Read on Twitter
As the coordinator of a graduate leadership program housed within a university theatre department, I have been thinking about this tweet which has been quite popular in my TL this week. https://twitter.com/moscotweets/status/1328336994620076032
Hard to disagree with the critique of theatre, but I have less experience in other disciplines. It articulates why I have put most of my energy as an artist into running my own companies, an opportunity that really has been afforded me by a *full house* of privileges.
The vibe, speaking generally to my experience of other pro creation processes is one of immense precarity for the contract workers (ie artists) within top-down power structures for a pay-rate that doesn't break minimum wage for many. (Do the math on tech week w/ 10/12s.)
This is only sustainable if the group subjecting themselves to this arrangement believes they are really, really, lucky to be there.
And in a practical sense they are - the number of trained, talented artists, divided by the number of professional gigs is still a large number.
And in a practical sense they are - the number of trained, talented artists, divided by the number of professional gigs is still a large number.
So what does this mean about leadership as a discipline in the theatre?
It means leadership post-pandemic is about dismantling and revisioning these systems to be more equitable. This will be harder than just writing it.
It means leadership post-pandemic is about dismantling and revisioning these systems to be more equitable. This will be harder than just writing it.
The shortest path to re-opening and proving that THEATRE IS BACK addresses none of this. It takes the old ways of working that are most-familiar and gets shows up again.
Collaborative power structures often require more conversation and deliberation.
Collaborative power structures often require more conversation and deliberation.
A real organizational response to racial inequality requires internal workshops and multi-year succession planning, not simply a less-white season.
A 5-day work week that would get artists modern working standards is a slower and more expensive process about a century overdue.
A 5-day work week that would get artists modern working standards is a slower and more expensive process about a century overdue.
A childcare strategy for your contact workers who make sometimes less than their babysitters and thus are paying to be in the show - this is also more expensive.
All in a time when orgs have no box office, corporate donations are scarce, and grants about to dry up post FY2021.
All in a time when orgs have no box office, corporate donations are scarce, and grants about to dry up post FY2021.
Despite the financial hurdles, these things are examples of leadership initiatives that get us to the second half of Hannah's tweet:
"A collaborative relationship in which everyone is respected."
FIN
"A collaborative relationship in which everyone is respected."
FIN
