"Art is an effort to create, beside the real world, a more humane world."
– Andre Maurois
Nine Muses Travel is a proud member of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), and 2021 marks my third year in a row attending and exhibiting at their annual conference, which is wrapping up this week. This year they've managed to make the entire conference virtual - plenary sessions, affinity groups, and even performance showcases! Because sessions are recorded, I've actually been able to participate even more fully in the APAP conference and "look around" at all the conference programming unlike previous years when I'm at my Nine Muses Travel booth in the exhibit hall. I LOVE exhibiting at arts conferences for Nine Muse Travel, and I really miss the energy of the room, meeting new people, and seeing old friends.
While all of us in APAP are missing the invaluable in-person connections we make each year at the conference held at the Midtown Sheraton in NYC, we were able to have some phenomenal panels and guest speakers including none other than Dr. Fauci himself! Click the photo above for a recap of Saturday's live conversation when he advised that by Fall we could see a return to indoor live performance. I also learned from Dr. Fauci that anyone can be trained how to administer a vaccine, and I think it would be amazing if arts venues used their dormant spaces as vaccination sites. Our government could put actors, musicians, and dancers to work jabbing arms, and let the stage managers, Equity audition monitors, house managers, and ushers run the whole operation like a BOSS. Seriously!
While I've kept eagle eyes on everything travel-related this past year, the APAP virtual sessions threw me fully into the parallel universe of how deeply affected the arts industry has also been. There were exquisitely thought-provoking sessions related to race and representation, climate and sustainability, and resilience and mental health for the arts field. One panelist's sentiment has been echoing in my soul. "Nothing is going back to normal. And for many, "normal" was terrifying, especially the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. How do we create a way for what needs to emerge, to emerge?"
Nine Muses Travel is a member organization of APAP because I also work with non-profits in creating exciting donor travel programs to engage and grow their patron community. As a former arts manager, I love combining my passions to orchestrate travel planning for arts organizations. Usually, I do a lot of talking at the APAP conference, explaining why there's a travel advisor there and how I can help companies in their fundraising and development endeavors. This year, when the arts are in survival mode, I took this virtual opportunity to talk less and listen more.
I don't know yet how I can help "create a way for what needs to emerge" in a way that is impactful on a mass scale. For now, I can reaffirm that I treat every client with respect, kindness, and gratitude for the gift of your choosing me to bring your travel dreams alive. I honor the whole person that you are, the unique desires fueling your travel ideas, and your basic need to feel safe wherever you roam. Nine Muses Travel is a travel agency for lovers of arts, culture, history, and cuisine, and I deeply, deeply believe in the transformative power of all those things.
Contact Nine Muses Travel when you're ready for a 2021 getaway and to learn more about me and what I can do for you!
I design journeys that inspire by highlighting local arts and culture, history, and cuisine for intellectually curious clients longing to feel deeply inspired by exciting destinations, culinary delights, and authentic cultural experiences on a life-changing, joyful journey of discovery.
Danielle Dybiec
Founder & President
Comments