#artsmanager

In the realm of Culture Managers in Performing Arts, Iris Lichtinger crafts and curates culturally resonant events that balance heritage with innovation. She aligns artistry with impact, giving space to emerging voices and bold ideas. Her expertise fuels inclusive, forward-thinking programming that connects deeply with audiences while evolving the creative landscape. Grasp a look at our website for more.

  As Annie was born for the gun, I was doin’ what came natur’lly. I am a dreamer who follows my heart and who is aware of difficulties by doing so. My life begins in Seoul, South Korea when I started my career as an actor at an early age of 6. Because I was always surrounded by arts and society, I could observe the world from different perspectives. Instead of only seeing the beauty of arts, I learned how fragile it could be. There was another side of the world behind the camera where people end up killing themselves due to vulnerability, poverty and jealousy. But at the same time, I learned how strong arts could be. Arts could change the world and it changed me. It led me to survive and challenge another chapter of my life to study Master’s in Arts Leadership in the United States. Now that I am here, there is no backing up.

  After 20 years of acting career, I started wonder about jobs in the backstage or in the office. I have been always wanted to know how it feels to care about others than just focusing only on myself and being always alone. So, I first started my career as a translator and a local house manager for a Canadian circus tour, ‘Cirque du Soleil’. Standing in the very back of the theater, I found true happiness. I liked hearing the reactions of audience during intermissions. I loved complimenting the artists and working for the team. Then one day, I saw a man seating in the very back of the theater with his serious look. He was the founder of the show, Guy Laliberte. He was the one who developed this show to the world-wide scale from a small street performance. I approached to him and asked what I could do to become like him. He said, “Be yourself and magic will happen.”

   Since then, I worked excessively in theaters and shows to make something happen. My degree in English Translation and my background in Theater helped me to get jobs easily. I got involved in famous productions as stagehand, stage manager, sound engineer, lighting crew, and as an usher. I never minded wiping the swat out of artists or mopping the stage floor as long as I was in the theater. Then it was a time when I had to choose between the dream and the reality: Graduation. However, my parents were not fond of a daughter hiding backstage instead of standing onstage. People often misunderstood me that I ‘gave up’ becoming an actor. To persuade them towards my aspiration that someday I will become an arts leader, I had to set a long-term plan.

   After the graduation, I made a choice to join a management team at a financial firm, Lockton Companies Inc. My purpose was to learn about business operations in the richer fields and input the idea into the arts. Because I was involved in the company’s M&A set-up process, I learned every aspects of business from Human Resources to Financial Management. At the same time, I never stopped working for arts. I worked overnight in theaters after my full-time job. But having my two feet in different grounds was hard to balance. One day, my mother found me lying on the floor unconsciously and I was diagnosed with Renal cell tumor. As I was going through an operation, I lost all my will to continue anything. Then I started to think deeply about the reason of my being. But strangely, that was the time when I truly listened to myself reminding a word from Guy Laliberte, “Be yourself and magic will happen.”

   The magic did happen. I was recovered from the operation very fast. I recharged myself fully enough to explore and continue my plan. I went back to the office and worked as nothing has ever happened. But I stopped working overnight in theaters. Instead, I started my own volunteer group called, ‘Chaeknuna Project’ to run children’s audio book theater programs in libraries for children in need. In this project, I made thousands of children to enjoy reading books through artistic activities. I could use various talents of volunteers to teach blind children, North Korean refugees and children in orphanage. From only 3 starting members, 80 volunteers were gathered nationwide to work at 10 different organizations. Once a year, we organized a charity book concert with artists to help establishing a school for blind children. We are continuing out project for 2 years since I started and now it is recognized as nonprofit organization. It was a great example of making the arts useful. What we did was necessary in this world and it accorded my vision. Gathering different talents and helping the needy not only influenced each volunteer but also my life-long sponsors- my parents- to finally accept my passion for arts leadership.