And I’ve been told that I have two minutes. Can I tell you—one of the aspects of being visionary, I think, is that you don’t follow instructions. So sit back and relax. I have something to say.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Administrators Can Be Visionaries Too
And I’ve been told that I have two minutes. Can I tell you—one of the aspects of being visionary, I think, is that you don’t follow instructions. So sit back and relax. I have something to say.
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3 comments:
This is such an important thing to remember. Often we'll forget there's even a managerial side to theater at all, especially as designers and members of the production team who are usually only concerned with the creative sides. The administrators get stuck with a lot of work and difficult decisions - even creative ones - that can and do determine the futures of their organizations. Without new feet to fill their shoes, theaters can't be run. But unfortunately, it's not only that administrators are being isolated from the creative process thats stifling theater - it's giving them a boring reputation of only doing paperwork, or worse, forgetting they exist at all. Credit must be given where credit is due, and that's valuable to remember. I think one way to do this is to teach designers, producers, and actors about the technical and management side of theater so they can gain a better appreciation of it and understand what the 'other side' is doing at any given time.
I found how the article talked that art administrators were supports and comrades to the creative teams in theatres. I think of this connection as an automatic connection. After spending the past 10 years in a small local theatre, I've seen the lines of the creative teams and art administrators blur so much. I wish the article had also talked about how arts administrators need creative skills to complete their jobs. There are a lot of things that arts administrators need to do besides paperwork. It is true that administrators/managers aren't putting work up on stage but I've experienced first hand that managing budgets, running fundraisers and running box offices needs some creativity. Things don't always work out the way they are planned and creative thinking is necessary.
I found this article particularly interesting when reading about the comparison, or differentiation rather, between titles such as "general managers, company managers, managing directors, and production managers" to "artistic administrators, line producers, and a wealth of other people with creative titles". Before reading, I had never thought about the imperative difference between the creative classification and the managerial. Even if holding a purely managerial position, there is still a key element of creativity and collaboration to be had. As theatre manager (without the explicit "creative title"), one still needs many creative skills to effectively problem solve, market, budget, and run daily functions. There is always a collaborative and creative nature to the job at hand, and it is crucial for managers to not only to see that in themselves, but also for others to see that as well.
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