The project required that we think through three key areas: (1) the logistics of setting up and tearing down a space for co-working to take place each day due to closure of the DCP lobbies for evening performances; (2) identifying how the program we developed would be economically feasible, while (3) maintaining integrity with TMC’s mission and value of inclusivity. 

The study process involved reporting on the following: 

• Interviews with 18 staff members in each department at TMC to identify key operational challenges and solutions based on their expertise

• Interviews with 17 stakeholders in the LA community including civic leaders, members of TMCs Leadership Cohort, and individual artists to understand the community need for co-working space and their perspectives on how TMC might fill that need 

• An analysis of 12 month’s lobby space utilization to develop a schedule of events 

• An outline of overall market conditions for 22 co-working spaces in LA including price points The development of an operating pro forma budget per three different operating concepts 

• Recommendations to maintain programmatic alignment with TMC’s mission

•  An implementation plan including methods for testing a prototype and a prospective comprehensive evaluation process

Rather than compete with the co-working market, we recommended that TMC align the program to serve artists and arts organizations above all others and to create a concept that would include artists in the design phase of the program as well.  We recommend that daily rates would be at a low price point to serve artists, and that most of the program expenses would need to be subsidized by revenue from contributed sources.

Result >> The Music Center plans to implement the prototype of the co-working program for 6 weeks to test the concept’s logistics and impact on the artists.