Identify decisions that unlock other decisions
List the proposed date, location, performance format and available planning contacts. Then draw the dependencies between them. The room may affect ensemble choices; confirmed access may affect rehearsal planning; an approved schedule may shape travel enquiries. Mark assumptions visibly instead of allowing them to look like facts. This helps the host see why a seemingly small unanswered question can hold up several later choices without turning the process into unnecessary bureaucracy.
Assign local verification to the right people
Ask the appropriate local or professional contacts to confirm applicable work, travel, tax, customs and venue requirements where relevant. These vary by circumstances and should not be inferred from another event or destination. Record who is checking each item and when an answer is expected. Artistic coordination and specialist administrative advice are different responsibilities; a shared planning document should make that distinction visible rather than imply that one replaces the other.
Create one reliable version across time zones
Choose a shared reference time zone for calls and deadlines, while writing local event times explicitly in the running order. Name one approval contact and keep a dated record of agreed changes. Avoid relying on scattered messages that use phrases such as tomorrow morning without context. Where multiple languages are used in planning, confirm which version controls practical instructions and ask recipients to flag ambiguity rather than silently interpret it.
Keep the artistic identity intact
International planning should serve the performance rather than reduce it to travel logistics. Preserve a concise statement of the intended experience alongside the practical tracker. Tal Vaknin is a performing artist. SPS shapes repertoire, ensemble and artistic direction and coordinates the performance with planner and venue teams. Bring destination, availability and administrative questions into the enquiry as matters to verify, not as evidence of worldwide delivery capability or a confirmed engagement.
Before you enquire
- Map dependencies and distinguish confirmed facts from working assumptions.
- Assign applicable local and administrative checks to qualified responsible contacts.
- Use one dated approval record with explicit time zones and instruction language.
