Understanding contracts is vital for those who create them and those who sign. This session covers contracting basics and opens up a conversation about some best practices for contracting working artists. Producer Alison Qu facilitates, drawing from real contracting examples and experiences.
To prepare for this session, we recommend that viewers read “Intentional, Relational, Consensual: A New Framework for Performing Arts Contracts”by Rachel Penny, Nico Elliot, Kim Senklip Harvey, Owais Lightwala, Nikki Shaffeeullah, and Donna-Michelle St. Bernard.
Preregistered attendees will be in the Zoom room for the session, and the wider community is invited to join via the live stream player on this HowlRound page. Interested in joining for future Gather Round sessions? Fill out our interest form.
About Gather Round: Summer Sessions
Join HowlRound for Gather Round: Summer Sessions, a series of facilitated discussions and skill sessions topics theatremakers are eager to talk about. Each two-hour virtual session gathers a group of theatremakers from around the world to build knowledge, share perspectives and strategies, and connect with peers across the field. Discussion sessions use content from the HowlRound archive to spur conversations in which participants learn from each other’s experiences. Skill sessions offer expertise and tools to foster practical know-how.
All sessions are facilitated and/or supported HowlRound senior editor and learning programs manager Ashley Malafronte in collaboration with guest facilitators and HowlRound contributors.
About Alison Qu
Alison Yueming Qu (she/they) is a Chinese American theatre creative producer, dramaturg, director, arts manager, fundraiser, and community organizer. Alison is co-founder and executive director of CHUANG Stage, the LaunchPad Resident Theater at the Boston Center for the Arts, which produces bold, two-show seasons centering pan-Asian narratives and deep, creative community engagement. Alison previously served as associate producer at HowlRound Theatre Commons, producing national and international projects such as the Mellon Foundation National Playwright Residency Program and the International Presenting Commons, Under the Radar Symposium, and as connectivity producer at Company One Theatre, producing initiatives like the Better Future Series and Branch Out in partnership with the Boston Public Library. In Summer 2025, Alison joined Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City as a seasonal line producer, primarily producing the Summer for the City festival, Juneteenth outdoor activations, and collaborations with Shanghai International Arts Festival. Alison serves on the boards of the Boston Cultural Council (Mayor Michelle Wu’s Office of Arts and Culture) and the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA).
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