Event Archives

TCG NATIONAL CONFERENCES

2009 TCG National Conference: ROOTS, RENAISSANCE, REVOLUTION
Baltimore, MD. June 4-6, 2009

It’s tempting, when facing an uncertain future, to buckle down, stay at home and focus on immediate concerns. However, this is the time to do exactly the opposite. This is the time to take advantage of our collective power. This is the time to unite, commune with friends, share our struggles and brainstorm new solutions. This is the time when the best and brightest minds come together to address pressing issues and prepare for what’s ahead.

Join us in Baltimore as we examine the ROOTS of our field – stories from our founders, their dreams, and the growth of the field into the diversity of voices we hear today.

We’ll strategize for a much-needed RENAISSANCE – especially in critical times, we have the opportunity to re-examine our priorities and create a renewal of the significance of the theatre in our communities, in the social dialogue throughout the country, and in the lives of our audience members.

We’ll look for the REVOLUTION of tomorrow – as new leaders enter the field, what will change? What are their ideas, dreams and aspirations, and what will theatre look like in the very near future? What are the new possibilities afforded by advances in technology, communication, leadership, demography, and how might the study of generational differences alter the course of our work?

Throughout the conference, we’ll take advantage of the intersection of generations to identify some of the field’s best thinking. Many breakouts will include opportunities to celebrate the successes of innovative new programs, but we will also offer sessions like “Back from the Brink,” our popular session led by theatres who have survived the threat of closure; “Budgeting through a Crisis,” a session on the stories that our budget numbers tell about our priorities, and how we hold firm to our core mission; “Downturn Development,” a session on fundraising when the economy is weak; and many more that will help theatres respond to the times.

Participants will gather daily with peers from theatres with similar sized budgets to address some of the most crucial issues of the moment. Our general sessions will include opportunities to think beyond the scope of the day to day to investigate current trends and their implications for tomorrow; to reflect on our history and to contemplate our future; and to consider new approaches to serious challenges in the field.

And, as always, we’ll offer you plenty of time to network with new colleagues, re-connect with familiar faces, and otherwise enjoy the company of theatre professionals from across the country.

Given the current turbulent national landscape, it's now more important than ever that we gather together to share our knowledge, fortify our connections and strengthen our resolve as we face an uncertain future.

In addition to the National Conference, many attendees enriched their experience by attending the TCG pre-conference in Washington, D.C. on June 3.

2008 TCG National Conference: Theatre at the Center
Denver, Colorado, from June 10-14, 2008

TCG’S 2008 National Conference, Theatre at the Center was held in conjunction with the 2008 National Performing Arts Convention: Taking Action Together. At the Denver Center Theatre Company and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, there were distinct sessions for theatre professionals. These included inspiring speeches by London-based African-Caribbean playwright, actor and director Kwame Kwei-Armah; Dr. Alexander MacDonald of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; playwright Paula Vogel and Kinney Zalesne, co-author of the book microtrends: the small forces behind tomorrow's big changes. Steven Sapp, Mildred Ruiz and other members of UNIVERSES welcomed TCG at a party at the Curious Theatre Company and many more field leaders shared their expertise and insights in breakouts and workshops.

In addition, TCG attendees joined with the rest of the performing arts field at the Colorado Convention Center in an exploration of the strength of the performing arts sector and its place in American culture. The National Performing Arts Convention worked towards building an effective national performing arts community by identifying the issues which unite us and the goals we can strive for together. TCG registrants mingled with those from Dance/USA, Chorus America, Early Music America, OPERA America and the League of American Orchestras to align resources and share ideas, strategies, and experiences in order to gather best practices, build cross-disciplinary networks and ultimately strengthen our individual disciplines. Using the highly effective AmericaSpeaks methods and tools for public deliberation and dialogue, the week-long convention culminated in our participants voting on the priorities and best strategies to establish a strong and vital nonprofit performing arts sector with an important place in the lives of Americans.

2007 TCG National Conference: Artisitry in a New Century

Minneapolis, MN, June 7-9, 2007

The 2007 TCG National Conference, Artistry in a New Century, hosted by the Twin Cities theatre community, was held in the new Guthrie Theater facilities from June 7-9, 2007 with a pre-conference day at Penumbra Theatre on June 6th. A new world, a new country, a new audience, new art - the 2007 TCG National Conference turned its attention to creating theatre for today and tomorrow with Artistry in a New Century. The conference engaged master artists and creative thinkers in the quest to craft theatre that resonates in our communities - locally, nationally and globally. The two and a half days of the conference investigated the creative process, new models of developing work and the artist as a catalyst for social change.

2006 TCG National Conference: Building Future Audience

Atlanta, GA, June 8-10, 2006

The 16th TCG National Conference, Building Future Audience, was hosted by the Atlanta theatre community at the Woodruff Arts Center, home of the Alliance Theatre, from June 8-10, 2006. The conference began with Blue Ocean Strategy, a strategic planning pre-conference workshop led by Ralph Trombetta. The conference built on previous conversations about the widening polarization in American society and turned more specifically to issues of social organizing and connection.

TCG National Conference 2005: Creating the Future: Theatre in a Polarized World

Seattle, Washington, June 16-18, 2005

The 15th TCG National Conference, the only nationwide gathering of the not-for-profit professional theatre community, was held in Seattle, Washington, from June 16-18, 2005, jointly hosted by ACT Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Children's Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre. It focused on "Creating the Future: Theatre in a Polarized World."

TCG's 14th Biennial National Conference: Courage, Creativity and Change

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 11-14, 2003

Over 600 theatre professionals-artistic and management leaders, trustees, artists and others-from across the country and around the world, gathered in Milwaukee from June 11-14, 2003 to explore Courage, Creativity and Change. Visit the conference site for a list of participants, transcripts of plenary speeches and more.

FALL FORUMS

Opportunity Knocks: Proactive Leadership in a "Wait and See" World
2009 TCG Fall Forum on Governance

November 7-9, 2008
New York, NY

As we approach 2010, the affairs of our nation – the economy, politics, our international relationships – are still uncertain enough that it’s easy to hesitate, to wait and see what will happen next. But if we’ve learned anything through the last year of economic instability and change, it’s that we – as a national field and as theatres and in our own communities – must take advantage of this opportunity to identify and build upon our strengths, to examine practices that are not working, and to take bold risks that just might earn theatre a stronger position going into the future.