As ISPA|International Society for the Performing Arts, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), Chamber Music America (CMA) and the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) celebrated their annual conferences, IAM caught up with the delegates to see why these events are essential gatherings for performing arts professionals
New York 2024 ISPA Congress: Bridging the Gap
Why did you decide to attend the congress?
I believe that active participation in the global performing arts industry is essential to truly understand its impact, and ISPA’s annual congresses provide such a crucial platform. Every year, the network brings over 500 performing arts professionals worldwide for discussions on various topics, including challenging issues, innovative changes and the current situation in different countries. I was able to attend the congress thanks to the partnership between ISPA and the Taipei Cultural Center in New York which provides Taiwanese arts professionals, including myself, the opportunity to become Fellow members for three consecutive years.
What were your highlights of the conference?
On the first day of the congress, spoken word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph was invited to speak at the Provocation Session. Addressing real-world problems, he gave a powerful speech and emphasised the importance of art and its ability to transform pain into works that touch people’s hearts. He also mentioned that while we will not be able to solve inequality, we can imagine a better future together.
Catching up with other Fellows is another highlight and my conversations with Grace Okereke, who is committed to advancing the artistic careers of black female artists, always leave me feeling motivated.
What were your key takeaways?
During my time at the congress, it became clear that we must approach the future with an open mindset, and by not setting limits, we can discover more opportunities. International exchanges play a crucial role here and enable us to learn that the positions we hold as individuals can drive significant changes.
Did anything surprise you?
This year, there was a Global Fellow, Rawand Arqawi, from Palestine, whose arrival was delayed due to war in her country. She shared why she continues to promote art in such a challenging environment, and why she believes that through art, children can experience hope and dare to dream. I was truly inspired by Rawand; in the complex social context, we can create dreams for everyone.
What are you looking forward to at next year’s event?
Having more policy discussions raised and driving the dialogues on-site and to hearing about the three years of implementation results from the pilot research programme, The Basic Income for the Arts (BIA), initiated by Culture Ireland.
Tzu-Yin Hsu – International Booking Agent / Aurora Nova
www.linkedin.com/in/tzu-yin-hsu-art-producer/
APAP|NYC 2024 Conference
Why did you decide to attend the conference?
Well, this was my 23rd APAP conference, so I suppose it’s a bit of a tradition now. The January conferences are always a wonderful way for us to reconnect with not only our presenter colleagues, but also our management and PR colleagues as well. In our world of classical music, we are a small part of the overall conference, and so we enjoy having the chance to all be together, to support one another, and this year we even coordinated an aisle in the exhibit area to be together. It’s a really nice opportunity to be able to share ideas, concerns and successes with our friends in the business!
What were the highlights of the conference?
A highlight of the conference for me is having the opportunity to be involved with the Classical Connections Committee and specifically the YPCA (Young Performers Career Advancement) programme, as both a jury member this past year as well as a speaker at the seminar on artist management. For 26 years now, the YPCA programme – designed by the APAP Classical Connections Committee – has supported young classical musicians in the formative stages of their careers. The programme consists of online professional development seminars, one-on-one coaching and the opportunity to fully participate in the APAP conference, as well as give a showcase performance at Carnegie Hall on the final evening. It was a terrific cohort of young artists this year.
What were your key takeaways?
I think the key takeaway this year was a renewed sense of positivity after a difficult last few years due to the pandemic. We found the conference extremely busy this year, with many presenters eager to have discussions about artists and projects for next season and beyond.
I felt a renewed sense of energy surrounding the planning process, and while there are still many concerns to address regarding the presentation of classical music, the energy to focus on how best to move forward was there.
Did anything surprise you?
Very little surprises me after almost two dozen conferences, but this career never gets old. Working with artists and presenters is always a new experience every day with the opportunity to learn, grow and evolve. The APAP conference is a great chance to start the new year reinvigorated and grateful for the opportunity to work in such a supportive and beautiful community of artists, colleagues and friends.
Is there anything you would have liked to see more of?
With so many showcases, affinity group meetings and seminars happening during APAP, I always wish I had time to attend more of that aspect of the conference. We are there focused on meeting with presenters and to advocate for our roster of artists, so that is where the bulk of our time at APAP is devoted. We look forward to next year as there are always new artists to chat about, new projects and new presenters to meet and get to know.
Jason Belz – Executive Vice President, Kirshbaum Associates, Inc.
kirshbaumassociates.com
Chamber Music America (CMA): The 2024 National Conference
Why did you decide to attend the conference?
There are few better conferences where one can take a pulse of how the economy and wider social currents are affecting musicians. Also, the attendees comprise one of the widest and most diverse array of artists, which has been a fundamental goal of CMA. I’m on the Board and 69% of our Board identifies as African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American (ALAANA).
What were the highlights of the conference?
Showcases introducing new artists, and the day planned by the American Composers Forum.
What were your key takeaways?
The scale and portability of chamber music – and the flexibility of chamber musicians – makes it among the most robust forms for programming, arts education and performances in a wide variety of places.
Did anything surprise you?
Perhaps not a surprise but rather an affirmation: that the “reality” of chamber music runs counter to the perception of it; chamber music is a vibrant, constantly evolving area of our field, with outstanding new entrants, young artists, leading the way. There’s perhaps more vibrancy here than in any other area of classical music… which offers a great opportunity for audience-building.
Jenny Bilfield – President & CEO of Washington Performing Arts
washingtonperformingarts.org/
Association of British Orchestras Conference
How would you describe the atmosphere at the conference?
Two words have stayed with me since attending last month’s Association of British Orchestras (ABO) Conference in Bristol: unity and joy. These sentiments interweaved the many panels and conversations on advocacy, youth in music, inclusion, collaboration, AI, EDI development and sustainability.
They were also key words at the heart of the brand and mission of the conference venue: the newly refurbished Bristol Beacon. Especially relevant having relaunched and rebranded after a change from Colston Hall, which acted as a memorial to the slave trader Edward Colston and provided an “opportunity for a fresh start and a chance to play [their] part in creating a fairer and more equal society.”
What were the highlights of the conference and how did they contribute to the overall atmosphere?
Stand-out moments of the conference that brought people together included Abigail Pogson’s (Managing Director, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music) session opening with a “Friday Cheer!” – sharing her reasons to be cheerful in our current times; Thangam Debbonaire (Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport) playing the cello for ABO delegates before an impassioned, candid interview; and the inspiring Paraorchestra and Charles Hazlewood presenting an “immersive odyssey through a drone” in the Beacon Hall. I really felt a sense of optimism for live music making in the UK and our future.
Chief Executive, Judith Webster, and the wider ABO team, curated a conference with action and advocacy at its heart: sessions were replaced with “deep dives” where delegates had to engage and participate; panel discussions were broken up with table discussions and questions; A prominent session on organisational change brought forward a provocation on how organisations and the sector can go further; led by Elise Brown, Revere Arts, which really gave a moment for pause. This was a conference focused on devising solutions – not just identifying and discussing them.
With this in mind, where do we go from here?
Of course, there are many challenges facing the arts right now, with classical music and the orchestral sector taking a particular hit. However, there was a mutual feeling from delegates of optimism and a commitment to taking on these challenges.
What were your key takeaways?
- AI is here. It is already impacting the creative industries in positive and negative ways, and we need to stop resisting it and urgently implement a legal framework to protect creators.
- Embrace and champion leisure-time music making!
- EDI isn’t a department – it needs to be threaded into every aspect of your organisation and from there should be fed, watered and nurtured.
- Give women and people of colour more grace – let them make mistakes as their white male peers often do.
- Audiences should be at the root of your brand and marketing discussions. Always.
- Call investment in the arts what it is. It is not a subsidy; it is an investment into healthcare and education.
Final thoughts?
To end, I echo Sophie Lewis, Chair of ABO, and her closing remarks: “We are at a turning point now. We have a long way to go but we are setting the agenda, instilling positive and impactful change and creating tangible steps to making everyone feel welcome.”
Olivia Brown – Managing Director, WildKat
wildkatpr.com/