On April 24th, I had the pleasure of going to Future in the Arts: A Panel Discussion for Youth Week Calgary 2014. It featured Jennifer Johnson, the Director of Programming and Arts Learning for the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts, Vicki Stroich, the Executive Director of Alberta Theatre Projects, Jodi Lucas, Programming Associate for the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts, and local musician Jonathan Li. During the panel, each member discussed their experiences working in the arts, and gave advice to adolescents that are thinking about a career in the arts.
Can you have a successful future in the arts? That’s the big question here. Many parents and professionals believe that the arts are not a serious business that will give you a sustainable career, but these panelists were here to tell you that it’s not true. Just like 
every other professional path, you have to work hard in order to be successful in the arts, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible to do. At first, you may find yourself working smaller jobs, but as you work your way up in the field, eventually you will find yourself in a good position full of many opportunities. Weather you wan to be an actor or musician, or stay behind the scenes with directing or casting; a career in the arts is possible.
I also had the opportunity to ask Jennifer Johnson an important question outlining education; do you need to have a strong education in order to get a good job in the arts? Although the answer is a bit complicated, for the most part, not necessarily. She said that obviously every boss’ preference and opinion is different, but she doesn’t think you need a Bachelor of Fine Arts, for example, to get a good job. Johnson explained that she likes when people have an interesting personality and are willing to work hard for what they get. Some skills you need to have a future in the arts can’t be taught, such as responsibility and drive. You need to be willing to work for what you want in the industry and that’s all there is too it. If you want to be something like a music teacher at school for example, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in a good thing to have, but if you are interested in being an actor, musician or anything to do with technical theatre, you don’t HAVE to get a big education, and something as short as two years in college will do. You will always find bosses or scouts that are looking for someone with a big education, but you can also find people that care more about personality than education. There’s always going to be preferences in the arts industry but if you work hard and love what you do, why does that matter? 