It’s 2011, but the theme of this year’s Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP)|NYC conference is Vision 2021.
“Don’t wait for tomorrow,” APAP implores on its web registration page. “2021 begins now.”
Specifically, the immense annual performing arts industry event, which is based Jan. 7-11 at New York’s Hilton Hotel and is expected to draw over 3,900 performing arts professionals and artists from 49 states in the U.S. and 30 countries, will look ahead to the culture of 10 years from now and its implications for attendees made up of presenters, producers, agents, managers, artists, educators, consultants, vendors, funders, donors, foreign government and cultural institution representatives, volunteer leaders and more.
“We’re looking at where the performing arts industry will be in 10 years, but to do that we will also be addressing the challenges facing the industry today," says APAP director of public affairs Leah Y. Frelinghuysen.
To further this end, APAP is inaugurating an Artist Fellows program designed to integrate artists into the core of the conference agenda.
“We want to make sure that the artist’s voice is part of the central conference conversations taking place during these five very dynamic days,” says Frelinghuysen, stressing that the inaugural artist fellows are “working artists.” The fellows will work on expanding the ways in which artists connect to each other and artist presenters in the industry.
The first artist fellows, representing a wide range of performing arts disciplines, are spoken word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Haitian singer Emeline Michel, Burnt Sugar bassist Jared Nickerson, Cambodian dancer/choreographer Prumsodun Ok, Spanish bagpiper Christina Pato, Columbian dancer/choreographer Alvaro Restrepo, Chocolate Factory Theater artistic director Brian Rogers, Uganda/Rwanda singer-songwriter Somi, choreographer/dancer Dawn Stoppiello, Brazilian jazz artist Benjamin Taubkin and percussionist Jason Treuting.
APAP 2010 will also focus on futurists and political theorists, says Frelinghuysen.
“It’s not the typical lineup,” she says. “Besides the artists and other distinguished guest speakers who are major players in the field, we’ll have outside experts as well.”
Internationally renowned political theorist Benjamin R. Barber is the opening plenary speaker, with professor and bestselling author (Reading Lolita In Tehran) Azar Nafisi the closing plenary speaker.
Another innovation this year, notes Frelinghuysen, are the pecha kucha-style “Lightning Talks" presentations/conversations sparked by the likes of futurist Garry Golden, Ruth Mackenzie of the London Cultural Olympiad, the Arup designing firm’s David Taylor and artist David Michalek.
But Frelinghuysen is particularly excited about the “Culture in Diplomacy: A New Age for Arts & Cultural Relations” event on Jan. 7, to feature Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Ann Stock along with Eugene Downes, Chief Executive of Culture Ireland at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Quebec Culture Minister Christine St.-Pierre.
“They’ll look at cultural diplomacy in the 21st Century,” says Frelinghuysen. “The State Department was really quite successful a few decades ago in introducing, implementing and fostering cultural diplomacy programs. Hillary Clinton came out with the concept of using ‘smart power’ to drive cultural diplomacy around the world, so it’s Assistant Secretary Stock's job to look at how to use the arts to drive cultural diplomacy. She’ll talk about the new initiatives and lay out the State Department agenda, and we'll live stream it so people who aren’t registered can still participate.”
Frelinghuysen adds that the Young Performers Career Advancement Program (YPCA) will return this year with program recipients, who will be showcased at Weill Recital Hall, getting a practical overview of the presenting and touring industry, along with expert instruction in the development of audience engagement skills and the chance to perform in front of a wide array of professionals from the field.
Also returning are the Under the Radar Festival, which allows participants to see fully produced examples of theater from around the world, and meet and discuss the state of the field with the many people involved in bringing this work to audiences. The annual globalFEST international music festival will be held again in conjunction with APAP as well.
Based in Washington, D.C., APAP is the national service and advocacy organization with nearly 2,000 members worldwide, dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing arts presenting field and the professionals who work within it. Members represent the nation's leading performing arts centers, municipal and university performance facilities, nonprofit performing arts centers, culturally specific organizations, foreign governments, as well as artist agencies, managers, touring companies, and national consulting practices that serve the field, and a growing roster of self-presenting artists.
The organization works to effect change through advocacy, professional development, resource sharing, and civic engagement. Its annual APAP|NYC conference is the major gathering place for emerging to established field leaders to contemplate the issues, the opportunities and the future for the performing arts industry.
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