CultureTalk
CultureTalk
Podcast Description
Join us for candid conversations with the visionaries and leaders shaping today’s cultural landscape. Each episode of CultureTalk dives deep into the challenges, triumphs, and transformative power of arts and culture.
From innovative audience engagement strategies to philosophical discussions about art’s role in society, our guests share their unique perspectives and practical insights gained from years at the forefront of cultural organisations.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a variety of themes related to arts and culture such as digital transformation, the impact of AI on creativity, environmental responsibilities of digital technologies, and audience engagement strategies, with episodes featuring discussions on topics like the balance between innovation and tradition in theatre and the hidden environmental costs of digital technology.
Join us for candid conversations with the visionaries and leaders shaping today’s cultural landscape. Each episode of CultureTalk dives deep into the challenges, triumphs, and transformative power of arts and culture.
From innovative audience engagement strategies to philosophical discussions about art’s role in society, our guests share their unique perspectives and practical insights gained from years at the forefront of cultural organisations.
How can one of the world’s oldest art forms become urgently relevant to contemporary audiences? Join us for a powerful conversation with Sue Elliott, General Director and CEO of Calgary Opera, who is revolutionising how opera engages with communities by telling stories that matter.
Drawing from nearly two decades of groundbreaking work at Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, and now Calgary Opera, Sue shares how documentary-style approaches to opera programming can transform perceptions, build deep community connections, and make opera feel essential rather than elitist.
From collecting stories from hundreds of refugees to creating immersive theatrical experiences around Japanese-American incarceration, Sue demonstrates the transformative power of “artistic humility” combined with bold creative vision.
Key topics covered:
🎭 Why documentary and journalistic approaches work for opera
🌍 Engaging 234,000 people through The Refuge project
🎵 Creating the world’s first mariachi opera
🏛️ Moving beyond demographic segmentation to curiosity-based audience development
🤝 Building sustainable audiences through community programming
💡 The affinity model: seven ways people connect with opera
⚡ Why technology must be as easy as buying a book on Amazon
Featuring Sue Elliott
General Director and CEO, Calgary Opera
Want more CultureTalk? Listen on your favourite platform:
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488
🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f
Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month.
Learn more about CultureSuite at: https://www.culturesuite.co/
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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