From the Executive Director

Conference Calling

By Teresa Eyring

When TCG's staff and conference committee set out to plan the 2009 National Conference, we were still living in the "pre" era—pre-Fannie/Freddie, pre-Lehman Brothers, pre-nosedive of the economy, pre-bailout, pre-election of our first African-American President, pre-economic recovery stimulus debate in Congress. Anticipating the generational shifts that are underway in our field, for both practitioners and audiences, we landed on this multifarious topic: What is the interconnection between emerging generations of theatre practitioners and those more established in the field? How will theatre leaders, artists, trustees and funders—whether emerging, mid-career or veteran-collaborate in defining the new landscape? And who will be the audience for our work?

As we move closer to the conference dates in June, we find ourselves smack in the middle of an historic crisis that could lead to the granddaddy of seismic shifts in the ways theatre is made, sold, appreciated and defined. The economic meltdown's immediate impacts and unknowns are occupying a large swath of the theatre community's grey matter, as many wrestle with how to stay alive financially without dying programmatically. The idea that we need new models has gone from being an academic question for some to being a matter of life or death for many. There is a hunger and enthusiasm to hear about how others are faring—how they are going about making tough decisions, and which philosophical approaches and values they're bringing to bear on those decisions.

Budgets and generalized uncertainty might seem reason enough to plan for the conference version of a "staycation" this year—but this may, to the contrary, be the critical moment to venture out and be with other theatre professionals from across the nation for a few days of camaraderie and collective thinking. TCG conferences have always been a hotbed for the kind of community-building and mind expansion that is so crucial in times such as these—crucial for leaders, for artists, for trustees. It's a chance to think beyond the rigors of the day, to learn from colleagues, advise colleagues, have a crab-cake with colleagues (we'll be in Baltimore, hon), have a laugh with colleagues (a virtual certainty, as Baltimore's own John Waters will be on hand to welcome us on day one). Operative phrase: "with colleagues."

The conference program this year is especially rich and urgent. It recognizes that while the direction of the economy will define a new reality for our field, we will also continue to be shaped by our engagement with technology, new media and the growing diversity of our nation—as well as the ingenuity of those minds participating in the making and consuming of the art form now and in years to come. The models that are being rethought and reinvented today are the ones that will be carried on by the next generation of practitioners, audiences, trustees and supporters.

Throughout the conference, we'll take advantage of the intersection of generations to identify some of the best thinking of the field. Our main speakers will help us to think beyond the immediate moment to investigate developing trends and their implications for tomorrow. John Waters continues to be a ground-breaking, loveable and irreverant artist whose work has spoken across generations. Nadira Hira is a writer for Fortune magazine, a gen-Y-er and an expert on intergenerational perspectives. Andrew Zolli is a futurist who analyzes critical trends at the intersection of culture, technology and global society. SITI Company's Anne Bogart draws from her upcoming book Conversations with Anne to investigate the experiences and current "viewpoints" of some of today's most influential artists.

Smaller sessions will provide opportunities to celebrate the successes of innovative thinking while also investigating the challenges of the current social and economic environment. In a special session, emerging leaders will work with established practitioners to recommend bold new models for existing institutions. A pre-conference day in the extraordinary theatre town of Washington, D.C., will focus on advocacy and cultural exchange.

The economy has put us all more or less in the proverbial same boat alongside our trustees and funders, who are also wrestling with how to make their businesses and communities emerge stronger in the long run. More than ever, we need their voices at the conference table as well.

Jeremy Nowak, in his inspiring remarks at the recent Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference, advised arts leaders "to manage cautiously, but think ambitiously. None of us can afford to define our institutional soul only through the logic of scarcity and preservation," he noted.

The truth is, it can be extremely difficult to think ambitiously while sitting in front of a cash-flow model that is going rapidly negative. But I'm excited about this year's convening because it gives us the opportunity to do two essential things at once: help each other through the current crisis, while keeping our eyes on our collective future. 

So what do you call a conference with these themes and at this moment? Well—"Roots, Renaissance, Revolution: Defining the New Landscape," of course. Or, in the words of TCG board member Jennifer Nelson, "It's Not Your Mamma's Conference." Early bird deadline: April 7.

The 2009 TCG National Conference is about now, about this moment in time, but it is also about the future. For many it will be a moment of truth. You will want to be there.