TCG Bulletin
November 2008, Volume 31, Issue 11
Also online this month:
FIELD LETTER
In the November Field Letter, Teresa highlights some important referendums and propositions that will be decided on November 4, reports on her trips to the LORT meeting in Minneapolis and the Theatre Bay Area’s annual meeting, and offers resources for keeping up with economic developments. In recognizing that theatres have been “experiencing a softening of attendance,” Teresa applauds the October Free Night of Theater campaign launch. In spite of the “chaos in the economy,” she reports, “What we’ve been hearing—by and large—from theatres is that they are indeed attracting new audiences, especially younger and more diverse audiences. As we continue to conduct research and survey the audiences who attend through Free Night, we are finding that a large percentage of audiences do return to buy a full price ticket. Some theatres report difficulties with no-shows, but many feel that the benefits are still plentiful enough to make this situation tolerable—and we are working on ways to minimize the problem.”
TCG NEWS
- Deadline Approaching for the 2009 TCG Observership Program
- Limited Space Still Available for Radical Shifts, the TCG Fall Forum, November 7–9 in New York!
- Snapshot Survey: Taking Your Fiscal Pulse Report Now Available Online
- Theatre Facts 2007: Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid To Ask! Audio Transcript Now Available Online
- 2009 TCG National Conference: Roots. Renaissance. Revolution. June 4–6 in Baltimore, MD
- TCG's Fourth Annual Free Night of Theater a Huge Success!
Deadline Approaching for the 2009 TCG Observership Program
The TCG Observership Program, a $2,000 geographically unrestricted travel grant, provides opportunities for key staff at TCG’s member theatres to broaden their exposure to the field and strengthen their organizations.
Action: The postmark deadline for applications is November 3. Visit the Grants section of the website for application materials and more information.
Back to TopLimited Space Still Available for Radical Shifts, the TCG Fall Forum, November 7–9 in New York!
Fall Forum 2008 will address radical shifts that are occurring in our world. How will changes in communications, politics, cultural policy, the economy and other sectors impact theatre? How can theatres “stay ahead of the curve” and be prepared to operate in an environment of constant, radical change?
- Friday’s keynote address, which will take place only three days after the 2008 Presidential Election, will be delivered by Mark Halperin, an editor-at-large and senior political analyst for Time, political analyst for ABC News and the author of The Undecided Voter’s Guide to the Next President: Who the Candidates Are, Where They Come From, and How You Can Choose.
- A discussion of current economic trends with Janet Babin, the Innovations reporter for American Public Media’s Marketplace, who reports extensively on economic trends and the arts.
- A panel discussion on the ongoing changes in cultural reporting and journalism with Leonard Jacobs, first string critic for the New York Press and author of the blog The Clyde Fitch Report; Frank Rizzo, an arts reporter for the Hartford Courant, Variety, American Theatre magazine and other periodicals; Dan Shelley, executive editor of Digital Media for WCBS-TV and WCBSTV.com; and other media thought leaders.
- A discussion of shifting demographics and the way theatres are adjusting to be more inclusive and reflective of the communities they serve with Tim Bond, producing artistic director of Syracuse Stage; Mia Katigbak, artistic director of the National Asian American Theatre Company; Peter Lobo, deputy director of the Population Division of the New York City Department of City Planning; and Paul Nicholson, executive director of Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
- NEW! A discussion of philanthropic giving in troubled economies with a panel of arts funders from the private and public sector including Jessica Chao, vice president, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; Cheryl Ikemiya, program officer for the arts, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Vicki Reiss, executive director, Shubert Foundation; Angel Ysaguirre, director of global community investing, The Boeing Company; and Robert Zukerman, theatre program director, New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).
Teams of trustees and artistic and managing leaders are strongly encouraged to attend. Attendance is limited to 150 participants, and each member theatre may bring up to 5 participants. Please forward this invitation to your trustees!
Action: There is still some limited availability for registration. Visit the Events section of the website for more information and registration materials.
Back to TopSnapshot Survey: Taking Your Fiscal Pulse Report Now Available Online
While TCG's annual Fiscal Survey provides an unparalleled in-depth look at the fiscal health of the field, many member theatres have expressed a wish for an up-to-the-minute sense of how everyone is doing. Conducted in early Fall 2008, TCG's Snapshot Survey: Taking Your Fiscal Pulse reports the vital signs of 241 TCG member theatres at the close of their most recent fiscal year.
Action: Visit the Snapshot Survey section of our website to download the report (PDF).
Back to TopTheatre Facts 2007: Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid To Ask! Audio Transcript Now Available Online
Close to 200 people participated in this Leadership Teleconference on October 2. Zannie Voss, the Fiscal Survey data analyzer and co-author of Theatre Facts, led participants through a presentation of highlights from Theatre Facts 2007 and was joined by a panel of theatre leaders to give context to the findings and discuss the fiscal realities facing theatres today.
Action: Visit the Leadership Teleconferences section of our website to listen to the audio transcript.
Back to Top2009 TCG National Conference: Roots. Renaissance. Revolution. June 4–6 in Baltimore, MD
From June 4–6, 2009, the theatre community will come together in Baltimore, MD to investigate the possibilities of our future, to share the stories of our past and to explore the complexities of our present. We stand on the verge of a generational shift as the resident theatre movement nears its fiftieth anniversary and new artistic and administrative leaders emerge. Join us and our opening keynote speaker, the groundbreaking artist John Waters, as we celebrate new perspectives while continuing to cherish the stories that have defined the movement.
TCG will also hold a pre-conference in Washington, D.C. on June 3 and 4, with a reception on June 2. Pre-conference attendees will choose between workshops on the power of participating in national policy-making through advocacy, and the art of cultural diplomacy through global theatre exchange.
Action: Visit the Conference section of the website for more information. Online registration will begin in January 2009.
Back to TopTCG's Fourth Annual Free Night of Theater a Huge Success!
Free Night of Theater 2008, TCG's national audience development program, opened in over 120 cities on Thursday, October 16. The annual Free Night program continues to be a huge success with more than 650 theatres offering 55,000 tickets to more 1,200 performances. If you missed out on participating in the 2008 program, mark your calendars now! Next year's program will open on Thursday, October 15, 2009 and the buzz is already building across the country. Start making your Free Night plans today!
Action: Contact pmatthews@tcg.org to learn more about the 2009 Free Night of Theater program, including details on how to participate.
Back to TopNext Section: Advocacy News from the Performing Arts Alliance and TCG
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