entertainment, creative industries, Arts & Culture
Lehan Xu
From Cultural Diplomacy to Creative Cities: A ...

International theatre festivals have long served as sites of cultural exchange, political expression, and artistic innovation. This article traces their evolution from post–World War II cultural diplomacy to their role in today’s “creative city” economy, examining how festivals reflect shifting geopolitical forces, neoliberal policies, and ongoing tensions between global prestige and local representation.

From Cultural Diplomacy to Creative Cities: A History of International Theatre Festival
Arts & Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Technology
Hales Wilson
Byte-Sized Culture: Women in Tech/Arts

This Women's History Month, AMT Lab highlights five groundbreaking women redefining the intersection of arts and technology across disciplines spanning new media, algorithmic theater, performance art, music activism, and artificial intelligence. Each trailblazer has used the tools of her time to challenge who gets to be seen, heard, and represented. Their collective body of work makes clear that the future of art and technology will be shaped, in no small part, by women who refused to wait for a seat at the table.

Byte-Sized Culture: Women in Tech/Arts
Film, entertainment, Marketing
Staff Researcher
The Future of Independent Adult Animation: ...

In Part II, this study builds on the industry context established in Part I by shifting from macro-level analysis to audience-centered insights. While Part I identified independent adult animation as a growing global opportunity shaped by evolving production ecosystems and market conditions, Part II examines how these trends translate into audience behavior and engagement. Drawing on survey data from audiences ages 18–35 and interviews with industry professionals, this section explores what viewers are seeking from independent animated films, the factors that drive discovery and theatrical attendance, and the key elements that contribute to commercial and critical success. In doing so, Part II connects broader industry dynamics to actionable insights that inform strategic decision-making for distributors such as NEON.

The Future of Independent Adult Animation: Opportunities and Strategies for NEON, Part II
Artificial Intelligence, creative industries, Laws & Legal
Yao Pei
Art vs. Algorithm: Copyright and Visual Artists ...

This article examines how generative AI is reshaping copyright law and challenging traditional notions of authorship in the visual arts. By outlining key legal principles, including originality, fair use, and human authorship, it explores the growing tension between technological innovation and artists’ rights and highlights the urgent need for clearer legal frameworks in the age of AI.

Art vs. Algorithm: Copyright and Visual Artists in the Age of Generative AI
Film, entertainment, Marketing
Staff Researcher
The Future of Independent Adult Animation: ...

This study provides a foundational analysis of how independent adult animation is emerging as a significant opportunity within the contemporary film industry, with a particular focus on market trends, audience engagement, and the strategic role of distributors. As global demand for animated storytelling continues to grow - driven by streaming platforms, evolving audience tastes, and international co-production networks - independent distributors face increasing pressure to identify sustainable models for developing and distributing animated films. Part I examines the evolution of the independent animation landscape and situates the project’s client, NEON’s, recent exploration of the sector within broader industry trends. Drawing on existing research, industry reports, audience surveys, and expert interviews, this section frames the study’s central research questions and methodology. By outlining the challenges and opportunities surrounding independent adult animation, Part I establishes the conceptual groundwork for the industry interviews, survey analysis, and strategic recommendations that will be presented in Part II.

The Future of Independent Adult Animation: Opportunities and Strategies, Part I

Can Cloud-Based Event Management Software Help Arts Managers Be “Propared?”

Can Cloud-Based Event Management Software Help Arts Managers Be “Propared?”

With a wealth of project management, task management, and personnel management software now at our fingertips, it can be difficult to know which software is the best for an organization’s needs, especially arts organizations with their unique project structures and demands. Enter Propared. A software application designed for use by project managers working on live events. I met the Propared team at the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) Conference in March and had a demo of the software. 

Click here to learn more.

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STEAM Learning at the Carnegie Science Center

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STEAM Learning at the Carnegie Science Center

Moving the conversation around public education from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) has long beleaguered arts managers and arts educators alike.  Defending the argument for arts programming and arts education can be difficult in the face of shrinking school budgets and a highly competitive grant environment.  Particularly in a country that increasingly favors the hard sciences above the humanities, cultural pursuits, and artistic studies.  Despite gains at the federal level with the new core arts standards, the STEAM caucus, and the first budget increase for the National Endowment for the Arts in years, it is still easy to feel defeated.  The question remains, what can arts leaders and community organizers do at the local level to push the conversation in a positive direction?

Affordable And Convenient Access To Word, Excel With Cloud-Based Office 365

Affordable And Convenient Access To Word, Excel With Cloud-Based Office 365

Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based software service, provides affordable monthly access to the ubiquitous software suite: Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher, Access, OneNote, and PowerPoint. AMT Lab contributor Kristen Sorek West speaks with the Pittsburgh Choral Arts about their experience using the tool and the features it offers. Click here to read more. 

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Silicon Struggle: The Battle for The Bay Area Arts' Scene

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If you told the average San Francisco resident 40 years ago that the art scene in the Bay Area would be gasping for life in 2015, they probably would have laughed in your face.  But it is 2015, and that is the reality we are facing.  The tech giants have moved in, and  tension is building between the Silicon Valley community and its non-profit entities.  In particular, arts organizations seem to be at an extreme disadvantage for a few reasons:

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CREATE Lab: Creating Social Impact Through Empowering Communities

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CREATE Lab: Creating Social Impact Through Empowering Communities

CREATE Lab creates multi-disciplinary learning experiences that allow communities to become technologically fluent. CREATE Lab’s novel combinations of visual arts and technologies provide a wealth of new potential tools to arts administrators and their organization. This article will introduce a few of the exciting projects that CREATE Lab is already testing in the Pittsburgh community, as well as access points for administrators and educators who are interested in implementing them.

The Art of Data Management

The Art of Data Management

This post, originally published on Analysis from TRG Arts, is the second in a series of blog posts sharing success stories and best practices to highlight the benefits of effective data management. Find the first post here.

Data isn’t about numbers. It’s about people. When analyzed, data tells stories about people and their actions. Right now, in your database, a story exists about the decisions that people in your organization make. And, a story exists for every patron, which chronicles their relationship with your organization. 

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Research Update 1: How Technology Supports Collaborative Artistic Projects

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Research Update 1: How Technology Supports Collaborative Artistic Projects

Picture a producer preparing for the upcoming world premiere Contemporary Color, “a pep rally pop music mashup.” Conceived by David Byrne and commissioned by Luminato Festival and Brooklyn Academy of Music, Contemporary Color will bring together artists such as Nelly Furtado, St. Vincent, and Ira Glass, 350 performers, and a 15 piece band for its world-premiere performance in Toronto this summer. Not only are the artists, performers, and musicians all located in different cities across North America, great distances also separate the designers, technicians, and other producers. To coordinate the project across these distances, the producer relies on online collaborative tools to orchestrate the project from pre-production to post-production.

Tableau: The High Cost / High Reward of Data Visualization

Tableau: The High Cost / High Reward of Data Visualization

With more than 23,000 customer accounts, Tableau has established itself as a powerhouse of data visualization experts.   Clients include aerospace companies such as SpaceX, healthcare institutes like John Hopkins Hospital, and even financial sector customers such as Goldman Sachs.  But what does Tableau- a rather expensive budget line item- do for its non-profit customers like the Red Cross?  What does data visualization even mean for non-profit groups, let alone arts organizations?

Read the full article by clicking here.

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Hollywood Stock Exchange: A League of Its Own

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Hollywood Stock Exchange: A League of Its Own

First launched in 1996, HSX is a free web-based multiplayer gaming simulator of American film industry. The rules are simple: players use virtual currency to buy, sell, short and cover “shares” of films, directors, actors and other related virtual securities. Although the exchange is entirely fictional, it reacts to actual industry-related news, making itself a community and information hub for both professionals and enthusiasts in the film industry. 

Opening Doors: Best Practices for Developing Sensory-Friendly Programs

Opening Doors: Best Practices for Developing Sensory-Friendly Programs

In part 1 of Opening Doors, I reflected on sensory-friendly programming through my personal experience at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. These performances create an incredible opportunity for arts organizations to include individuals and families from around their communities. Yet effective implementation requires time and in-depth planning with staff and community partners. This second post continues the discussion looking at best practices related to sensory-friendly program design.

The Future of Microcredentials: Why Arts Organizations Should Prioritize Digital Badges Over College Degrees

The Future of Microcredentials: Why Arts Organizations Should Prioritize Digital Badges Over College Degrees

Digital badges are an alternative method of credentialing that can identify specific skills that a learner has mastered through the course of their own self-directed learning. Over the course of this research, I will be sharing more about the digital badge acquisition process, taxonomies of digital badges, initiatives being undertaken to standardize and create accreditation, and what employers should know for using digital badges in both hiring and continuing education of employees.

A Data Management Love Story

A Data Management Love Story

This season at Dallas Theatre Center (DTC), a great love story unfolded; however, it was not presented on the stage. During a recent TRG Executive Summit, Managing Director Heather Kitchen shared a tale of romance which both inspired and invoked a bit of envy from the other participants. It was the story of her data manager and the two departments that loved her.

This post, originally published on Analysis from TRG Arts, is the first in a series by TRG’s VP of Data Services Steve Loyd addressing data management and how it can help organizations. 
 

Opéra National de Paris is set to bring new works onto a digital stage

Opéra National de Paris is set to bring new works onto a digital stage

In a recent article for the New York Times, Benjamin Millepied, Director of Dance at the Opéra National de Paris, and Stéphane Lissner, General Manager, announced the launch of an online platform named 3e scène. This fall, 3e scène—or third stage as it translates to English—will be added to the organization’s impressive pair of performance venues, the Palais Garnier and Opéra Bastille, as a third space for patrons to enjoy new Opera and Ballet works.