Keynote Speaker : Keng-Hsiu Hsu (Taiwan)
Director of the Third Department, Council for Cultural Affairs ( changed into Ministry of Culture in May 2012 )
Abstract
Planning and facilitating for cultural arts infrastructure has always been one of the major policy of the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA). Since 1978, cultural infrastructure was incorporated into the nation’s 12 Major Infrastructure Projects. It is aimed for establishing within each city a cultural center, equipped with library, museum and concert hall. CCA has since devoted itself to the organization and construction of the cultural centers, in hope of entering into a New Era of cultural activities in Taiwan. In order to balance urban and rural culture development, setting up fundamental culture infrastructure, CCA has supported city and county governments to reinforce the facilities of the local performing arts venues. Among those newly established cultural infrastructure are the Changhua County Yuanlin Performance Hall, Museum of Traditional Nan Bei Music and Theater, Chiayi Performing Arts Center, Taichung Tun District Art Center, and Taoyuan County Performing Arts Center.
In 2003, under Executive Yuan’s Ten New Major Construction Projects, CCA has initiated the “International Performing Arts and Popular Music Center Projects” to meet the needs of international performing arts groups as well as to facilitate world-class venues in Taiwan. Numerous performing arts venues are either under planning or under construction throughout Taiwan, such as Taipei New Theater, Taipei Pop Music Center, Taichung Metropolitan Opera House, Wei-Wu Ying Center for the Arts and Maritime Cultural & Popular Music Center, etc.
Moreover, CCA has also launched in 2011 the “Municipal Cultural Center Revival Project” to facilitate the reinforcement of facility and the operation of cultural center in each city/county. It is hoped to expand touring opportunities for the nation’s performing arts groups, to encourage arts appreciation and to cultivate a mature cultural arts environment. CCA has undertaken its first nation-wide evaluation on the operation of 22 performing arts venues of the municipal cultural centers and hopes to improve the condition of the facility and any poor efficiency.
Keynote Speech II : Management and Skills in the 21st Century Theatre
Keynote Speaker: David Fishel (Australia)Director, Positive Solutions
Abstract
David Fishel has been advising on the management and governance of performing arts venues and cultural precincts for over twenty years, primarily in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. In this presentation he provides an overview of the projects he has been involved with, and reviews the contexts within which theatres and performing arts centres operate. He relates the expectations placed upon theatre venues to the organisational structures which are adopted. He comments on the skills needs which are required to operate theatre venues successfully – and the possible implications for Taiwan.
In the second part of the presentation David Fishel provides illustrations of management and creative training in several countries, illustrating how this has evolved. He suggests approaches to developing appropriate training and professional development to meet the needs of Taiwan’s growing theatre sector, and considers how changes in the creative, funding and commercial environments will make new demands and provide new opportunities for tomorrow’s theatre leaders.
Keynote Speech III : From Regional Theater to National Center : Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater
Keynote Speaker: David Dower (USA)
Associate Artistic Director, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater
When Arena Stage opened the doors of its new home in October 2010, the $135 million dollar Mead Center for American Theater, it was immediately evident to the public and the international press that the company had undergone a complete metamorphosis. One of the original American regional theaters, so influential in the development of the resident theater movement in the US, had emerged from the construction dust as a "national center for the production, presentation, development, and study of American work".
From the time of his arrival at Arena Stage in October of 2006, Associate Artistic Director David Dower worked with Artistic Director Molly Smith, a series of Managing and Executive Directors, senior Arena staff, and local and national funders to re-imagine the 60-year-old company in the era of the Mead Center. Throughout the three-year period leading up to the opening, as architectural designs and construction schedules were created and executed, Arena's leadership overhauled the artistic and operational aspects of the company to arrive at the official opening as a completely "re-staged" organization.
Mr. Dower approached the challenges of the organizational makeover as a design challenge, integrating the ideas of the Artistic Director, the theater's founder Zelda Fichandler, and the architect, Bing Thom to design an artistic program that fits the new building like a expertly-tailored suit. Mr. Dower's keynote address, "From Regional Theater to National Center: Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater", will trace the decisions, challenges, surprises, and accomplishments along the path of this conversion.
Keynote Speech IV : Creating Cultural Champions ---A Project for a Creative Future
John Faulkner (UK)
International Cultural Consultant
Throughout the world, societies aiming to embed culture at the centre of national life are building performance venues, arts centres, museums and galleries.
They are also seeking to promote participation in the arts and culture by as many people as possible, at a community level, and to maintain the highest standards of performance, presentation, governance and accountability.
Constructing buildings is easy. Ensuring that their programmes and their reach into their local communities and their relationship with national and international culture is complex and demanding.
The task of identifying, selecting and fostering talented individuals with the potential to energise great cultural buildings and inspire their fellow citizens is challenging but essential to ensure that investment in buildings returns as a universal cultural benefit.
