14/05/2026
＃劇場小聚回顧分享
✍️當藝術只剩頂端與起點，中間的人去哪了？
（English version below）
上週末，南表協的國際小聚，與北美藝術管理工作者的交流後，大多數的參與者有一個很深的感受：世界各地的藝術環境，其實沒有我們想像中那麼不同。
我們關注表演藝術產業的發展，也不斷思考藝術與觀眾之間逐漸拉開的距離。表演藝術領域中，創作者內部的語言越來越精細，而藝術能如何與更大的社會、更多不同背景的觀眾產生連結，也成為一個越來越重要的問題，同時，也牽動著演出生存的問題。
除了對外與觀眾的對話上，另外在環境上，這次交流中，一位北美分享者畫了一張圖給我們看。他提到，在藝術創作這條路上，開始投入的人很多，真正站上頂端的人也很多，但中間那一層卻正在慢慢消失。
這正是一種非常真實的產業現象。大型團隊因為長期累積與制度支持，逐漸穩固資源，而中小型團隊卻很難獲得穩定成長的機會。於是，產業表面看似熱鬧，但真正能夠持續發展、逐步成熟的中間層卻越來越薄弱，除此之外，在相對應的中小型空間，除了民間少量的小型空間外，我們是否也缺乏讓創作成長的空間呢？
除了空間外，我們也常談人才斷層，但很多時候，問題不只是有沒有人進入產業，而是有沒有足夠的資源、制度與組織能力，讓人願意留下來。當藝術工作長期處於低薪、高工時與不穩定的狀態時，人才自然難以累積，組織也難以建立長期發展的能力。
因此，談人才培育的同時，我們也必須重新思考：是否有更多資源能夠投入在藝術組織的健全化、實習制度、跨領域培訓與長期支持機制之中，而不只是短期性的計畫執行。 #南表協 在關注的同時，也同步將相對應的反省放置在我們即將於下半年推出的「＃潮青學院 」裡，試著透過與業界的對話和連結，以及實習媒合與補貼，延續去年藝術行政培育的成效，也讓我們自己成長並回饋給環境。
在談新世代與新的可能時，我們也在交流討論中談到，需要重新回頭看待傳統產業與傳統表演藝術。
創新不一定代表新創。很多真正能被世界看見的文化，反而來自於如何從自身文化脈絡中，重新長出新的語言。傳統中的身體、聲音、儀式感與文化記憶，其實都仍然具有很強的當代性，關鍵在於，我們是否願意重新與它建立連結。在各種娛樂與媒介快速競爭的時代，我們是否也應該重新思考藝術與觀眾之間的關係？我們是否太習慣只對藝術同溫層說話？
如果藝術始終停留在特定圈層之中，最終可能只會更加依賴補助與既有資源，而失去與社會對話的能力。
對南表協而言，藝術不只是作品本身，而是一個能夠讓人與地方、文化與社會重新產生連結和對話的過程。未來真正重要的，也許不僅是追求更新或創新，而是如何建立一個能讓人才被留下、讓組織能成長、讓傳統被重新理解，同時也能持續與人對話的藝術生態。
謝謝來參與的各國藝術管理人， ＃加拿大MMIAM，衛武營國家藝術文化中心 #黃國威副總監 ，去年第一次與南表協建立起國際交流的 ＃蔣昕，現場協助翻譯的 ＃老男孩劇團陳御弼團長，協助現場執行的理事 ＃劉毅 與 ＃康郁理，以及謝謝 ＃文策院南部營運中心 的場地協力。
最後謝謝參與活動，給南編訪問的會員們，有了這些感謝，以及不僅僅是文策院、場館、協會，還有表團與藝術家，在這場交流中，我們也看見生態中相互扶持的樣貌了。
＃走出同溫層 ＃中小型團隊需要被支持
歡迎持續關注南表協！也歡迎參與更多交流與聚會！
想加入會員的朋友們，可以在簡介點選加入我們的連結喔。
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“When Art Is Left with Only the Beginning and the Top — Where Did the Middle Go?”
After last weekend’s international gathering hosted by PASTA, many participants shared a similar feeling: the arts ecology around the world is actually not as different as we imagine.
Through conversations with arts managers from North America, we reflected on the growing distance between performing arts and audiences. As artistic languages within the field become increasingly specialized, an important question emerges: how can art continue to connect with wider society and audiences from different backgrounds? This is not only an artistic issue, but also one closely tied to sustainability and survival.
During the discussion, one speaker from North America drew a diagram showing that while many people begin their artistic journey and some eventually reach the top, the “middle layer” is slowly disappearing.
Large organizations continue to consolidate resources through long-term institutional support, while small and mid-sized groups struggle to grow sustainably. Although the arts scene may appear vibrant on the surface, the ecosystem in the middle is becoming increasingly fragile.
We realized that Taiwan is actually facing very similar challenges.
When we talk about the lack of new generations entering the field, the issue is not only about recruitment, but also whether there are enough resources, structures, and working conditions for people to stay. Low pay, unstable environments, and long working hours make long-term development difficult for both individuals and organizations.
At the same time, while discussing new generations and new possibilities, we also reflected on the importance of reconnecting with traditional performing arts and cultural practices. Innovation does not always mean abandoning tradition. Many of the most powerful contemporary cultural expressions actually grow from reconnecting with local memories, rituals, bodies, and histories.
Perhaps we have also become too used to speaking only within the arts community itself.
If art remains inside a closed circle, it may become increasingly dependent on subsidies while losing its ability to communicate with society.
For PASTA, art is not only about creating, but about rebuilding connections between people, culture, place, and dialogue. The future may not simply be about pursuing something “new,” but about creating an ecosystem where people can stay, organizations can grow, traditions can be reinterpreted, and art can continue to speak with society.
Thank you to all the international arts managers, artists, organizations, and partners who joined this exchange. Through this gathering, we also witnessed the importance of mutual support within the cultural ecosystem itself.
