Who works in live performance?
Live performance means art that happens in front of an audience: concerts, theatre, dance, circus, street shows.
Three teams make it happen:
- Artistic: performers (musicians, actors, dancers), composer, choreographer, director, designer of costumes or sets.
- Technical: sound engineer, lighting technician, stage manager, stage crew (stagehands), video operator.
- Administrative: producer (finds money and runs the project), manager or agent, programmer of a venue, marketing and communication, ticketing, accounts.
A big show may have hundreds of people; a school concert may have ten. The jobs are the same, only shared out differently.
How people work: projects, networks and many jobs
Many people in the arts are not employees of one company for years. They are hired per project: a team forms for one show and splits up after it. This is called the project economy.
- Freelance: working for many clients, paid per job.
- Versatility: one person may be a musician, a music teacher and a sound technician.
- Mobility: artists travel between cities and countries for tours and festivals.
- Networks: most new jobs come through people you have worked with. Being reliable, polite and on time matters as much as talent.
Because income can be irregular, some countries have special social security rules for artists and technicians.
From idea to tour: the life of a show
- Idea (creation): what will we perform, for whom, why?
- Plan (production): date, venue, team, budget, permissions, equipment, a written timeline with deadlines.
- Rehearse: practise the show and do a technical rehearsal with sound and light.
- Perform: on the day, follow a running order (a list of every item with its time).
- Tour or share: repeat the show in other places, or record and stream it.
- Review: what went well, what to improve next time.
A simple budget
Profit = income − costs. Income: tickets, grants, sponsors, food or merchandise sales. Costs: artist fees, venue hire, sound and light, advertising, insurance. The break-even point is the number of tickets at which income equals costs.
Safety comes first: emergency exits, a maximum number of people, first aid and insurance, as local rules require.
Promotion and communication
People cannot come if they do not know about the show. Good promotion answers what, when, where, how much and why come.
- Poster or leaflet: a big title, one strong image, date, time, place, price; few words, easy to read from far.
- Social media: short videos from rehearsals, a countdown, an event page, sharing by performers and friends.
- Press and radio: a short press release to local media.
- Word of mouth: happy audiences tell others.
Communication inside the team matters too: one shared plan, clear roles, regular short meetings, polite messages. Meeting new people (other artists, venue staff, sponsors) builds your network.
Digital change, openness and responsibility
Digital change: tickets are sold online, shows are streamed live, artists build fans on social media, and software is used for lighting, sound and planning. This opens new audiences but also brings questions about copyright and fair pay.
Openness: a good programme can mix styles and cultures: folk, classical, jazz, film music, music from other countries. Curiosity helps you discover new artists and audiences.
Respect and responsibility:
- Pay artists and crew what was agreed, on time; credit their names.
- Get permission to use other people's music or images.
- Make the event safe and welcoming for everyone, including people with disabilities.
- Start on time, keep promises to the audience, clean up afterwards.
- Own the result: collect feedback and learn from mistakes.
Key formulas and definitions
- Profit = total income − total costs
- Ticket income = number of tickets sold × ticket price
- Break-even tickets = (costs − other income) ÷ ticket price
- Key terms: producer, stage manager, running order, technical rehearsal, freelance, project economy, network, grant, sponsor, break-even
Worked examples
1. A concert's costs are: fees $1500, venue $800, sound and light $600, advertising $500. What are the total costs?
Step 1: Add them: 1500 + 800 + 600 + 500. Step 2: Total costs = $3400.
2. Using those costs, with a $500 grant and tickets at $15, how many tickets must be sold to break even?
Step 1: Money still needed = 3400 − 500 = $2900. Step 2: Tickets = 2900 ÷ 15 = 193.3. Step 3: You cannot sell part of a ticket, so 194 tickets.
3. 250 tickets are sold at $15. With the $500 grant, what is the profit?
Step 1: Ticket income = 250 × 15 = $3750. Step 2: Total income = 3750 + 500 = $4250. Step 3: Profit = 4250 − 3400 = $850.
4. Your class has 6 weeks to organise a charity concert. Write a simple timeline.
Week 1: choose a theme, date and hall; form teams. Week 2: choose performers and the running order; make a budget. Week 3: design the poster; start social media posts; book sound equipment. Week 4: rehearsals; sell tickets. Week 5: technical rehearsal; check safety and seating. Week 6: the concert; then pay bills, thank everyone, collect feedback.
5. A poster says only "Great Concert! Come!" What is missing?
When (date, time), where (venue), how much (price or free), who is performing, and how to get tickets. A clear image and a contact or link would also help.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the show is only the performers. Without technical and admin people, there is no show.
- Forgetting hidden costs such as insurance, transport, food for the team or equipment hire.
- Making posters with lots of small text and no date or place.
- Using someone's song, photo or video without permission, or not paying and crediting artists.