The main difference in touring domestically and internationally can be summed up in one phrase – cultural sensitivity. Though the United States is very spacious geographically and does have cultural differences, we can count on a degree of "American" culture being present when conducting business domestically.
However, considering cultural differences when on the road abroad is of utmost importance. Though organizations tour abroad as a means of sharing part of its own culture, that attitude should not extend beyond the actual artistic product. The tour manager should keep such basic considerations in mind such as: exchange rates, the effect of politics on presenting organizations, differences in booking procedures, and different modes of communication that may happen to be the norm.
In addition, it is probably (more likely definitely) important to consider the day-to-day culture and operations of the place that a company is considering touring, in order to keep the tour running smoothly, as well as to avoid bad sentiment from locals. For example, in a country where people are generally more laid back, such as Italy, it may take a fair amount of time to get a large group through customs, or it may be beneficial to allot greater amounts of time for meals.
Cultures are extremely nuanced and unique, and though it is impossible to be completely savvy, it is important to remember that operations, transportation, communication, etc. will not be the same in any one place. It would be to the benefit of the tour manager to research all of these types of things ahead of time, and determine the best mode of operation for the company abroad.
Having had a fair amount of experience performing abroad (I have done solo shows in seven different non-North American countries), I couldn't agree more. Your points towards communication about operations, transportation and so on are particularly relevant in my experience.
I also totally agree that cultural sensitivity is essential with an international tour. Likewise, touring groups should expect that presenters should do their homework, know their audience and book accordingly. While it is incumbent upon a touring group (or really any traveler) to know how to interface with a culture, it is also the responsibility of a presenter to pass along current information that will allow the touring group to be as successful as they can be.
If both parties attempt to work towards bridging the gap, culturally, then the margin for success broadens and the possibilities for failure shrink. Often times it is a matter of tweaking a show: increasing or decreasing length, substituting topical information, or simply avoiding a taboo (male/male partnering for male female partnering in dance for instance) that can help you connect so much better with the locals.
Andre, it is interesting that you mentioned you would tweak a show’s length, topical information, and avoid taboo (your example, switching gender roles of certain artists). Are you suggesting that as standard/accepted in dance specifically, or would you say that applies to other performing art areas as well? Also, is something like switching the gender of the dancer common in dance? I honestly do not know much about dance, but to me, it seems like switching the gender would change how the original art was intended to be. But, maybe that is common practice that I am not aware of. Thinking from a classical music perspective, I do not imagine that the actual content of a piece/work would ever be altered for a certain audience. What I think would be common would be to alter the repertoire performed on a specific concert. Normally, an orchestra will have a variety of pieces they can program throughout a tour. By rearranging the specific pieces performed in a particular evening, you could in effect alter the length or content of a performance. However, I do not think that the pieces individually would be tampered with in order to please an audience – whatever pieces performed would be performed the same for all audiences. Is the art work still really there if it has been altered to please a certain audience? However, maybe this is a necessary decision that needs to be made – to tour with alterations, or not to tour at all. Maybe making those small alterations is that detail that will make the tour possible, and will spread the art to more people and hopefully bring in more financial benefit to the producer.
Elyssa, I also agree with your stance that cultural sensitivity is the most important factor when touring abroad. I think, throughout the entire tour, the main issue companies will want to avoid is stereotyping foreign cultures and foreign people. International tours, to me at least, symbolize an untethered expressionistic exchange between performers and audience members of different backgrounds that is done in an environment conducive to such an exchange. What’s the point of touring abroad (other than maybe breaking even) if you cannot reach out with your art form and connect with people? Therefore, as you mentioned, doing basic research of a region and the necessary travelling procedures will not only benefit the audiences that see a company’s work, but will also ensure that the company does not misjudge the country and its people that are hosting it before its actors even step out on the stage. To comment on the question Rebecca regarding Andre’s comment that certain performances may have to be “altered” so as not to offend international audiences, I think that both viewpoints are valid (to an extent). I tried looking up reported instances of internationally touring shows (both theatre and dance) that received criticism from audiences based on the subject material of the presented work. Surprisingly, I barely found one example. I’m sure why real-life examples of cultural insensitivity are hard to find; perhaps audiences around the world are more open to different forms of artistic expression than we might originally think. Generally, if the booking agent and presenting venue communicated well and marketed a touring production correctly, then a touring production should be able to expect that at least a majority of its audiences will be respectful (and interested) in the work they are presenting. Thus, if enough communication can be done beforehand, I don’t think the artistic work needs to be altered at all. On a side note, I think this idea of cultural sensitivity totally gets blown out of the water when big name pop stars are in the equation. Sometimes a conservative group will protest a tour for its perceived content alone (theatre and dance companies might pray for this type of exposure). Yet, regarding the conduct of the talent, a tour manager (perhaps with the help of a guide or gov’t rep.) can inform performers of what is and is not culturally acceptable behavior in the country that is hosting them. For example, how many times have you read about Lady Gaga or Madonna offending some audience in Thailand because of a bonehead comment? Touring companies can learn from these massive errors in order for their work, as artistic professionals, to be fully appreciated.
I agree with many of the above mentioned comments regarding touring internationally. As you all previously mentioned, keeping culture at the forefront of one's mind when planning an international tour is essential.
What I found to be the most interesting about this discussion, however, was the issue concerning altering a performance to better meet the social norms or cultural comfort of an international region. On the one hand, I agree with Andre that "increasing or decreasing length, substituting topical information, or simply avoiding a taboo ... can help you connect so much better with the locals." However, I also have similarly seen Rebecca's view that "... the actual content of a piece/work would ever be altered for a certain audience."
I have seen Directors switch male roles for female actors and change/cut scenes for the sake of flow or time. However, I have never witnessed an already developed and determined performance artwork be changed specifically for one certain audience. Personally, I think that changing any aspect of the artwork for the audience is perhaps rather defeatist. Is not the point of touring to bring your artform and work to another group/region/society?
However, instead of changing a performance to meet the needs of the people, why not provide upfront and available information and CONTEXT so that those people can better understand your culture and artform. By giving context to a piece, a presenter can perform a work exactly as it was intended to be performed, and additionally, viewers will not only be able to better receive a performance but also be more culturally influenced from having seen an un-altered version.
A perfect example of this is the ballet. I went to see a performance of Don Quixote in Chicago by the State Ballet of Georgia (the country not the state.) Before we were seated, we were given playbooks that contained not only a description of the storyline but also a description of the ballet company and their artistic choices/reasonings. I read both and understood much better not only the context of the ballet being performed but also of the ballet company who was performing it.
SO! I think that paying attention to cultural sensitivity is important administratively - BUT I do not think it should affect the artwork itself but rather push the administrators to provide context for their new audiences.
Wow! What a great idea Lauren. There have been multiple times that I have seen a performance by an international artist/group and have wished for additional explanation. Having information in the playbook about the culture, art, and how the influence each other would be very interesting and helpful.
As far as the rest of the discussion goes, it seems like everyone is fired up about whether or not to adjust performances according to the audience. I understand Andre's point as well as the comments against adjusting performances. I agree that the performance should not be changed according to the culture who is viewing. This is what makes international performances unique and exciting. Plus, everyone loves a little controversy! However, I would like to see more managers inform their artists of the culture and country to where they are performing.
It is important to remember that when on tour, you are in the spotlight on AND OFF the stage. Part of what is so wonderful about international touring is creating relationships with other countries. Keeping these relationships strong and positive is beneficial to the organization/company as well as to the organization's home country. I remember when I went on an international tour in college that we were lectured about certain cultural aspects as well as expected behaviors in order to best represent our country and orchestra.
In conclusion, adjusting the performance for the culture may not be favorable to artistic integrity. However, it is important for everyone on the tour to be aware of cultural differences in order to be respectful off-stage and to develop strong international relationships.
Thinking about this from an audience standpoint may also be revealing for us. Who all attended performances that were part of the Distinctively Dutch Festival last spring that was orchestrated by the Cultural Trust? I attended the DanceWorks Rotterdam performance and was blown away. I felt like that entire festival was a great opportunity to be exposed to the kinds of boundaries art forms are working around from within the Dutch culture. I would have been heart broken to find out that they had altered or taken away part of a show because they thought our American audiences could not handle the content. Perhaps this is because our cultures are both of the Western Civilization, overexposed to art boundaries and disinterested enough to accept a work of art as art and not a threat to our personal lives.
I have rarely seen substantial edits (other than translation-based changes) for organizations coming to the US. And, as pointed out earlier, companies presented tend to be vetted by the presenter first . . . so the content is already acceptable to their audience if not the overall general cultural norms.
I think this discussion is fascinating, as cultural sensitivity is obviously a really important thing. But there is an inherent arrogance is believing that your work is good enough/important enough/culturally relevant enough to share with the rest of the world. After World War 2, the US had what were essentially cultural ambassadors travel to Europe and share US cultural to people who had been fed propaganda their whole lives. It still happens and there's a wing of the State Department dedicated to making sure your plays are culturally appropriate (http://exchanges.state.gov/about.html) - but in the age of the internet, I wonder if this trend will die out. With democratic information sharing, the rest of the world can essentially learn about you/your culture/your art without you ever setting foot in the country. Jacob's Pillow hardly needs to tour if the rest of the world is accessing the Virtual Pillow (http://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/). If the audience knows what to expect, and has seen it online, any censoring of the art for the sake of cultural sensitivity is pointless.
The main difference in touring domestically and internationally can be summed up in one phrase – cultural sensitivity. Though the United States is very spacious geographically and does have cultural differences, we can count on a degree of "American" culture being present when conducting business domestically.
ReplyDeleteHowever, considering cultural differences when on the road abroad is of utmost importance. Though organizations tour abroad as a means of sharing part of its own culture, that attitude should not extend beyond the actual artistic product. The tour manager should keep such basic considerations in mind such as: exchange rates, the effect of politics on presenting organizations, differences in booking procedures, and different modes of communication that may happen to be the norm.
In addition, it is probably (more likely definitely) important to consider the day-to-day culture and operations of the place that a company is considering touring, in order to keep the tour running smoothly, as well as to avoid bad sentiment from locals. For example, in a country where people are generally more laid back, such as Italy, it may take a fair amount of time to get a large group through customs, or it may be beneficial to allot greater amounts of time for meals.
Cultures are extremely nuanced and unique, and though it is impossible to be completely savvy, it is important to remember that operations, transportation, communication, etc. will not be the same in any one place. It would be to the benefit of the tour manager to research all of these types of things ahead of time, and determine the best mode of operation for the company abroad.
Having had a fair amount of experience performing abroad (I have done solo shows in seven different non-North American countries), I couldn't agree more. Your points towards communication about operations, transportation and so on are particularly relevant in my experience.
DeleteI also totally agree that cultural sensitivity is essential with an international tour. Likewise, touring groups should expect that presenters should do their homework, know their audience and book accordingly. While it is incumbent upon a touring group (or really any traveler) to know how to interface with a culture, it is also the responsibility of a presenter to pass along current information that will allow the touring group to be as successful as they can be.
If both parties attempt to work towards bridging the gap, culturally, then the margin for success broadens and the possibilities for failure shrink. Often times it is a matter of tweaking a show: increasing or decreasing length, substituting topical information, or simply avoiding a taboo (male/male partnering for male female partnering in dance for instance) that can help you connect so much better with the locals.
Andre, it is interesting that you mentioned you would tweak a show’s length, topical information, and avoid taboo (your example, switching gender roles of certain artists). Are you suggesting that as standard/accepted in dance specifically, or would you say that applies to other performing art areas as well? Also, is something like switching the gender of the dancer common in dance? I honestly do not know much about dance, but to me, it seems like switching the gender would change how the original art was intended to be. But, maybe that is common practice that I am not aware of.
DeleteThinking from a classical music perspective, I do not imagine that the actual content of a piece/work would ever be altered for a certain audience. What I think would be common would be to alter the repertoire performed on a specific concert. Normally, an orchestra will have a variety of pieces they can program throughout a tour. By rearranging the specific pieces performed in a particular evening, you could in effect alter the length or content of a performance. However, I do not think that the pieces individually would be tampered with in order to please an audience – whatever pieces performed would be performed the same for all audiences.
Is the art work still really there if it has been altered to please a certain audience? However, maybe this is a necessary decision that needs to be made – to tour with alterations, or not to tour at all. Maybe making those small alterations is that detail that will make the tour possible, and will spread the art to more people and hopefully bring in more financial benefit to the producer.
Elyssa, I also agree with your stance that cultural sensitivity is the most important factor when touring abroad. I think, throughout the entire tour, the main issue companies will want to avoid is stereotyping foreign cultures and foreign people. International tours, to me at least, symbolize an untethered expressionistic exchange between performers and audience members of different backgrounds that is done in an environment conducive to such an exchange. What’s the point of touring abroad (other than maybe breaking even) if you cannot reach out with your art form and connect with people?
DeleteTherefore, as you mentioned, doing basic research of a region and the necessary travelling procedures will not only benefit the audiences that see a company’s work, but will also ensure that the company does not misjudge the country and its people that are hosting it before its actors even step out on the stage.
To comment on the question Rebecca regarding Andre’s comment that certain performances may have to be “altered” so as not to offend international audiences, I think that both viewpoints are valid (to an extent). I tried looking up reported instances of internationally touring shows (both theatre and dance) that received criticism from audiences based on the subject material of the presented work. Surprisingly, I barely found one example. I’m sure why real-life examples of cultural insensitivity are hard to find; perhaps audiences around the world are more open to different forms of artistic expression than we might originally think. Generally, if the booking agent and presenting venue communicated well and marketed a touring production correctly, then a touring production should be able to expect that at least a majority of its audiences will be respectful (and interested) in the work they are presenting. Thus, if enough communication can be done beforehand, I don’t think the artistic work needs to be altered at all.
On a side note, I think this idea of cultural sensitivity totally gets blown out of the water when big name pop stars are in the equation. Sometimes a conservative group will protest a tour for its perceived content alone (theatre and dance companies might pray for this type of exposure). Yet, regarding the conduct of the talent, a tour manager (perhaps with the help of a guide or gov’t rep.) can inform performers of what is and is not culturally acceptable behavior in the country that is hosting them. For example, how many times have you read about Lady Gaga or Madonna offending some audience in Thailand because of a bonehead comment? Touring companies can learn from these massive errors in order for their work, as artistic professionals, to be fully appreciated.
I agree with many of the above mentioned comments regarding touring internationally. As you all previously mentioned, keeping culture at the forefront of one's mind when planning an international tour is essential.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found to be the most interesting about this discussion, however, was the issue concerning altering a performance to better meet the social norms or cultural comfort of an international region. On the one hand, I agree with Andre that "increasing or decreasing length, substituting topical information, or simply avoiding a taboo ... can help you connect so much better with the locals." However, I also have similarly seen Rebecca's view that "... the actual content of a piece/work would ever be altered for a certain audience."
I have seen Directors switch male roles for female actors and change/cut scenes for the sake of flow or time. However, I have never witnessed an already developed and determined performance artwork be changed specifically for one certain audience. Personally, I think that changing any aspect of the artwork for the audience is perhaps rather defeatist. Is not the point of touring to bring your artform and work to another group/region/society?
However, instead of changing a performance to meet the needs of the people, why not provide upfront and available information and CONTEXT so that those people can better understand your culture and artform. By giving context to a piece, a presenter can perform a work exactly as it was intended to be performed, and additionally, viewers will not only be able to better receive a performance but also be more culturally influenced from having seen an un-altered version.
A perfect example of this is the ballet. I went to see a performance of Don Quixote in Chicago by the State Ballet of Georgia (the country not the state.) Before we were seated, we were given playbooks that contained not only a description of the storyline but also a description of the ballet company and their artistic choices/reasonings. I read both and understood much better not only the context of the ballet being performed but also of the ballet company who was performing it.
SO! I think that paying attention to cultural sensitivity is important administratively - BUT I do not think it should affect the artwork itself but rather push the administrators to provide context for their new audiences.
Wow! What a great idea Lauren. There have been multiple times that I have seen a performance by an international artist/group and have wished for additional explanation. Having information in the playbook about the culture, art, and how the influence each other would be very interesting and helpful.
DeleteAs far as the rest of the discussion goes, it seems like everyone is fired up about whether or not to adjust performances according to the audience. I understand Andre's point as well as the comments against adjusting performances. I agree that the performance should not be changed according to the culture who is viewing. This is what makes international performances unique and exciting. Plus, everyone loves a little controversy! However, I would like to see more managers inform their artists of the culture and country to where they are performing.
It is important to remember that when on tour, you are in the spotlight on AND OFF the stage. Part of what is so wonderful about international touring is creating relationships with other countries. Keeping these relationships strong and positive is beneficial to the organization/company as well as to the organization's home country. I remember when I went on an international tour in college that we were lectured about certain cultural aspects as well as expected behaviors in order to best represent our country and orchestra.
In conclusion, adjusting the performance for the culture may not be favorable to artistic integrity. However, it is important for everyone on the tour to be aware of cultural differences in order to be respectful off-stage and to develop strong international relationships.
Thinking about this from an audience standpoint may also be revealing for us. Who all attended performances that were part of the Distinctively Dutch Festival last spring that was orchestrated by the Cultural Trust? I attended the DanceWorks Rotterdam performance and was blown away. I felt like that entire festival was a great opportunity to be exposed to the kinds of boundaries art forms are working around from within the Dutch culture. I would have been heart broken to find out that they had altered or taken away part of a show because they thought our American audiences could not handle the content. Perhaps this is because our cultures are both of the Western Civilization, overexposed to art boundaries and disinterested enough to accept a work of art as art and not a threat to our personal lives.
ReplyDeleteI have rarely seen substantial edits (other than translation-based changes) for organizations coming to the US. And, as pointed out earlier, companies presented tend to be vetted by the presenter first . . . so the content is already acceptable to their audience if not the overall general cultural norms.
ReplyDeleteI think this discussion is fascinating, as cultural sensitivity is obviously a really important thing. But there is an inherent arrogance is believing that your work is good enough/important enough/culturally relevant enough to share with the rest of the world. After World War 2, the US had what were essentially cultural ambassadors travel to Europe and share US cultural to people who had been fed propaganda their whole lives. It still happens and there's a wing of the State Department dedicated to making sure your plays are culturally appropriate (http://exchanges.state.gov/about.html) - but in the age of the internet, I wonder if this trend will die out. With democratic information sharing, the rest of the world can essentially learn about you/your culture/your art without you ever setting foot in the country. Jacob's Pillow hardly needs to tour if the rest of the world is accessing the Virtual Pillow (http://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/). If the audience knows what to expect, and has seen it online, any censoring of the art for the sake of cultural sensitivity is pointless.
ReplyDelete