Among those responsible for bringing these new awards, "The Operas", to life were John Allison, editor of the renowned "Opera" magazine and British businessman Harry Hyman, Managing Director of the worldwide Nexus Group. Hyman is also a knowledgeable and passionate opera fan: "Opera hides its light all too often under a bushel, so we hope our awards will help bring the genre to a wider audience." Hyman also works hard helping to support young talented artitsts and encouraging people and companies to sponsor the arts in general. In November John Allison announced in Opera Magazine that he would welcome nominations for the awards. They received more than 1.500 replies from music specialists and opera lovers from 41 countries. Short lists were drawn up in 23 categories by a jury chaired by John Allison. Members of the jury included journalists Hugh Canning, Rupert Christiansen and Andrew Clements, soprano (and Bayreuth Brünnhilde) Dame Anne Evans, intendants Peter Alward (Salzburg Easter Festival), David Gockley (San Francisco Opera), Joan Matabosch (the Liceu in Barcelona) and Guus Mostart (Reisopera Enschede) and the Director of Opera Europa, Nicholas Payne. They were joined in the final round by Kathryn Harries, Director of the National Opera Studio in London, and the writer Barry Millington.

Do US-American Opera Houses operate more efficiently than German ones? Mounir Mahmalat, who studied at the Northeastern University in Boston, USA, as well as in Dusseldorf, Germany, investigated on the basis of twelve opera houses in both countries, if German institutions might take an example on US-American performing arts organizations who are said to operate in a more entrepreneurial manner. You can read this case study exclusively in our latest issue of the Arts Management Newsletter, the bi-mohthly magazine for the global perspective on arts and business.

Furthermore we can provide inside views with two totally different interviews. Our correspondent Kira Potowski met Koh Won-seok, an art curator in Seoul, who actually work for the new Arko Art Center in the capitol of South Korea. He takes our attention to a number of smaller Asian countries with art markets, which grow along the economic boom. Nikos Tsouchlos, the artistic adviser of the most important concert hall in Greece, underlines the current situation and role of the arts in a country, which suffer massively from the continuing economic and financial crunch. But Tsouchlos describes in the interview with Sven Scherz-Schade, how new practices can flourish and the roles of sociability and sharing are being re-examined.

Sydney Theatre Companys Greening the Wharf Project is a showcase project with regard to environmental measures in a theatre.

When taking over as artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company (STC), a not-for-profit organisation, in 2008, Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton committed to plan and put into practice large-scale environmental measures for the theatre. Thus, the sustainability approach of the STC, that had comprised social and economic measures, was to be completed.

From intimate children's theatre, to abstract dance performed against a bare mountain backdrop - by way of cutting-edge immersive theatre - Made in Scotland is a programme which finds the best Scottish theatre and dance, shows it off at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and then helps it to travel the world.

The Made in Scotland programme is a neat solution to twin problems at the Fringe. It allows international bookers to find quality touring material in the sprawling event, while it gives Scottish theatre and dance companies a place to be seen. Jointly, the Federation of Scottish Theatre, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and Creative Scotland have successfully developed Made in Scotland as an annual project since 2009.

Amsterdam, March 12th. The epic opera, Aida, has been up for sale on eBay since yesterday, including all of its magnificent set pieces, stage props and hundreds of unique costumes, for a cast of 500 performers. Peter Kroone, who has produced countless large scale 360° opera productions and is the owner of Companions Opera Amsterdam, is retiring from the industry. Peter Kroone has produced a considerable number of large-scale operas around the world. A few examples include: Rotterdam (where it all started), Paris, Munich, Shanghai & Zurich. Many of these operas sold out, selling more than 1 million tickets. Peter Kroone was unable to find a successor for his productions within his own network. He is therefore offering all his unique productions for indoor arenas and stadiums for sale. "It pains me greatly to leave the industry, but productions like Aida cannot be produced in a year. Productions at this level require a 3 to 5 year commitment, which I am no longer able to give. The time has come for me to do other things in life. My successor must be an opera lover like I am, or an entertainment entrepreneur who sees this product as an opportunity to expand into new territories and markets. I have not yet found a successor, but the world out there is big and who knows.... Maybe there is someone out there like me, who wants to bring opera to a broader audience. This is why I have chosen to announce my retirement and the sale of my productions on eBay. It would be a shame if the productions disappeared."

The acoustic environment is paramount in any space that houses dramatic performance. Thornton Wilder said, the unencumbered stage encourages the truth operative in everyone. The less seen, the more heard. A new book published through the Acoustical Society of America takes an inside look at the acoustical design of 130 drama theatres from around the world.

Acoustical Design of Theatres for Drama Performance: 1985 2010, edited by Professors David T. Bradley, Erica E. Ryherd, and Michelle C. Vigeant, is a compilation of drama theatres that have been designed during this 25-year period. Top acoustical consulting firms from around the world contributed examples of their work, including images, acoustical data, and descriptions of the theatres.

For the last five years, the number has tripled of the medium-sized theaters (i.e. theaters with 500 1,000 seats each) that represent themselves as producing theater , and are operated by government or municipal agencies. Accordingly, their importance has increased as well in the Korean performing arts community.

Representative examples of the theaters are the Main Hall of the Arko Arts Theater (608 seats), the Towol Theater of the Seoul Arts Center (671 seats), the M Theater of the Sejong Center (639 seats), the Theater Yong of the National Museum of Korea (862 seats), the Chongdong Theater (400 seats), the Dongsoong Hall of the Dongsoong Art Center (450 seats), and the Yonkang Hall of the Doosan Art Center (620 seats).

The Drama and Theatre Manifesto recognizes a common sense of purpose and a shared belief in the contribution drama and theatre makes to the quality of childrens lives in school and beyond. It is a call to action to young people, parents, teachers and theatre practitioners to unify their efforts and ensure that young people have access to drama and theatre.

The Manifesto is centred on three core beliefs, any or all of which might be already be part of your work with and for children and young people. Alongside these core beliefs is a series of specific objectives, some of which we are achieving already and others that we need to work towards in order to secure the things that we believe in.

Ever since jotting down a few observations on theaters crappy business model, Chris Ashworth found himself mildly obsessed with finding a solution to the problem of funding theater.

The Society of London Theatre and the Theatrical Management Association are seeking a new joint Chief Executive. They have appointed executive search firm Odgers to assist in the appointment process.

The current Chief Executive, Richard Pulford, has announced his intention to retire from the role around the end of the year. He was appointed in 2001 in succession to Rupert Rhymes. Richard will continue to work as an arts consultant on selected projects.

The Arts Council of Great Britain and the Development of Theatre and Performance in Britain 1945-1995. Regional Spaces, National Stages: Performance beyond London 1945-2010. This symposium at the University of Reading at 17th Sept 2010 will analyse the role of performance outside London in Britain's theatrical ecology.

Theatre Management: Producing and Managing the Performing Arts delivers a broad, comprehensive, wide-angle view of theatre and performing arts management, based on the premise that all of the performing arts share the same core issues: producing or presenting artistically satisfying works in accord with their missions, finding and keeping an audience, providing for the financial and creative well-being of an organization or production, and maintaining good personnel and public relations.

Sunday 6 Friday 11 September 2009

Carberry Tower, Edinburgh, Scotland

The Theatrical Management Association (TMA) has released details for this years Effective Management walking the tightrope course, its hugely successful course for those wishing to develop their leadership and management skills.

Since 1993 the TMAs Effective Management course has offered over 250 new and established managers the opportunity to assess the very best arts management and leadership training specifically designed for those working in the performing arts. In just five days participants learn everything from: leadership skills; managing yourself and others; decision making; problem solving; team working; handling change; and influencing where you have no formal authority.

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.

We know that an event is not theatrical unless an audience is there to witness it. Indeed, the audience itself transforms what might otherwise be a moment of reality into an artistic event. We also know that a theatrical production, however small, will not happen unless there is funding to support it. Whether it is a community production in someones backyard, or a full-scale musical on a Broadway stage, funding support is always a necessity.