Agenda
(all sessions are subject to change)
Day One - Thursday, June 5
Location: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC
1:30 PM – Performance: Black Sabbath – The Ballet
4:30 PM - *Panel Discussion: Creating Black Sabbath – The Ballet (article from The Guardian)
Location: Opera House, Circles Lounge
The production of Black Sabbath – The Ballet, spearheaded by Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Artistic Director, Carlos Acosta, was a big risk for the company, and one whose results are still playing out. (article from The Guardian describing the creation process) Selling out a full UK tour well before opening night in Birmingham in September 2023, the undertaking required intense collaboration between artists across multiple genres, and drawing in audiences from a variety of sectors. How did BRB navigate this massive challenge? Was it difficult to get the board, funders and ballet team on board for this big idea? What lessons has the BRB team learned for creating new full-length ballets that have cross-over appeal?
5:30 PM – Tour of the Kennedy Center
6:30 PM – Dinner and Networking at local restaurant
Location: TBD
Day Two – Friday, June 6
Location: The Washington Ballet, Cathedral Commons Studios (3308 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC)
8:30 AM – Breakfast and welcome
Brae Blackley and Michael Mael
Edwaard Liang, Artistic Director; Jason Palmquist, Interim Executive Director; and Jean-Marie Fernandez, Board Chair
The Washington Ballet
9:30 AM – Session 1 – Panel Discussion: Shifting Landscapes in the Arts - Managing Cultural, Social and Financial Uncertainty
A panel discussion discussing current approaches to the changing political climate and how arts organizations can best respond, including approaches to inclusion initiatives, messaging, philanthropic strategy, effect on programming choices, and managing anxiety among artists and staff in a time of uncertainty.
Panelists: Barry Hughson, Executive Director, American Ballet Theatre
Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director and CEO, Ballet Hispánico
Other Panelists TBA
11:00 AM - Session 2 - Leadership: The Key to the Future of American Ballet
David Mallette, President, Management Consultants for the Arts
Most American ballet companies are run by a trifecta of leaders, whose ability to function together seamlessly is perhaps the single biggest predictor of success for a ballet organization. David Mallette from MCA, who has advised numerous artistic and executive leaders in the ballet industry over decades, will speak to the challenges and critical importance of a balanced, functional working relationship between the Artistic Director, Executive Director and Board Chair at an American ballet company – including a reality check about what can happen when things go wrong.
12:00 PM – Lunch
1:00 PM – Moderated Breakout Discussions with Artistic Directors, Executive Directors and Board Leadership
Artistic Directors, Executive Directors and Board Leaders will have the opportunity to engage with their peers in separate spaces in moderated discussions on topics relevant to their roles.
2:30 PM – *Speed Networking with students / Break
Who Participates: Arts Administration and Dance Students from GMU; Any conference attendee that is willing to talk with aspiring arts administrators
Professional conference attendees and students will be paired for a one-hour speed networking session, where students will have the opportunity to meet and get to know 3-4 arts administrators across the session. Pre-registration is required.
3:00 PM – Moonshot Pitch Session
Who Participates: All conference attendees
In this session, 3-4 organizations will have the opportunity to “pitch” an idea to the group for feedback and ideation. The “idea” might be a production concept, a community engagement platform, a team management or engagement program, a software platform to enhance operational effiencies, a unique collaboration or partnership, an alternative revenue stream, creative use of facilities, etc. Organizations will submit their pitches ahead of time for selection. A/V support will be available if useful in making the pitch (i.e., a slide presentation, video, or audio).
This session will provide the opportunity for organizations that make a pitch to get feedback from their peers, to ask questions and ideate on unique solutions, and to find potential collaborators. The session will provide the opportunity for listening organizations to consider new ideas, offer feedback and insight to their peers, and learn about innovations being considered by their peer organizations.
4:30 PM – Conference Wrap-Up and Next Steps
A summary of topics discussed, ideas generated, and questions remaining will be presented for the group.