Blockchain in the Performing Arts

How can blockchain help the entertainment industry?

As a performing artist and blockchain enthusiast, this is a question that I have been pondering on recently.

I’ve been in the entertainment industry for over twenty years now, starting my professional career as a dancer, performing in musical theatre shows such as “A Chorus Line”, and commercially for artists like Gwen Stefani, before making my transition into acting.

"A Chorus Line" at The Sheffield Crucible Theatre - 2003. Can you spot me?

There have been several moments during my career when I have been let down by the industry, well, by producers, casting directors, and agents - those who should’ve had my best interests at heart. I’ve had to chase payments for months, I’ve been flown out to do a commercial in another country as a lead artist, only to be demoted to background artist at the last minute on set, and I’ve been a victim of sexual harassment during the casting process and on jobs (although I lived in denial about it until much recently).

There was this one time that I worked on a concert for some very prominent Filipino artists as a choreographer and dancer, and was tasked to find a team of professional British dancers. Having previously worked in a dancer’s agency as a booker, I was very familiar with the process of hiring dancers, from casting and rate negotiations to contracts and billing, so I felt very confident in dealing with the producers of this show. However, I was not prepared for the production company to go into liquidation the day after the concert which meant that they didn’t pay us, even after seeking help from the Citizens Advice Bureau. I also had to be the one to break the bad news to my dancers, something I felt so bad about that I begged my dad to help pay them a portion of their fee so that at least they would receive some sort of compensation for their hard work, even if it was just a fraction of what they were promised.

Knowing what I do now about blockchain technology (which isn’t much really!), I can’t help but wonder if and how it could help the entertainment industry, and if it could have prevented some of my bad experiences from happening in the first place.

Surely having a smart contract in place would have ensured my dancers and I being paid once we’d finished our performances?

Will we see the day when our fees will be paid in crypto?

Will films be financed and produced through ICOs?

Will this have an impact on the role of agents?

And as performers, could this mean more transparency on both sides (no more exaggerating skills on the resume LOL!)

The fact that this technology is still in its infancy is something that I find so fascinating and exciting; we are only just beginning to understand the disruption it could have in so many aspects of our day-to-day lives, and it will be a while before we are able to truly unlock its full potential, and then some...

I will definitely be watching this space.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post!