A growing number of arts entities – particularly ensemble-based ones – are intensely focused on project development. In some cases the entity is consumed with one project at a time, and some cases they are focused on multiple projects in various stages of development and production. In order to accomplish this, many adopt an integrated project core structure, which is an operating architecture that directs maximum resources – human, financial, time, space, technical and audience relationships – toward developing and producing the project. By design, the integrated project core is interactive and agile and expands to produce each project (play, event or series) according to what the project requires. Equally important is the capacity for the integrated project core to contract between projects when fewer resources are needed. In this way, the integrated project core keeps a low-maintenance operating profile with a high-yield producing capacity, maximizing resources for each project. In maximum producing mode, some of these entities may appear similar in size and scale to large institutions; yet at minimum core between projects they may seem to be little more than an informal group of artists.

Supremely suited to the nature of the work and, at the same time, efficient in the use of resources, many integrated project core creators/producers have been effective in addressing the challenges of limited operating funding and in creating media and audience ‘buzz’ around major production events. They are, however, dependent on a human resource network in which individuals have the opportunities they need to sustain themselves personally between project-based work.