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Economics

In this section, theatremakers explore the economic realities of producing art and making a career in our industry. Topics explored include internship culture, economic precarity, unions, dynamic pricing, and more.

The Latest

Notes from the Field: A Frank Conversation on Pay Equity in the American Theatre
Video
Notes from the Field: A Frank Conversation on Pay Equity in the American Theatre
Join us for a livestream with ART/New York
Monday 6 May 2024
That Which We Call a Struggle: A Response to Ife Olujobi’s “$5000”
Essay
That Which We Call a Struggle: A Response to Ife Olujobi’s “$5000”
by Chris Myers
5 February 2024
Interrogating the Politics of Oppression in The Struggle
Essay
Interrogating the Politics of Oppression in The Struggle
by Eseovwe Emakunu, Dan Kpodoh
4 January 2024
scan of a vintage text
The New Antitheatrical Prejudice
Essay

The New Antitheatrical Prejudice

18 August 2020

Seth Wilson argues that the relatively low reputation of the study and pursuit of theatre is the primary way antitheatricalism manifests itself today.

an audience
Are Malawi Theatre Groups Underpricing Their Shows to Extinction?
Essay

Are Malawi Theatre Groups Underpricing Their Shows to Extinction?

10 August 2020

Isaac Mafuel shares a recent debate had amongst theatremakers in Malawi about how to best price shows, considering both that low prices are a way of coping with the circumstances of their economy and that art should claim its value.

a group watching a presentation
Inequity by Design
Essay

Inequity by Design

13 July 2020

Elsa Hiltner discusses equity issues for designers in the theatre industry and offers tips for how artists can work together to change the system.

a view of rooftops in new york city from a bedroom
A Mortal Theatre
Essay

A Mortal Theatre

28 May 2020

Caridad Svich offers some observations from this ever-evolving now, as the theatre industry contends with the manner in which it may come into its own during the COVID-19 pandemic and after.

a person controlling a theatre's light rail rope system
Rebuilding a Better Theatre Industry Post-Pandemic
Essay

Rebuilding a Better Theatre Industry Post-Pandemic

A Punch List

14 May 2020

Genevieve Beller argues that the current forced pause on society provides a rare opportunity for theatres to take stock, inventory priorities, and enact positive and lasting change, and she provides tangible steps to do so.

hand sanitizer labeled "don't touch the art"
Financial Strategies for Freelance Artists in a Time of Crisis (ASL & Captioned)
Video

Financial Strategies for Freelance Artists in a Time of Crisis (ASL & Captioned)

an #ArtistResource talk with Amy Smith

Thursday 26 March 2020
New York City

Livestreamed the #ArtistResource panel Financial Strategies for Freelance Artists in a Time of Crisis on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 26 March 2020 at 8 a.m. HST (Honolulu, UST-10) / 10 a.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-8) / 11 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 1 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 2 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

Grantmakers in the Arts Logo
Emergency Preparedness and Response: COVID-19 and the Arts Ecosystem (ASL interpreted)
Video

Emergency Preparedness and Response: COVID-19 and the Arts Ecosystem (ASL interpreted)

A Grantmakers in the Arts Webinar

Thursday 19 March 2020
United States

Grantmakers in the Arts presented the webinar Emergency Preparedness and Response: COVID-19 and the Arts Ecosystem livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 19 March 2020 at 4 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / 3 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 2 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC-6) / 1 p.m. PDT (Los Angeles, UTC-7) / 12 p.m. AKDT (Anchorage, UTC-8) / 10 a.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC-10).

Miki Braniște
The Evolving Cultural Ecosystem of Cluj
Essay

The Evolving Cultural Ecosystem of Cluj

13 February 2020

Széker Jetta sits down with Miki Braniște to talk about Cluj’s arts and culture policies, how they have changed over time, and how they have affected the city’s independent artistic scene.

actors onstage
Committing To A Season of Historically Excluded Voices
Essay

Committing To A Season of Historically Excluded Voices

A Moment of Reflection at University of Minnesota

14 November 2019

Lisa Channer, professor at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, talks about her school’s work in crafting a pledge to join the JUBILEE—a yearlong, nationwide theatre festival featuring work by traditionally excluded artists.

three seated people laughing
“But Does It Pay?”
Essay

“But Does It Pay?”

Internship Culture and Diversity in Theatre Administration

7 November 2019

Brídín Clements talks about the accessibility of educational and professional programs, like internships, in theatre administration.

14 panelists and speakers headshots.
Center for Cultural Innovation's inaugural AmbitioUS convening
Video

Center for Cultural Innovation's inaugural AmbitioUS convening

Encouraging alternative economies and a fresh social contract for artists and cultural anchors

Wednesday 23 October 2019
Oakland, California

Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) presented the inaugural AmbitioUS convening encouraging the development of burgeoning alternative economies and a fresh social contract in ways that artists and cultural anchors can achieve financial freedom. Livestreamed from Oakland, California on the commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 23 October 2019 at 8:30 a.m. PDT (Oakland, UTC -7) / 10:30 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 11:30 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 15:30 UTC +0 / 4:30 p.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 17:30 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).

a vintage show poster
Trade Show Business
Essay

Trade Show Business

Rethinking the Commoditized Theatre and the Public Space

22 October 2019

Charles M Pepiton discusses professional theatre’s commercial roots, how mission statements of non-profits today focus on social engagement, community-based development, and more.

orange swirl under black book title free fair and alive
Power of the Commons with David Bollier
Video

Power of the Commons with David Bollier

at Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts

Monday 30 September 2019
Boston, Massachusetts

HowlRound Theatre Commons and Emerson College's Engagement Lab presented The Power of the Commons with author David Bollier livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Monday 30 September at 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-5) / 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

four actors standing upstage of a seated actor with a large radio
The Living Ticket Model with Heather Cohn and Corinna Schulenburg of Flux Theatre Ensemble
Podcast

The Living Ticket Model with Heather Cohn and Corinna Schulenburg of Flux Theatre Ensemble

From the Ground Up Podcast Episode #11

18 June 2019

In this episode of the From the Ground Up Podcast, Jeffrey Mosser talks with Heather Cohn and Corinna Schulenburg of Flux Theatre Ensemble about their Living Ticket model is making transparent how much it costs to make a living wage in the theatre. This episode was recorded live at the TCG Miami 2019 Conference on Friday 7 June 2019.

quita sullivan
Creation is a Personal Thing (And So Is Your Grant) with Quita Sullivan of NEFA
Podcast

Creation is a Personal Thing (And So Is Your Grant) with Quita Sullivan of NEFA

From the Ground Up Episode #9

20 May 2019

In this episode of the From the Ground Up Podcast, Jeffrey Mosser and Quita Sullivan of New England Foundation of the Arts talk equity in the grant making process, and share some best practices for artists applying to grants.

actors on a boat onstage
Sustaining/Passion with Ova Saopeng of TeAda Productions
Podcast

Sustaining/Passion with Ova Saopeng of TeAda Productions

From the Ground Up Podcast Episode #4

25 February 2019

In this episode of the From the Ground Up Podcast, host Jeffery Mosser talks with Ova Saopeng of TeAda Productions about the importance of telling immigrant and refugee stories.

two people smiling in a small office
Putting a Value on the Work and Putting the Work in the Community with Coya Paz and Free Street Theater
Podcast

Putting a Value on the Work and Putting the Work in the Community with Coya Paz and Free Street Theater

From the Ground Up Podcast Episode #2

28 January 2019

In episode two of the From the Ground Up podcast, Coya Paz gives us the history and a peek into the future of Free Street Theater as it enters its fiftieth anniversary.

actors onstage
Economic Precarity and Resiliency in Theatre
Essay

Economic Precarity and Resiliency in Theatre

an American Psalm

29 August 2018

Playwright Caridad Svich reflects on the economic reality of working in theatre.

The Ugly Truth About Arts Institutions Led by Women of Color
Essay

The Ugly Truth About Arts Institutions Led by Women of Color

9 May 2018

Founder and executive artistic director of Dallas’s Bishop Arts Theatre Center Teresa Coleman Wash looks at the realities of running a theatre company as a woman of color.

How Can You Turn Awareness into Action?
Essay

How Can You Turn Awareness into Action?

A Roadmap Toward Economic Justice for Theatre Folk

29 June 2017

Matthew Clinton Sekellick discusses moving beyond awareness with action, advocating for theatre artists and administrators to join forces with existing social justice movements.

So, You’re Thinking About Becoming an Expat?
Essay

So, You’re Thinking About Becoming an Expat?

A Meditation on Distance and the American Theatre

11 June 2017

Expat playwright Lydia Stryk considers living and working at a distance from the US.

What Do We Really Want? Creating a Union for Actors in Romania
Essay

What Do We Really Want? Creating a Union for Actors in Romania

20 March 2017

In this installment of a new series leading up to the IETM Plenary Meeting in Bucharest, Theodor-Cristian Popescu writes about being an actor in Romania.

Theatre DIY Don’ts
Essay

Theatre DIY Don’ts

Don’t Write Checks You Can’t Cash

3 March 2017

In this final installment, Ricky Young-Howze reflects on self-producing new work in a “theatre desert,” and acknowledges the importance of learning, wisdom, and respect.

Theatre DIY Don’ts
Essay

Theatre DIY Don’ts

Don’t Forget to Take Pictures

6 February 2017

In this installment, Ricky Young-Howze discusses the importance of having archival footage of new work, which serves as a historical document.

Hashtag Fair Wage in the Offices Near the Stage; Or, Wacky Ideas for Finding More Money So We Can Pay Theatre People More
Essay

Hashtag Fair Wage in the Offices Near the Stage; Or, Wacky Ideas for Finding More Money So We Can Pay Theatre People More

16 December 2016

Rosalind Grush discusses why salaries for many arts administrators are lower than they should be, and offers some solutions.