What Could Happen In 2026?

What Could Happen In 2026?

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2243489/open_sms] The team looks ahead to 2026 with clear eyes about programming, funding, audiences, and the practical tools leaders can use to regain momentum. We argue for multi-year season plans that balances familiar titles with new work, a rebuilds middle donor base, and smart tech that amplifies people rather than replaces them. Email us your ideas at emc@emcforward.com  This will be our last episode of the year! We're taking a break and will be back with more episodes in early 2026.

What 2025 Taught Us About Survival, Community, and Change in the Arts

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2243489/open_sms] What do you call a year where lobbies buzzed, budgets tightened, and policy storms hit midseason? We call it 2025—and we’re unpacking what actually mattered. Al, Leandro, and Tiff get candid about the dissonance nonprofits felt: sold-out shows alongside rising costs, NEA guideline whiplash colliding with DEI commitments, and a post-pandemic audience that behaves by new rules. Listen as we unpack 2025 and what we learned as we look back on a dizzying year.  Leave a comment, follow, or email us at emc@emcforward.com.

One Day Ai Will Buy Your Theater Tickets

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2243489/open_sms] Tickets chosen by algorithms. Glasses that guide you to the bar. A digital lobby that follows you home and sparks a late-night debate about the ending. We explore how AI is rewriting the audience journey from first spark to final takeaway and why the art still sits at the center.

Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviews: How To Tell Your Story and Land A Job

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2243489/open_sms] Job hunting in the nonprofit arts can feel like shouting into the void, so we break the process down into a clear, usable framework: your resume is your data, your cover letter is your voice, and your interview is your presence. Across the hour, we show how those pieces add up to one story about value and fit: what you did, how you think, and why you’re right for this moment. By the end, you’ll know how to align metrics, voice, and presence so committees can see your edge fast. Ready to turn a scattered application into a coherent narrative that lands interviews? Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who’s applying, and tell us: which piece needs the biggest upgrade right now?

From Stage To Screen: How Live Streaming Expands Access And Revenue

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2243489/open_sms] What if the future of theater isn’t a choice between the room and the screen, but a smarter way to hold both? We dig into how live streaming can expand access, deepen community, and stabilize budgets without draining the electricity of in-person performance. Using fresh reporting on the National Theatre’s hybrid work and lessons from our own practice, we unpack what counts as “live,” why hybrid storytelling matters, and how to design digital experiences that feel intentional, intimate, and worthy of your art. If this sparked ideas or pushback, we want to hear it. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with one question you’re wrestling with about hybrid theater so we can tackle it next.