StageSource Conference June 17th!!!-Arts Activism: Where Do You Fit In?

StageSource holds a conference every other year, and builds the day around a theme. This year the board decided on the theme of arts activism last September, thinking that we would be building on the advocacy work StageSource has been doing, working on coalition building with artists and organizational members. Since then, the theme has been more prescient than anticipated.

The day is shaping up to be plenary sessions in the morning around activism, including a keynote by Tory Bullock and a session with Matt Wilson, ED of MASSCreative. Lunch will be busy, with business sessions (around marketing, fundraising, the role of designer, playwrights/directors pitch sessions, building an access initiative action plan, ethics for actors, and work/life balance for folks in the arts),  and opportunities for folks to learn about different event and initiatives.

The afternoon will have three tracks. One for artists to devise work (which will be shared later). A second for actors to train with True Story Theater. The third track will be “statement of purpose” open sessions where folks will help draft a statement of purpose around the arts community and how we intersect with our society right now. Not what we need, but what we offer, or where we fall short and could pledge to do better. The statement of purpose sessions will be the beginning of a journey we work on all summer and fall, with a town hall or some sort of convening to unveil it late fall/early winter.

As important as the day itself is the opportunity for the community to come together, network, share ideas, and get to know one another. We are stronger together, and the breadth of the community is always one of my favorite things about the conference.