Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tonya Lockyer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tonya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I recently authored “Artists on Creative Administration”, a book that brings together first-hand stories from 30 artists and advocates from the dance and the performing arts worlds, on how we navigate the business of getting art into the world. The book reveals creative administration in action through case studies, interviews, life tools, and experiments. The book emerged from the National Center for Choreography’s (NCCAkron) Creative Administration Research program. It’s a project that gave me the opportunity to combine my experience as an artist, writer, and arts leader—and to bring together artist-administrators I love and admire. NCCAkron’s director Christy Bolingbroke and I have known each other professionally for years. It’s a double-joy when I can collaborate and create something beautiful and meaningful with another female leader.

“Artists on Creative Administration” is also a practical workbook. I asked contributors to share tools and strategies that readers can immediately implement. Everyone involved wanted this book to be a valuable resource for anyone working in the arts or aiming to build a sustainable creative life. Author Naomi Jackson described “Artists on Creative Administration” as both “visionary and pragmatic.” And Tim Cynova has described it as “a playbook for the times.” It really is a combination of big-picture thinking and practical steps.

This project is particularly close to my heart because it focuses on dance artists—a group I wanted to celebrate for their innovative approaches to community-building, systems thinking, and collaboration. As a dance artist and the former director of Seattle’s Velocity Dance Center, I understand firsthand the impact creative administrative thinking can have on artistic and financial vitality. During my leadership, we transformed Velocity from a financially struggling studio into a nationally recognized arts hub, growing audiences by 400% and participation by 800% within just a few years. We achieved this through out-of-the-box thinking and creative collaboration. That story, and others like it, are featured in the book to inspire readers to think beyond traditional models and embrace inventive approaches.

One of the key take-aways in “Artists on Creative Administration” is the power of collaboration. Dance artists excel at this—bringing the skills we hone in the studio into our business practices. The book highlights different approaches to collaboration offering strategies that are grounded in real-world application.
Dance artists today are increasingly entrepreneurial and often radically reinventing the systems in which they operate. Many of the book’s contributors are skilled at systems thinking. Instead of just fixing problems as they come up, they focus on understanding the deeper ideas and connections that created the challenges in the first place. The essays also look at larger themes like agency, equity, transparency, family, ethics, and care.

The diversity of voices in the book—spanning rural and urban perspectives, and a range of identities—also make it a rich resource. Many of the contributors and I have known each other for years–from emerging leaders like Dance Church™ founder Kate Wallich, who I’ve mentored, to trailblazers like Raja Feather Kelly and Makini, whose work I presented early in their careers—these artist-administrators are full of bold insights into how we can rethink administration and our creative lives.

I believe that the ideas in this book are just the beginning. I’m passionate about continuing the conversation through workshops and retreats on Creative Administration including a series of in-person and virtual events being offered by NCCAkron. I want to foster spaces where artist-administrators can come together, explore these ideas more deeply, and leave with new strategies for thriving in the arts. If you’re looking to reimagine how you approach your creative work, or if you’re simply curious about the stories behind the book, “Artists on Creative Administration” is an invitation to dive in—and I look forward to sharing more through future book events, workshops, and working one-on-one with creative people and organizations.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m an artist, writer, and arts leader who finds meaning in helping other creative people manifest things that are meaningful to them in the world.

I moved to the U.S, to New York City, when I was nineteen to be an artist. Two suitcases, a few dollars, walking everywhere to save money, unsure of how I would find my way. Thirty years later, I walk down the same New York sidewalks, but I’ve had an international career as a performing artist, choreographer, curator, writer and arts leader. I found my way–following what I love.

I’ve dedicated my life to blending creativity with strategy. I’ve performed, choreographed and taught worldwide, directed an arts center; and curated hundreds of performances, exhibitions, and community events–in galleries, warehouses, on city streets, often embedded into the regular flow of life. I’ve founded a performance company, launched an arts collective, and helped revitalize spaces and organizations, all while continuing to grow as a writer and movement artist. Through these experiences, I’ve developed a 360-degree view of the arts world.

Writing has always been central to my life and work. I’ve authored essays that have been translated into French and are required reading in college courses. My first book project, “Artists on Creative Administration” was just published by University of Akron Press. Writing books and essays is a way to spark meaningful conversations. I love the way writing is an intimate conversation with a reader. The reader is co-creating the experience with you. It’s a collaboration.

Six years ago, I woke-up surrounded by paramedics. I had been in a major car accident. It sounds almost cliche, but as they were conducting tests on my brain–my memory and language centers–I realized I had taken for granted my ability to write. I left my executive position. I moved a ferry-ride from the city, to a home surrounded by towering cedars. I focused on writing.

In addition to my writing, I teach arts leadership and performance, and I consult for artists and arts organizations helping them design projects that align with their values, aims, and attract meaningful support. My clients range from emerging artists to Guggenheim Fellows, all of whom seek clarity, supportive relationships, and strategic direction. Together, we’ve secured funding from major funders like the National Endowment for the Arts and the Canada Council for the Arts.

My aim is to help clients clarify their vision, design compelling projects, and navigate the complexities of the arts landscape. Whether you’re an emerging artist, a mid-career professional, or a seasoned MacArthur “Genius”, my role is to be your thought partner but also a strategist. Because I get to know artists’ projects intimately, they often ask me to also work with them as a writer and editor.

One of my clients described our collaboration as “a reboot” saying, “Your words quite literally allowed me to believe this wild and woolly vision might be possible. You listened and offered clarity, purpose, structure, questions, humor, and perspective — all of which built the scaffolding for a definitive ‘re-boot’ and recommitment to vision and values.” This is what I strive for: to offer insight, structure, and support, so you can transform your ideas into reality.

In addition to consulting, I teach in the Arts Leadership MFA program at Seattle University, and in the performing arts departments at Cornish College of the Arts. I’m committed to helping foster the next generation of arts leaders and helping artists at every stage realize their visions and potential. And through that work, I’m also able to carve out a meaningful space for my writing and my own creative endeavors.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I really do believe the arts are critical to the health of our communities. The same way we need to protect the environment we live in, the arts are part of the health of our social and cultural environment. Artists have long created our own organizations and collectives to help create the kinds of communities we want to be a part of.

I also believe in our interconnectedness and the power of collaboration. Collaboration is intrinsic to my work whether I’m writing an essay, editing a book, creating a performance, curating a public program, or helping another artist realize their vision. Artists are not solitary and separate from society. We mobilize and alter communities and the systems we work within.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

To succeed as an artist, I had to unlearn my fear of failing. What’s that saying? ‘Failure isn’t the opposite of success, it’s a part of it.’ Dancing can be amazing because you get to experience these kinds of life lessons immediately. If you’re afraid of trying a difficult turn, or you’re afraid of performing on stage —because you’re afraid of failing—you can’t fulfill your potential. You’ll literally fall out of the turn, because you’re distracted. You’re not paying attention to the process. Fear of failure is based on a projection. You can’t prove it. You can’t prove you will fail. Instead, lean into what’s real. What you care about–that’s inside you. That’s real. What’s happening around you, right here and now. That’s real too. So be curious. Be present. Try, adjust, re-iterate, do another draft. Enjoy the process.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tonyalockyer.com
• Instagram: @tonyalockyer

Image Credits

Tonya Lockyer, photo by Quinlan Corbett
Tonya Lockyer, photo by Mariclare Hulbert
Makini; photo by Irecka Smith, courtesy of NCCAkron
Silas Riener & Rashaun Mitchell; photo by A.L. Steiner, courtesy of NCCAkron
Raja Feather Kelly and company feather theory; photo by Kate Enman, courtesy of NCCAkron.