So, I keep coming across this word. “compulsory,” in connection to arts education. Many of our major institutional funders (including, these days, government funders) look askance at funding youth arts engagement that is “compulsory” rather than “self-selected.” Many audience members and supporters, upon finding out that we at Epic have major arts education programs, ask … [Read more...] about In Defense of “Compulsory” Arts Education
A Strategic Approach to Raising Artist Value
Producorial Responsibility #3: Relevance (Contributing to the National Conversation)
A door is standing open for us. So often in the American theatre, especially in the last four years, all we hear about, all we feel, is every door is closing. Foundation assets shrinking, donor pocketbooks tightening, earned income competition growing from angles we can’t control or sometimes even understand, audiences aging. It’s easy to believe that we are … [Read more...] about Producorial Responsibility #3: Relevance (Contributing to the National Conversation)
Producorial Responsibility #2: An Emphasis on Arts Education
Having made significant steps toward ensuring artist diversity, and so at least opening the door to audience diversity, the producer’s next responsibility is to make an investment in arts education. Let me make no bones about it: the stigma that still clings to this part of our field among so-called “serious” producers is wrong-headed and self-destructive. I personally cannot … [Read more...] about Producorial Responsibility #2: An Emphasis on Arts Education
You Need to Read This If You Are Interested in the Future of the American Theatre
Seriously. In 2000, Jaan Whitehead, a seminal figure in the revolution that led to the regional theatre movement - which brought art back to communities, back from a purely commercial enterprise, back to its roots as a place artists could matter in America - published an article in American Theatre magazine called "To Have and To Have Not." I have referenced it here many … [Read more...] about You Need to Read This If You Are Interested in the Future of the American Theatre
Producorial Responsibility: Artist and Audience Diversity
While artist diversity is arguably not the KEY to building audience diversity, I think it’s fair to say it’s highly unlikely for a producing organization to sustain the latter without the former. It’s the nature of the relationship, right? We like to see ourselves represented on stage, and meaningful or not, consciously or not, many people define their selves at least … [Read more...] about Producorial Responsibility: Artist and Audience Diversity