Secretariatul literar – Slalom între creație și administrație

Abstract

The artistic secretary is one of the most confusing jobs nowadays, regarded from both inside and outside perspective. There are little scientific references in this field and one can find information basically from mouth to mouth, from the people working in this area. It used to be an indispensable job in the past, but it ran through many changes and updates that it has become a melange between creative and administrative task, with a strong focus on administration.
No academic researches, no university specialisations, no professional training courses. Therefore, you start learning what this job means only when you get hired in a theatre. And then one becomes a little bit of everything, since this job involves a combination between marketing, PR, project manager, festivals and tour coordinator, with relevant knowledge of acting, stage directing, set designer etc. In addition, this job calls for mediation, negotiation and strong multitasking skills.
The artistic secretary is in an ungrateful position. Although, according to the organizational chart, it is part of the artistic department and his duties must cover artistic programs, repertory proposals, events organization and so on, the work he does is totally bureaucratic, thus limiting the time dedicated to creation. However, once you get to feel the satisfactions of this job, it's hard to detach yourself from this job and focus on a „common" job.