Artscape Theatre Centre CEO, Marlene le Roux visited New York recently to attend the International Society for the Performing Arts’ congress held 8 to 10 January 2019.
Joining over 500 delegates from countries as diverse as Australia, Rwanda, Brazil, Spain and Saudi Arabia, among others, le Roux presented within the session titled “The urgency of now: access, equity and inclusion”, on the 2nd day of the Congress, 9 January.
The session’s theme addressed the question as to what leaders in the field of the Arts could do to affect positive change in their respective organisations and communities in order to change a global culture of inequity.
The topic of le Roux’s presentation was “ARTSCAPE – a breathing space for all: exploring an inclusive model for empowerment”.
It centred on the transformational journey Artscape Theatre Centre has embarked on since the first democratic elections in 1994 – a journey from exclusion and elitism to a journey of inclusion and hope.
Pointing out the goal of this transformation le Roux underscored that the arts, culture and heritage needs to be harnessed for creative expression, education, job creation and the eradication of poverty through close cooperation with all tiers of government and related departments as well as the international community.
The overall theme of the Congress was Transitions: Today’s Future for the Arts. It sought to tackle questions such as addressing challenges and opportunities of which one may not even be aware of while interrogating whether the Arts can learn from other sectors given its unique qualities.
The mission of the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) is to strengthen the performing arts globally through the advancement of leadership, the exchange of ideas, and by fostering a diverse and engaged membership.
