New perspectives. New thoughts. New reality.

The world is marked by great upheavals. The world order we know no longer exists. We are no longer in a state of emergency — we are in a new reality and the question is, what impact does it have for the performing arts, its agents and audience?

At the Annual Meeting of Performing Arts, we focus on the currents, decisions and artistic directions that are shaping the future of performing arts. It will be a day of vision, debate and shared reflection — and a unique opportunity to meet across disciplines, institutions and generations. A day where we together debate the future of the performing arts with the question:

How do political and societal changes affect art and industry — and what is the response of art and industry to the world today?

‍

Programme

09:30-10:00 – Foyer: Registration and coffee.

10:10-10:15 – Foyer: Welcome.

10:15-10:45 – Foyer: Curating Assemblies: Art, Publics, and Cultural Power in a Fragile Democracy. Keynote by Johanna Tuukkanen, Director of the Center for Cultural Policy Research Cupore in Helsinki, Finland. Drawing on research on curatorial practices and festivals after the pandemic, this keynote examines how art contributes to shaping publics and spaces for democratic exchange. It argues that curating is not only cultural production, but a practice that enables participation, dialogue, and new forms of collective engagement in times of societal uncertainty. Please note that the keynote will be delivered in English.

11:00-11:45: Three Parallel Panels:

1. Lille Scene: The Blind Spots – Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion in the Performing Arts. Performers with disabilities are taking up space on Danish stages today to a far greater extent than before. What blind spots emerge in this context? Where does discomfort or hesitation arise, and what responsibility do the performing arts and its practitioners have in increasing meaningful representation of people with disabilities within its formats? Panel participants: Cath M. Borch Jensen, dancer and actor in "Vand-skabninger", and Jesper Michelsen, Director of Glad Teater. Moderator: Rie Hammer, Editor-in-Chief, ISCENE Live.
2. Mellemgulvet: Leadership in a New Reality – What Demands Does a New Social Agenda Place on Leadership? A changing agenda shaped by new political structures, crises, technological integration, and green transition is influencing every corner of society. How are the conditions for leadership changing in a time of major upheaval, and what does this mean for the arts? Panel participants: Sofie Plenge, Director of Culture and Health, Vejle Municipality and Jacob Schjødt, Theatre Director, Odense Theatre. Moderator: Rasmus Kyed Jakobsen, Head of Membership and Development, Danish Culture
3. Foyer: Follow the Money. On artistic exchange and internationalisation through trade missions in strategically important foreign policy regions. Panel participants: Geir Lindahl, International Project Manager, CPH STAGE and Camilla Juul Kjærgaard, Project Manager, Jazz Denmark. Moderator: Gitta Malling, Theatre Director, Limfjordsteatret.

12:00-12:30 – Foyer: New Perspectives, New Thinking, and a New Parliament. What place will arts and culture occupy in the political landscape? The Performing Arts Annual Meeting offers an ideal opportunity for decision-makers to engage directly with reality. Panel participants: TBA. Moderator: Jacob Schjødt, Theatre Director, Odense Theatre.

12:30-13:30 – The Quay: Lunch, coffee and cake.

13:30-14:15: Three Parallel Panels:

1. Lille Scene: Art, Power, and Reality – The Story of the Overlooked Women. What happens when art shifts its gaze towards society’s blind spots and reveals what we do not wish to see — or what has been written out of the history books? How can art reshape societal structures and collective narratives? Panel participants: Marita Dalsgaard, Artistic and Administrative Director, Leikhús SKIFT and TBA. Moderator: Rie Hammer, Editor-in-Chief, ISCENE Live.
2. Mellemgulvet: Mobilisation and Partnerships. Through mobilisation, communities, and unconventional partnerships, new formats are emerging that strengthen the arts and their connection to the wider world. Panel participants: Ulrik Birkkjær, Festival and Artistic Director, København Danser and Anne Mette Nørskov, Director, Copenhagen Contemporary Circus College. Moderator: TBA.
3. Foyer: Arts and Culture in Times of Crisis – What Role Do Arts and Culture Play in Times of Global Political Instability? How is the role of arts and culture expressed today, as the world order is changing? And how have previous periods of global political instability influenced arts and culture throughout history? Panel participants: Kasper Holten, Director, The Royal Danish Theatre and Michael Jarlner, International Commentator, Politiken. Moderator: Rasmus Kyed Jakobsen, Head of Membership and Development, Danish Culture.

14:30-15:00 – Foyer: Closing Reflections. Conversation between Rie Hammer, Rasmus Kyed Jakobsen, and Gitta Malling. Moderator: TBA.

The ticket price includes the traditional lunch on the quay, as well as coffee during the day.

Annual Meeting of Performing Arts is organised by Dansk Scenekunst, CPH STAGE and ISCENE in cooperation with the Project Support Committee for Performing Arts.