Coffee Klatch

“Coffee Klatch" (/ˈkaf-fee-klach/) offers an opportunity to engage in an intimate and informal discussion. Discussion topics will be submitted by delegates, and conversations will be all delegate-led! What’s on your mind?

Sign ups for Coffee Klatch tables are now open!

  Thursday, January 15, 2026

  Tea and coffee provided!

Coffee Klatch is for the CONGRESS DELEGATES ONLY. Please register before you sign-up!

Coffee Klatch Topic Listing

Coffee Klatch Table 1 | AI, the Arts, and the Role of the Artist
Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasing role in the performing arts, offering new creative possibilities while challenging notions of authorship and originality. As generative AI produces text, sound, and visuals for performance, it raises questions about value of human creativity and the ethics of using artists' works to train these systems.
Host: TBA

Coffee Klatch Table 2 | Engaging the Next Generation
What kinds of experiences most effectively engage younger audiences? Are traditional performances still exciting to the next generation, or are they drawn to more interactive, tactile, and hands-on forms of participation? How can we not only meet their changing expectations but also inspire lasting engagement with the performing arts?
Host: Ted Ohl, Schuler Shook

Coffee Klatch Table 3 | What is Immersive?
How can we break the traditional barrier between performers and audiences and invite spectators to become active participants in the artistic experience? This discussion explores the principles and possibilities of immersive theater and its reimagining of audience engagement.
Hosts: Steven Ellis & Miguel Hadelich, L-Acoustics

Coffee Klatch Table 4 | Grassroots Organizations in the Global Arts Sector
Grassroots performing arts organizations and artist-led initiatives play important roles in the global arts sector. Operating with limited resources and often outside established institutions, they demonstrate resilience, imagination, and innovation in how the arts respond to social, political, and ecological realities. This roundtable explores the contributions and insights of these often-overlooked voices.
Hosts: Emma Castro Møller, Warehouse9 & Reece McMahon, Chisenhale Dance Space

Coffee Klatch Table 5 | Stay hopeful! Retaining EDI
During the previous decades, positive progress in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) has begun to take root across arts and culture. While much work remains, political narratives are now challenging this progress. This discussion provides an opportunity to express solidarity and to recenter the importance of EDI in creating a better world for all artists and audiences.
Host: Jonathan Harper, Paraorchestra, Chief Executive Officer

Coffee Klatch Table 6 | Global Networks for Independent Producers
Hosted by a member of the Asian Producers' Platform (APP), this discussion brings independent producers together to exchange knowledge, discuss networking platforms, and share resources.
Host: Yinru Lo, Asian Producer’s Platform

Coffee Klatch Table 7 | Building Resilience - A Discussion about Facilities
For many performing arts organizations, the building is both their most valuable asset and their greatest cost—serving as a calling card for their brand yet sometimes limiting their programming. How can facilities help organizations remain resilient amid global change—environmentally, organizationally, and programmatically—without compromising their values or bottom lines?
Host: Byron Harrison, Charcoalblue, Partner & Managing Director, Acoustics

Coffee Klatch Table 8 | Sustaining Pathways for International Collaboration
As governments around the world adopt increasingly isolationist policies, many artists feel a heightened urgency to bring people together across borders and cultural communities. How can performing arts leaders support artists in work that counters polarization and sustains international unity?
Hosts: Anthony Sargent CBE, International Artistic Advisor & Ella Baff, Consultant for Arts and Culture

Coffee Klatch Table 9 | From Conversation to Action in the Arts
In an era of shrinking cross-border exchange, eroding public support, and shrinking independent media, how can we build alternative networks for productions, publicity, and fundraising/sponsorship? This session will discuss practical strategies and brainstorm action plans, including ways to find and support at-risk or dissident work when traditional systems fall away.
Hosts: Fizza Hasan, Theatre Wallay & Cathy Barbash, Barbash Arts Foundation

Coffee Klatch Table 10 | Spotlight on Street Arts
Street arts turn public space into a living stage, inviting diverse audiences into experiences they might never find in ticketed venues. Despite a long history of fueling civic imagination and social movements, street arts remain under-supported, even as parades, carnivals, and block parties already offer low-barrier cultural engagement. How can we connect these threads and meaningfully grow street arts and public life?
Host: Sonia Kozlova Clark, Unicycle Productions, on behalf of Street Arts Nexus

Coffee Klatch Table 11 | The Art of Care
The idea that art and care are profoundly linked has long been recognized. Art/creativity can foster empathy, stronger systems, and more just outcomes. Join The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics for a conversation that brings participants together to engage, reflect, and share about the role of care in creative exchange.
Hosts: Ersian Francois and Raghad Makhlouf, The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics (Georgetown University)

Coffee Klatch Table 12 | Building International Bridges with China
As China’s cultural landscape continues to evolve, the dynamics of international collaboration are shifting in ways that present both possibilities and challenges. This discussion explores how artists and organizations can build meaningful, reciprocal relationships with partners in China, navigate cultural and political differences, and support genuine cross-cultural exchange.
Host: Carla Canales, The Canales Project

Coffee Klatch Table 13 | Getting to Know Singapore
As ISPA prepares for its 2026 mid-year Congress in Singapore, join us at this discussion table to explore and learn about the region. Engage with peers, share insights, and gain a deeper understanding of the cultural landscape, performing arts practices, and opportunities for collaboration across the ASEAN region.
Host: TBA

Coffee Klatch Table 14 | Getting to Know Uppsala
As ISPA looks ahead to its 2027 mid-year Congress in Uppsala, Sweden, join us at this discussion table to explore and learn about the region. Connect with fellow attendees, discuss Sweden’s rich performing arts landscape, and gain insights into the region's cultural, artistic, and collaborative opportunities.
Hosts: Henrik Lillsjö (Uppsala Konsert & Kongress AB/2027 ISPA Midyear Congress Host)

Coffee Klatch Table 15 | Open Discussion
Take this opportunity to raise an issue or opportunity that you’ve been thinking about. A non-facilitated opportunity and open to all!
Host: You!