Co-chaired by Ella Baff, Executive Director, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival & Philip Bither, Performing Arts Curator, Walker Arts Center

Report prepared by Mindy N. Levine
October, 1998
© 1998 Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. All Rights Reserved.

Over fifty members of the presenting community from across the country including managers, producers, funders and directors of membership/service organizations gathered at Jacob's Pillow on August 8 and 9 to attend the Leadership Forum on Presenting International Work. "This forum is part of our self-determination as a field," said Ella Baff, Executive Director of Jacob's Pillow, in welcoming participants. "We can gather our collective wits--not just about what conditions for international presenting seem to be, but what we want them to be."

Even before the Forum got underway, there were clear signs that interest in international presenting is on the rise. Available meeting space and budget could not accommodate the response from the field, and the invitation list grew to maximum capacity. By the weekend's conclusion, many reflected that it had been a watershed gathering for the field. "There was a collective passion in the room," observed a seasoned presenter of international work, "that can now lay the foundation for collective action in our field." Another reflected, "People have crossed a threshold with regard to international work. They are no longer asking why do it, they are asking how to do it -- and how to do it better."

In a highly focused two-day dialogue, participants examined key concerns that relate to international presenting and how they might be addressed; developed a menu of strategies for improving and expanding efforts underway; shared information about upcoming projects; and generated a list of over 20 concrete actions that individuals volunteered to pursue. Ella Baff, Executive Director of Jacob's Pillow and Philip Bither, Performing Arts Curator of The Walker Arts Center, co-chaired the meeting; and generous co-sponsorship was provided by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the International Presenters Forum at Arts International. Cynthia Mayeda, Deputy Director for Institutional Advancement of the Brooklyn Museum, facilitated the proceedings. A healthy mix of vision and pragmatism characterized discussion throughout. Eager to bring a wider array of artistic experiences into their communities, presenters recognize that they must move beyond entrenched ways of working if they are to achieve their goals. Whatever the specific subject under discussion, five underlying themes emerged with great consistency:

reciprocity--relationships with international colleagues must be entered into with sensitivity to issues of reciprocal give-and-take; standard import/export models have limited applicability in the arena of international presenting;

cultural context--a variety of educational efforts are necessary to better ground presenters (and the communities they serve) in the cultural and historical contexts of international presentation; this can shape programming, marketing and educational efforts in ways that can build and deepen appreciation for international work;

collaboration--given the scope and expense of many international projects, collaboration is essential, from the earliest stages of research and development, to commissioning, touring, marketing, and education;

management – partnerships between presenters and managers was mentioned frequently as an effective and positive way of realizing projects in the interest of supporting artists and bringing them to a variety of communities;

advocacy--to expand the appetite for international work and generate conditions and resources for its fullest realization, presenters must widen the circle of people engaged in and passionate about this effort;

systems and structure--more centralized efforts may be necessary to address issues of international presentation.

Meeting Structure and Document Overview
The agenda for the 1998 Leadership Forum was divided into two major components. During the first day and a half of discussion, participants systematically analyzed four major impediments to presenting international work:

• access to work,
• communication,
• technical difficulties, and
• money.

(These issues were identified through a survey of participants conducted by Arts International in advance of the Forum meeting.)

For each of these areas, participants examined recent progress, current capacity gaps, and actions that might address these problems. The final half-day of the meeting consisted of a smaller focus group that further refined the findings of the larger group and identified next steps to carry the dialogue forward.

The forum generated many useful suggestions concerning ways international presentation can be cultivated and strengthened. Some are simple steps that can easily be implemented at the local level, with little infusion of additional funds; others require refinement, elaboration, and new structures of support.

Beyond the wealth of concrete ideas that emerged, something less tangible, but equally important unfolded. Participants demonstrated an extraordinary readiness to tackle the challenges of international work, regardless of the resources that may currently be on the table. One measure of this can be found in Attachment B, which enumerates numerous follow-up actions that participants volunteered to pursue. International presenting is energizing a field that, in recent years, has been embattled on many fronts. "Where do you find passion in the aftermath of the cultural wars?" queried a participant. "In the arena of international presenting." Contemplating the significance of the Pillow's Leadership Forum on Presenting International Work, another participant suggested, "This is area where the presenting community could take a leadership role that can be recognized and followed for years to come."

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