Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
Arts
About
This is arts and culture. Unfiltered. Unscripted.Formerly known as CI to Eye, Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt is a trove of meaningful interviews with executives, artists, and experts across industries. Together with Monica, we'll explore the way innovation, leadership, and joy drive our industry forward.
Episodes
- Sydney Symphony Orchestra on Creating a Culture of Collaboration
Arts organizations thrive when teams stop operating in parallel and begin building together. Take it from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which is wrapping its biggest season in over a decade. By creating shared goals across teams and build…
- Susan Magsamen, Co-Author of "Your Brain on Art"
Susan Magsamen has spent her career arguing that creativity and aesthetic experiences are not luxuries, but biological necessities woven into how we heal, learn, and connect. A researcher, educator, and co-author of the New York Times best…
- Jacob Jonas, Dancer, Choreographer, and Founder of Films.Dance
Jacob Jonas consistently questions who dance is for, where it belongs, and how it can be sustained. From his early days as a street performer on Venice Beach to founding his own company at just 21, his work reflects a conviction that art m…
- Giorgia Lupi, Partner at Pentagram
Giorgia Lupi has built a career at the intersection of design, storytelling, and information, treating data not as cold fact but as something deeply human. From organizing buttons in her grandmother's tailor shop in Italy to becoming a par…
- Ruth Hartt, Founder of Cindr
What's the root of the audience growth problem? Relevance. Few people understand that better than Ruth Hartt. Ruth has built a career at the intersection of performance and business innovation, moving from a 17-year career as a professiona…
- Brent Reidy, Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries at The New York Public Library
Libraries are often thought of as quiet repositories. But at their best, they are living, evolving spaces where culture is preserved, interpreted, and reimagined. Brent Reidy serves as the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Librarie…
- Derek A. Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer of the Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall
The best leaders build conditions for others to shine. Derek A. Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer of Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall, has built his leadership philosophy around this very idea. Derek brings a thoughtful, people-centered a…
- Ashley Hufford, Content Creator and Theater Influencer
The beauty of theater isn't just what happens on stage. It's the community that forms around it. And increasingly, that community is being built online. Ashley Hufford is part of a growing group of creators leading that shift. A constant p…
- Carlos Simon, GRAMMY-Nominated Composer, Curator and Activist
Music has the power to move a room. For composer Carlos Simon, that effect was first felt in church, where music was both a creative act and a shared experience. Raised in a family steeped in ministry and musical tradition, Carlos grew up…
- Sara Villagio, Chief Marketing Officer of Carnegie Hall
Sara Villagio believes some of the most important leadership lessons begin with listening. Early in her tenure at Carnegie Hall, she made a point of meeting one-on-one with colleagues across the organization, setting the tone for a leaders…
- Pamela Tatge, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob's Pillow
A long history is a gift for any cultural institution, but it also invites a constant balancing act. How do you honor tradition while continuing to evolve for the future? Pamela Tatge has spent the past decade exploring that question as Ex…
- Paul Tate dePoo III, Set and Production Designer
Before audiences fall in love with a story, they fall into a world—one shaped by the unseen artistry that turns empty space into something alive. Set and production designer Paul Tate dePoo III has built a career shaping the physical envir…
- Duke Dang, Executive Director of Works & Process
Before a performance is polished, premiered, or reviewed, it exists in a more vulnerable state. What happens when you invite audiences into that space? As Executive Director of Works & Process, Duke Dang leads an organization built around…
- Cody Renard Richard, Tony Award-Winning Producer and Stage Manager
Great theater starts by creating trusted conditions for talent and creativity to thrive. Cody Renard Richard is a Tony Award-winning producer and stage manager whose career spans Broadway, television, opera, and even Cirque du Soleil. Alon…
- Aidan Connolly, Executive Director of Irish Arts Center
Aidan Connolly knows that institutional growth isn't just a matter of square footage. It's a test of values. As Executive Director of Irish Arts Center in New York City, Aidan is leading the organization through a major expansion and trans…
- Sammi Cannold, Broadway, Film, and TV Director
Risk is usually something leaders are told to minimize. But for Sammi Cannold, it's essential to success. As an award-winning director across Broadway, film, and television, Sammi has built her career on ambitious projects—like staging Vio…
- Andrew Recinos, President and CEO of Tessitura
If you could spend a year visiting arts organizations around the world, what patterns would start to emerge—and which assumptions would fall apart? Last year, Andrew Recinos, President & CEO of Tessitura, embarked on a global listening tou…
- Best of the Season
As of May 1, 2025, CI to Eye is now Arts Unscripted. This name change reflects Capacity's broader rebrand, but the heart of the show remains the same: candid, thoughtful conversations with artists, leaders, and creative thinkers about the…
- Aly Maier Lokuta on the Intersection of Arts and Health
Aly Maier Lokuta knows that art and science aren't opposing disciplines. They're a shared language for strengthening public wellbeing. Her career has long bridged these worlds, from co-founding Rutgers' Arts and Health Research Lab to lead…
- Ming Min Hui on Luck, Leadership, and Wall Street
For Ming Min Hui, there's no single "right" path to arts leadership—only the one you build through curiosity, courage, and a willingness to evolve. Her career began far from the stage, in finance and corporate strategy on Wall Street. Toda…
- Alex Sarian on the Audacity of Relevance
For Alex Sarian, relevance isn't a buzzword. It's a mandate for the future of the arts. As President and CEO of the Werklund Centre in Calgary, he's leading the largest cultural infrastructure project in Canadian history, a transformation…
- LIVE: Deborah F. Rutter on Leading Through Disruption and Designing for Resilience
The future of arts and culture depends on leaders who can innovate, adapt, and inspire—and Deborah Rutter has been doing it at the highest levels. With five decades of experience leading premier cultural institutions across the United Stat…
- Christopher Williams on Building a More Courageous Arts Sector
It's Boot Camp week! In this special mini episode, Capacity's President Christopher Williams joins host Monica Holt to pull back the curtain on Boot Camp, the leading conference for arts and culture professionals. They dive into how this y…
- Shanta Thake on Curiosity, Collaboration, and Building the Next Chapter of Lincoln Center
Shanta Thake sees artistic curation as a practice rooted in curiosity and community connection. As the Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Shanta is helping redefine what one of the world's most sto…
- Rachel Moore on The Music Center, Community, and the Arts within Democracy
For Rachel S. Moore, the arts aren't just a mirror for society. They're a means of shaping it. As President and CEO of The Music Center in Los Angeles, she oversees one of the largest performing arts centers in North America, stewarding $3…
- Babatunde Akinboboye on Hip Hopera, Authenticity, and Letting Audiences Lead
Reimagining a centuries-old art form takes more than talent; it takes courage, curiosity, and a deep belief that tradition can evolve. Few embody that spirit like Babatunde Akinboboye. A classically trained baritone and viral "hip hopera"…
- Tom Gabbard on Cultivating Creative Cities and Building Space for Innovation
Can a performing arts center change the identity of a city? Tom Gabbard has spent more than two decades proving it can as CEO of Blumenthal Arts in Charlotte, NC. Under his leadership, Blumenthal has grown from a regional performing arts c…
- Jane Raleigh on Curatorial Vision and Bridging Tradition with Innovation
How do you bring audiences along as you expand their definition of an art form? That's the question Jane Raleigh has grappled with throughout her career. As the former Director of Dance Programming at the Kennedy Center, she spent more tha…
- Kate Lumpkin on Casting Masquerade NYC, Building Community, and Trusting Your Audience
Audiences don't just want to watch theater; they want to step inside it. Few people understand that better than casting director Kate Lumpkin. Kate has become a go-to voice in immersive performance, shaping productions that dissolve the li…
- Michael J. Bobbitt on Turning Creative Power into Political Power
Arts and culture don't thrive in isolation. They thrive when artists, institutions, and policymakers work in concert. Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council, is making that bridge his life's work, showing how gover…
- Macy Schmidt on Creative Risks, Audience-Centered Experiences, and Barbie
How do you invite new audiences into the symphony in a way that feels fresh, joyful, and unforgettable? Macy Schmidt has been asking that question with every project she takes on. As the founder of The Sinfonietta and CEO of Overture Globa…
- Erin Harkey, CEO of Americans for the Arts, on Advocacy, Resilience, and the Power of Community
Few leaders expect their first months on the job to coincide with a fight for the future of the arts in America. For Erin Harkey, that became the reality when she stepped in as CEO of Americans for the Arts earlier this year—just as the fe…
- David Jammy on Story-First Producing and the 2025 Mark Twain Prize
What turns a live event into a cultural moment people never forget? David Jammy has some answers. As Executive Producer at Done+Dusted, he's helped shape global broadcasts from the Emmys and Kennedy Center Honors to the Global Citizen Fest…
- Jen Taylor on Building AI Strategy That Serves Your Mission
AI is changing how we work. What does that mean for arts and culture? Jen Taylor, Capacity Interactive's Director of AI Strategy and Integration, shares what her research with over 100 arts leaders and administrators reveals about where th…
- Kendra Whitlock Ingram on Building Arts-Fueled Cities
What happens when a cultural district leads a city's revival? As President and CEO of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Kendra Whitlock Ingram is leading the cultural district through a new era of civic transformation—building public spaces, brea…
- Clive Chang on Innovation and the Rise of the Multi‑Hyphenate Artist
Can legacy arts institutions innovate like start-ups? Clive Chang thinks so. As President and CEO of YoungArts, he's reimagining how a 40-year-old organization can support today's multi-disciplinary artists—by questioning everything, embra…
- CI to Eye | Monica Holt On Curiosity, Leadership, and Evita
A bold new chapter. A brilliant new voice. CI's President Christopher Williams kicks off a new season of CI to Eye by welcoming Monica Holt, this season's host and Senior Advisor to Capacity Interactive. Monica reflects on her 16-year jour…
- CI to Eye | Bridging the Marketing-Development Divide
Marketing and development teams in arts and cultural organizations work toward the same goals: generating revenue, deepening relationships, and advancing the mission. But too often, they're doing that work in silos—on separate timelines, u…
- CI to Eye | Political Shifts and Cultural Stakes of 2025
Recent political developments in the U.S.—from executive orders to proposed agency closures and evolving federal funding guidelines—have placed cultural organizations at the center of a national conversation about how institutions uphold t…
- CI to Eye | What Zoos Can Teach Us About Exceptional Guest Experiences
Great experiences don't happen by accident—they're designed with intention. From the first click on a website to the moment a visitor steps through your door to engagement after they leave, every interaction shapes how people feel about an…
- CI to Eye | The Fight for Inclusion (Re-Release)
As we face growing political tensions in the U.S. and unprecedented government interference in arts and culture programming, sustaining our commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility (DEIBA) is more critical…
- CI to Eye | Words of Inspiration To Power 2025
In this episode, we revisit some of the most powerful insights from last year's guests to inspire and guide the year ahead. This isn't just a look back—it's a call to action for our industry. Listen as fourteen cultural leaders remind us w…
- CI to Eye | Purpose-Driven Leadership in Uncertain Times
The end of the year is a busy time for arts administrators, packed with holiday campaigns and fundraising deadlines. With so much happening, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. So today we're taking a moment to pause, reflect, a…
- CI to Eye | Why Audiences Aren't Coming Back and How to Fix It
In today's post-pandemic world, keeping our audiences engaged and organizations financially healthy can feel like an uphill battle. Changing audience behaviors have disrupted traditional marketing strategies, and high churn rates among fir…
- CI to Eye | BONUS: A Continuation, Not a Phase
The world is full of injustice and inequity, and most arts organizations have the best of intentions to be responsive in thoughtful and meaningful ways. But it can be challenging–boards and long-time patrons can push back on programming an…
- CI to Eye | Web Analytics 101
A solid web analytics strategy gives the insight you need to better understand your audiences, optimize your campaigns, and ultimately, drive more ticket sales or donations. But for many arts marketers, justifying a greater investment of t…
- CI to Eye | Tired of the Scraps
Governor Ron DeSantis' recent veto of over $30 million in arts and culture funding is more than just a financial blow to Florida arts organizations—it undermines the social and economic contributions our industry provides. How can we clear…
- CI to Eye | Your Social Media Reboot: Cutting-Edge Tips to Inspire Your Social Strategy
Social media is more than just a content dumping ground. It's where your organization makes its first impression on potential audiences and fosters relationships with existing fans. Press refresh on your paid and organic social strategies…
- CI to Eye | The New Generation of Arts Leaders
A new cohort of inspiring and determined individuals has moved into leadership positions at cultural organizations—and they're challenging traditional notions about what arts management should look like. In this episode, CI's VP, Managing…
- CI to Eye | Authenticity in Action
What sets successful diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and access (DEIBA) initiatives apart? It's not about checking boxes; it's about prioritizing authenticity and thoughtfulness. Some of the most impactful DEIBA work in our indust…