Arts and Culture Management Students Visit the New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre
On December 9, 2022, first-year students of the Master's programme 'Arts and Culture Management' visited the New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre. Olesya Markova, staff member of the New Stage, told the students about the complex organisational structure of the venue and demonstrated the capabilities of the theatre space. She also explained the specifics of the art management profession.
On December 9, 2022, first-year students of the Master's programme 'Arts and Culture Management' visited the New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre, which is a key partner of the programme. Olesya Markova, staff member of the New Stage, told the students about the complex organisational structure of the venue and gave a backstage tour. The excursion was simultaneously interpreted for international students, allowing them to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the New Stage.
The New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre has been in operation since 2013. In that time, it has grown into a more complex and comprehensive cultural ecosystem with various fields of focus. The New Stage is a versatile event space with areas for music and dance events, theatrical performances, film screenings and lectures. The students also learnt about the building's eclectic architecture: the interior of the New Stage combines the brick facade of the adjoining buildings in harmony with elements made of glass and metal.
There is a coworking space, a café, and a bookshop on the first floor of the building. Visitors to the theatre can come not just to watch a play, but also to have a cup of coffee, read a book, or spend time with their friends.
The space's structure allows the team of the Alexandrinsky Theatre to implement their most ambitious ideas. Olesya Markova demonstrated the capabilities of the theatre space and its stage in particular, which is built according to the black-box principle and hides lots of surprises. The first-years saw the mechanism which helps to regulate the location of the stage's parts according to the author's ideas. They also looked at the space from the viewpoint of a stage mechanic from above the stage 'deck'—the theatre staff use nautical metaphors to describe the working space. For instance, the room under the stage is called the 'hold'.
In addition to technical aspects such as working with sound and light, the students were interested in issues related to the internal organisation of the New Stage project, such as the role and responsibilities of art managers.
An art manager coordinates the work of all the units within the organisation, helping to bring the results of their work together in a single performance. The role requires both managerial skills and specialised knowledge of various professions in the art industry, as art managers must establish communication between people in different professions who may use terminology specific to their field.
At the end of the meeting, the students and Olesya Markova discussed upcoming film screenings in May in honour of the ten-year anniversary of the New Stage. They also discussed the annual project of the Master's programme: 'CIBA: Creative Industries. Business Art', a joint event organised by students and the New Stage which will be held in spring 2023.
Article prepared by Daria Lukonina and Anna Dorina, first-year students of the Master's programme 'Arts and Culture Management'.
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