2012 TCG National Conference - Model the Movement

Transforming a field into a movement, one new model at a time.

From June 21-23, 2012, at the 22nd TCG National Conference in Boston, we will conclude a year-long celebration of TCG’s 50th anniversary. This milestone began in Los Angeles last June, when a record 1,100 theatre-makers gathered to ignite our mutual imaginations through a simple question: “What If…?” This question launched Whatifestos, blog posts, 3,662+ tweets and countless new ideas and connections.

From what if to what next: we know that in spite of the creativity of our field, these remain challenging times. How can we build on the momentum of the Conference to breakthrough some of our most persistent challenges? How can we transform our theatre field into a movement for the digital age?

We can do it by changing the system of how we share, measure and adapt what works. By doing so, we will transform the theatre field into a movement again, one new model at a time.

Phase 1: The Conference Begins NOW (A Movement Needs a Running Start)

We’ve all seen it happen – when a conference session finally gains momentum, that’s just when it’s time to move onto the next. What if instead, we hit the ground running?

Leading up to Boston – home to some of the most innovative thinkers in the world – TCG will begin hosting a year-round conference community. Through an online platform, Conference attendees will join working groups formed around successful new models. From Teen Councils to Dynamic Pricing to the Next-Big-Thing you’ve just dreamed up, this platform will allow attendees to share resources, best practices and achieve measurable progress together.

Phase 2: The Conference in Boston (A Bunch of Hot Models in the Same Room)

Of course as theatre-makers, we know online conversation can’t replace the power of people gathered together in the same room. The Conference’s breakout sessions will now become the essential in-person catalysts of year-round collaborations.

These breakout sessions will explore working models along four TRACKS: Art, Organization, Community and Field. When a great idea catches in one session, we’ll share it with other sessions in that track. Thus, the discoveries that only an in-person Conference can provide will be more effectively captured, creating a dynamic ecosystem of ideas. These interconnected ideas will allow us to explore some of the TRAITS that support a thriving theatre field: Diversity, Interdependence and Adaptability.

Don’t worry – participation in these online working groups isn’t required. We’re just making sure the discoveries of the Conference don’t disappear, and instead build lasting communities around new models and break the same old conversations wide open.

Phase 3: The After-Conference (How To Keep a Movement Moving)

While we leave events like this buzzing with good intentions, without a framework to keep that energy going, great ideas are too often lost. The Conference’s online platform will break that pattern, empowering the working groups to continue their progress, accelerating the growth and deepening the impact of successful models.

The resident theatre movement of the past 50 years was one of shared purpose and passion, but often divided resources and action. The time has come to truly harness the tools of our digital age -- while leveraging the irreplaceable act of being together in a room -- and forever change how we share, measure and adapt what works.

Now is the time to become a movement again. Join us in Boston from June 21-23, 2012 as we celebrate our past 50 years together, and help us Model the Movement to make the theatre of our next 50 years thrive.