Flamenco Agency attends conferences worldwide

With the performing arts at the forefront of our company, Flamenco Agency attended a series of discussions, showcases and presentations earlier this year held by the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) in New York. As well as this, we took part in the ISPA’s online conference last week which was centred on the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the industry, and worked with a selection of cultural advisors and researchers to formulate a plan for how to move forward in the current climate of the pandemic.

Those who attended the conference concluded that cultural expression is “critical to wellbeing, equity and community coherence”, and that, as a result, the sector is going to be required to “adapt and change” in order to maintain the presence of performing arts on a global scale.

It was also revealed that, internationally, only 50% of companies have resumed touring since the start of the pandemic, and that, in the United States, two thirds of artists, companies, venues and presenters are holding performances at a reduced capacity.

Similarly, this week we participated in a congress entitled The Future of Market Platforms: Edinburgh Society Fringe conducted by Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM). After a forced move towards digital-only events in 2020, and a welcomed combination of online and in-person functions in 2021, this year more than ever, artists, venues and audiences have been craving live shows, so we’re grateful that we’ve been able to resume touring around the world. As we look forward to the future, we hope that 2023 will bring a more balanced outlook on the performing arts, integrating our new reality, the world of digital technology; and what we have always been so proud to represent, live performances with presential audiences.

This comes after it was revealed that Netflix’s stock prices fell by almost 40% earlier this week after the streaming platform lost 200,000 subscribers in the first three months of the year. Rising competition and a global desire for in-person events are among the suspected reasons for the decline in stock value, suggesting that the performing arts are becoming increasingly important in the world of entertainment.

Here at Flamenco Agency, we recognise this importance, and understand a performing arts festival as a means to form close ties with others in the sector, whether they be directors, performers or members of the public, as well as a point of reference to explore trends within the performing arts. 

As well as the ISPA conference, Flamenco Agency also annually attends a series of other prestigious performing arts meetings, including APAP, China SPAF, Cinars, Classical Next, Mapas Mercado Cultural, Sibiu Performing Arts Market, Tanzmesse and WOMEX.

The agency also collaborates closely with the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres (AAPPAC) and the European Festivals Association (EFA), in order to promote the arts internationally.