Coffee Hour Conversations

Throughout 2020, The PAC’s Coffee Hour Conversations served as a virtual gathering place for the regional artistic community to discuss the issues of the day. These conversations provided a place for us to voice our concerns and to unite during these challenging times.  New conversations are being planned for Fall 2021; dates and topics will be posted here as they become available. For now, enjoy browsing the archives here and on our YouTube channel.

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Taking Stock: Reviewing the Lessons of 2020 and Planning for a New Year

Reflecting on the experiences of a turbulent year as we turn towards 2021, this conversation focused on two key questions. What have we learned from creating and presenting performing arts during the COVID-19 pandemic? What might we do differently as we enter the new year?

Moderators:
Seth Soloway, Director, The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College
Margaret Selby, Selby Artists Management
Erwin Maas, Theatermaker, Educator, International Arts Advocate
Juan Jose Escalante, Executive Director, The José Limón Dance Foundation

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Artists and Presenters in the Virtual Classroom:
Working with Schools in the Time of COVID-19

Explore the way artists, companies, and presenters are reenvisioning their work to engage with students, teachers, and schools during COVID-19. In this conversation, we examine the role and place of arts engagement in the virtual classroom during the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic.
Moderators:
Seth Soloway, Director, The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College
Alexis Truitt, Managing Director, American Alliance for Theatre and Education
Mara McEwin, Artistic Director, Treehouse Shakers
Kimberly Olsen, Executive Director, NYC Arts in Education Roundtable
Ellie McKay, Director of Education, Children’s Theatre Company


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Building the Future Now

Imagine a future for the performing arts, built upon the challenges and innovations of the current cultural landscape. This conversation examines the lessons of the moment and envisions new forms of artistic engagement as we move deeper into the new decade.

Moderators:
Seth Soloway, The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College
Erwin Maas, Theatermaker, Educator, International Arts Advocate
Guy de Lancey, Conceptual Detective, Center Lead, Movement Laboratory for research & practice in movement technology, Barnard College
Sandy Garcia, Director of Booking, Pentacle


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The Role of the Agent in the Time of COVID-19

What are the unique challenges currently being faced by performing artists’ agents? How can we work together to facilitate the performing arts and support our agent partners while our stages are dark?

Moderators:
Seth Soloway, The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College
Margaret Selby, Selby Artists Management
Allen Moon, David Lieberman Artist’s Representatives
Simon Shaw, Shaw Entertainment Group

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Necessity is the Mother of Invention: Success in Presenting the Performing Arts Online

Moderators:
Seth Soloway, Performing Arts Center, Purchase College
Wu Han, Artistic Director of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
John Heginbotham, Artistic Director of Dance Heginbotham
Pete Malinverni, Head of Jazz Studies, Purchase College, SUNY

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Funding for the Performing Arts: Surveying the Regional Landscape in the Time of Social Distancing

Moderators:
Seth Soloway, Performing Arts Center, Purchase College  
Steve Butler,  CNY Arts 
Jen Soloway, ArtsWestchester
Haowen Wang, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation

 

Here are some of the resources that were mentioned during the conversation
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Keep the Arts Thriving:
How Can Artists, Agents, and Institutions Work Together in Revenue-Free Models During This Time of Social Distancing?

On April 17, fifty artists, presenters, and agents gathered for an informal virtual chat about the challenges and opportunities facing the performing arts industry during these complicated times. The conversation was anchored by Seth Soloway, Director of The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College; Juan José Escalante, Executive Director, The José Limón Dance Foundation; and critically acclaimed storyteller and artist David Gonzalez.

Click here to read a summary.