No pressure… really
By Lisa Richards Toney, President and CEO, Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)
I don’t know anyone working in the performing arts today who isn’t carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. (Correction: I don’t know anyone, full stop, who isn’t.) Particularly in the arts, whether openly or in side conversations, people are stressed. The world and all its concerns indeed feel weighty.
The “s” word
In a previous column (see link on the next page), I focused on the sustainability of arts organisations—the building blocks within their operations, their people and their bottom lines. By logical extension, sustainable organisations should be the foundation for a sustainable industry, right?
Yes and no. When we think about a sustainable industry, there’s more to it. There is connective tissue—a web of intersecting issues and interdependencies. Many of these weighty concerns are what keep arts leaders awake at night (see opening paragraph). Only by working together—generating insights and applying our collective will—can our industry truly become sustainable.
Okay, enough with the “s” word for now.
The behind-the-scenes thought leadership
The APAP|NYC Conference is perhaps best known for the commerce it supports. Our 300-booth EXPO Hall and the 1,000-plus independently produced performance showcases are the engines that keep presenters presenting and tours touring.
While commerce is central, there is much more happening behind the scenes at APAP|NYC—among colleagues and in the shadows of showcase spotlights. While these spaces may not be in the foreground, they are hardly peripheral; they are active hubs brimming with thought leadership, deep conversations, burgeoning networks and emerging opportunities that inspire tomorrow’s solutions to today’s issues.
The list is long, but our conviction remains strong.
Everything, everywhere, all at once
Because APAP members represent all performing arts disciplines and roles within North America’s presenting, booking and touring ecosystem—and beyond—APAP and the APAP|NYC Conference are uniquely positioned to hold space for this global network. We address both the industry’s collective needs, along with those weighty concerns, through a series of interconnected conversations about everything that matters.
For our upcoming conference (10–14 January 2025 in New York City), we are focusing on three main themes: Audience Evolutions; Advocating for Ourselves, our Organisations and the Field; and Shifts in (Business) Practice.
Let me give you a preview, by theme, of topics we will explore and some questions we will ponder.
Audience Evolutions
It’s been several years since we began welcoming audiences back into our spaces, and it’s clear that the pre-COVID audiences, as a whole, have not fully returned, requiring us to adapt our strategies to attract and retain new audience expectations.
How do we connect with arts consumers of different generations, who span a range of values and behaviours wider than we can comprehend?
As the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation persists, how might live arts serve as a prescription for public health?
What can the field learn about wellbeing from arts organisations dedicated to serving communities of colour?
Advocating for Ourselves, our Organisations and the Field
In the US, political changes and policy changes are inevitable, and the results of the recent election will surely have seismic effects worldwide, influencing everything across our ecosystem—from tax policy and visa processes to the global political culture in which we will operate.
Under a new government, how will American performing arts organisations revise their advocacy playbook?
How can the arts appropriately and strategically engage with elected officials?
How can artists, agents, managers and presenters navigate visa processing and refuel international exchange?
From the fallout of these divisive times here in the US and around the world, how will our APAP gathering help us make sense of it all?
Shifts in (Business) Practice
Adaptability and innovation are the by-product of change, and the last few years have accelerated its pace in the performing arts, out of necessity and, I’d argue, for the better. The next few years will require deep skills in both.
How have organisational dynamics changed and what opportunities do they present for more distributed models
of leadership?
What is immersive programming and how is it transforming traditional presenting and the way we think about audience engagement?
What does sharing risk and reward look like in a more collaborative approach to touring?
How can we retain our workforce and honour their needs for “thriveable” wages and rest?
How is the climate crisis impacting our industry and how can we adapt?
An invitation
At the largest gathering of performing arts professionals working towards a thriving and more sustainable presenting, booking and touring industry, APAP does its best to hold space for the whole. This work should not be done in isolation—the pressure on any one of us alone is unsustainable. Instead, we must deepen our sense of community. You are invited to join us, as it will take all of us, and we are stronger together.
In the June issue of International Arts Manager, Lisa Richards Toney asked, “Is the performing arts at a crossroads?” as she explored sustainability within arts organisations. Click here to read this article.
The APAP|NYC Conference takes place from 10 to 14 January 2025 in New York City. Click here to preview the schedule.
