Reflections on the IETM Meeting

In June, I (Tanja) was fortunate to attend the IETM meeting in Oulu, Finland. This was a professional gathering organised by the IETM international network for contemporary performing arts, one of the oldest and largest international cultural networks worldwide. The 3-day event (organised by IETM Secretary General and our ARC International Advisory member Ása Richardsdóttir and her team) brought together hundreds of global artists, creators, and cultural managers to connect, discuss key industry topics, and share new ideas. It was a great opportunity to meet with fellow sustainability advocates and better understand the political, social, environmental and economic impacts that are facing the sector globally. 

The three days covered many challenges that are facing the performing arts right now, including the economic imperative and social necessity of diversifying audiences, advocating for fair funding power structures, and the impact of AI and new technologies on the sector. The conference also offered the opportunity to attend performing arts programs that were held by Oulu’s European Capital of Culture year. 

I started the IETM Meeting with a thought-provoking sustainability session led by Pippa Bailey which took place on the train trip from Helsinki to Oulu, a 2-hour slow-travel workshop in a privately booked carriage. Sitting next to me was celebrated German independent architect, director, and actor Axel Tangerding, who is not only the founder and artistic director of Meta Theatre (Munich), but also designed and built his own theatre. I loved hearing about Meta Theatre’s Indo-German collaboration with Bengaluru’s Jagriti Theatre, reimagining T.S. Eliot’s classic poem through an ecological lens. Our conversations also gave me a wonderful opportunity to practice my German. 

The opening IETM panel discussion entitled, “Can I bite the hand that feeds me?” discussed power and responsibility in arts funding and explored how funding shapes dissent, freedom of expression, and ethical compromises in the cultural sector. It was fascinating to hear how funding is rarely neutral and often comes with compromise. The question of “How far will we go to fund the art we want to make?” was sensitively explored and generated lots of discussion from the audience.  

From there, I attend several more sessions, including a Culture & Climate Leadership workshop facilitated by Julie’s Bicycle, where we were asked to reflect on global climate justice, systemic barriers, and leadership ambitions. A memorable moment was meeting a theatre artist from Albania who talked about the eco-activism of the “Flamingo Revolution”, that is taking place in her own community in response to the luxury resort project backed by Jared Kushner on Albania’s protected coastline. Hearing about the eco-challenges that others are facing across the world was very meaningful as we reflected on personal and sectoral roles in addressing climate and ecological equity now and in the future. 

The highlight of the three days was the friendships that were formed in the very short time that I was there. I had the chance to meet many of the participants from the IETM Green School that I hosted last year. Our last night featured a midsummer style festival event, where I made my own flower head dress and danced until the sun came out from behind the clouds just before midnight.