THE RISING TIDE SUMMIT: BUILDING BETTER WORKPLACES
fRIDAY, sEPTEMBER 19, 2025 | 10:00am-4:00pm
Steppenwolf Theatre's Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center

How do we care for our people?

Arts workers hold a lot. We make beauty out of chaos. We build experiences that move people. We connect communities. But so often the people who make it all happen are working in conditions that make it hard to thrive. Arts workers are expected to offer warmth and hospitality while managing tight budgets, navigating complex power dynamics, and making it all look effortless.

Right now, so much feels out of our control - funding is shrinking, systems are strained, and the uncertainty can feel relentless. But one thing we can control is how we care for each other. If we’re the ones holding everything together, who’s holding us? What does it mean to build an arts workplace where people can thrive, not just survive? And how can we show up for each other in ways that are sustainable, equitable, and real?

This full-day gathering invites arts workers at every level - whether you're greeting guests at the box office, drafting donor emails, managing teams, or building budgets - to reflect on the real conditions of arts work and imagine something better.

Together we’ll explore how power, identity, and invisible labor shape our workplaces. Through storytelling, training, and collective reflection, dig into questions like:

  • What can we make better, even when so much feels out of our control?

  • What strategies can we use to interrupt harm, even when we’re not “in charge”?

  • How do we build sustainable internal systems of care?

This summit is for arts administrators, front-of-house staff, managers, artistic leadership, and anyone invested in making the arts a more sustainable place to work.

BACKGROUND

In 2018, 2nd Story began a long, deliberate, and ultimately fruitful journey towards achieving pay equity and increasing arts worker care at our organization. As part of that work, we launched The Rising Tide Project. The Rising Tide Project takes a multi-pronged approach to furthering worker care across the sector, including establishing small cohorts of arts organizations to support their own internal efforts and a series of public events to share learning, cultivate community, and build momentum around pay equity and arts worker care.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The Rising Tide Summit combines storytelling, group conversations, and practical activities to explore workplace power and care. The day will kick off with a full group session and continue with a mix of interactive learning and collaborative work. We’ll end the day with full group work designed to build connection, awareness, and actionable strategies for healthier workplaces.

Lunch and snacks will be provided. Please include any dietary restrictions and access needs via the registration form.

Free parking is available in Steppenwolf’s garage. See https://www.steppenwolf.org/plan-your-visit/location-and-parking/ for more.

Please note that The Rising Tide Summit is in-person. We are not able to offer a hybrid or virtual option, and the sessions will not be recorded.

REGISTRATION

Registration fees help us to offset the cost of food, venue, and paying our facilitators.

2nd Story has created a tiered structure for registration fees in order to increase financial accessibility and transparency around what it actually costs to put together an all-day event.

  • $250 - This ticket level reflects Transparency. It covers the real cost of creating a 2nd Story experience.

  • $75 - This ticket level reflects Balance. Less than full cost, it helps us grow and continue our work.

  • $15 - This ticket level reflects Care. It’s here for ease–so everyone can be a part of the story without financial strain.

In order to make the summit accessible to as many arts workers as possible, we’ve created a tiered registration structure. Please select the level that best fits your circumstances. And if even the lowest tier feels out of reach, we’d still love to have you with us—just send us a note at info@2ndstory.com so we can make it work. Everyone is welcome.