New Power Versus Old Power In The Arts

“It would be difficult to think of a field that is more old-power than the arts. As the former executive director of a nonprofit theater company, I know that firsthand. Many arts organizations–particularly in the performing arts–are usually headed by an artistic director, music director, or general manager who has almost total control over the artistic content that is produced, and that artistic content is then marketed to the public by the managerial staff who has little or no say on these artistic selections. Closely connected with this old-power/new-power dynamic is the way that technology has been embraced in these organizations (or not).”