.R.T. Associate Artistic Director. “As we designed our future home in Allston, we held ACOM and programs like it at the center of our conversations about creating intentional space to center community and share the resources of Harvard.”

ACOM is supported by the Barr Foundation. It began as a pilot co-created with Harvard Business School Professors Rohit Deshpande and Henry McGee.