Learning, Sharing and Connecting with AAPPAC Let’s Talk!

In July 2020, the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres (AAPPAC) launched AAPPAC Let’s Talk! – a series of virtual conversations to discuss key topics surrounding COVID-19 and how it has impacted arts organisations within Asia-Pacific and beyond. The series explored the many shifts in resources, business models, mindsets and strategies that were made in response to the pandemic.

Together with selected member centres and partners, AAPPAC hosted four fully subscribed sessions from July 2020 to October 2020:

Session 1 on 9 Jul 2020
COVID-19: Impact & Responses of Performing Arts Centres 

• Moderated by Douglas Gautier AM, AAPPAC Chairman, CEO & Artistic Director of Adelaide Festival Centre
• Speakers:
  • Austin Wang, Director of Taipei Performing Arts Center
  • Steve Song Sungwan, Director of Music, Seoul Arts Center
  • Robbie Macrae, Director of Auckland Live & Auckland Conventions

Session 2 on 7 Aug 2020, in collaboration with Adelaide Festival Centre
What is the Role of the Arts Centre and/or Cultural Institution in Helping Work Our Way to Social and Economic Recovery?

• Moderated by Yvonne Tham, CEO of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
• Speakers:
  • Douglas Gautier AM, AAPPAC Chairman, CEO & Artistic Director of Adelaide Festival Centre
  • Ken Hayashi, Deputy of General Manager of Aichi Arts Center
  • Dongjin Yoon, Managing Director of The Bridge Company
  • Chris Millado, Artistic Director of Cultural Centre of the Philippines

Session 3 on 11 Sep 2020, in collaboration with West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
How are Institutions Adapting their Business Models to Address an Evolving New Normal?

• Moderated by Duncan Pescod, then CEO of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
• Speakers:
  • Claire Spencer, CEO of Arts Centre Melbourne
  • Kim Chul-ho, CEO of National Theater of Korea
  • Alice Feldman, Development Manager of Music Works International, Creative Director of Pangea – Jetlag Festival
  • Lasit Isarangkura, Director of the Office of Performing Arts, Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture of Thailand
  • Vilma Jurkute, Director of Alserkal Avenue

Session 4 on 30 Oct 2020, in collaboration with Federation for Asian Cultural Promotion
Beyond Borders – The Future of International Collaborations and Touring in the Performing Arts

• Moderated by Liz Hawkins, Director of Programming, Development & Venue Sales, Adelaide Festival Centre
• Speakers:
  • Barbara Scales, Founder & President of Latitude 45 Arts
  • Amy Sakai, Director of International Affairs, New National Tokyo
  • Liao Haoqing, Manager of Programming Department, Shenzhen Concert Hall
  • Joyce Chiou, General & Artistic Director, National Taichung Theater
  • Margaret Yang, CEO of Hong Kong Sinfonietta

The four sessions provided a meaningful platform for sharing and learning to continue to take place amongst members despite the cancellation of the annual AAPPAC conference this year. We welcomed guest speakers and moderators from 15 AAPPAC member organisations who generously shared stories about their struggles, failures, as well as successes in dealing with COVID-19 within their respective countries and centres. The individual presentations and sharing of the eminent speakers sparked off many interesting discussions throughout the Let’s Talk! sessions and provided useful insight for the participants and members, many of whom are still struggling to cope with the impact of COVID-19.

As much as none of us professed to have found all the right answers to deal with the unprecedented challenges, the sense of solidarity was important to remind us of our commonalities and need to reinforce regional and international connections as we focus on the local communities.

Interestingly, the virtual nature of the series presented also an opportunity for new voices and partners to be brought into the conversations, creating a valuable and open space for learning and collaborations beyond the AAPPAC network. We had the privilege of having guest speakers from Hong Kong Sinfonietta, National Theater of Korea, Alserkal Avenue (Dubai) and Ministry of Culture of Thailand to add their business, artist and government perspectives to the discussion, allowing us to relook at the impact of the pandemic on the performing arts industry from a different lens.

1st Session of AAPPAC Let’s Talk in July 2020

Before we welcome the new year and start planning ahead for more exciting online programmes in 2021, the Secretariat would like to express our utmost gratitude to all the member centres, panel speakers and moderators who had given their time to the Let’s Talk! sessions in 2020, particularly AFC, WKCDA and FACP who co-hosted these sessions with us. We hope that the series has helped to foster a much-needed solidarity within the membership as we continue to support each other in these shared experiences and find more ways to rise beyond the challenges of the pandemic.

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If you missed the AAPPAC Let’s Talk! series in 2020, click here to watch the recorded sessions:
AAPPAC Let’s Talk! – A Series of Virtual Conversations Recordings