2026 Program Update from Kyle Keogh
Dear Chautauquans,
For more than 150 years, Chautauqua has been a place where people gather to learn, reflect, grow and connect. We have weathered periods of social change, economic challenges and cultural transformation because we have always adapted — thoughtfully and deliberately — to meet the needs of the moment while safeguarding our mission for the future.
That same spirit of resilience guides us now. As we look ahead to the 2026 Summer Assembly and beyond, we are making strategic programming decisions designed to strengthen Chautauqua’s financial foundation, protect the experiences that matter most, and position the Institution for another century and a half of impact.
These decisions are rooted in three clear priorities:
- Resilience in fulfilling our mission: Directing resources toward programs that most reflect Chautauqua’s Four Pillars and deliver the greatest impact for our patrons.
- Resilience in managing our finances: Generating more than $675,000 in annual savings and efficiencies to support long-term sustainability and reduce pressure on future budgets.
- Resilience in providing for our future: Creating space for new audiences and continuing to invest in the quality of the patron experience.
The changes taking effect in 2026 are part of a broader institutional plan to ensure Chautauqua’s sustainability for decades to come. Across all areas of our work, we are pursuing more than $5.7 million in expense reductions and revenue enhancements through three primary strategies: personnel realignment, operational efficiencies and program adjustments.
Our decisions to maintain investments in high-impact areas and reduce or discontinue a broader set of programs are intended to help meet our net savings target and have been guided by a careful analysis of attendance data and Net Promoter Scores across all programs.
The following are some of the changes that will be implemented for the 2026 season and then reevaluated for the 2027 season.
Together, we are writing the next chapter of our story, one that builds on Chautauqua’s legacy and ensures this place continues to inspire, challenge and connect generations to come.
Please join me at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, for a Community Webinar on these program changes for 2026 and as part of our continuing commitment to transparency and candor in this time of transition.
With gratitude,
Kyle F. Keogh
Interim Chief Executive
Music, Arts and Performance
- Chautauqua Theater Company will eliminate one mainstage production, with most of the savings offset by increased production costs for the remaining performances. This action will also allow focus for new offerings in the Roe Green Theater Center.
- The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra Fellows Program will be reduced from five positions to three, enabling the program to be fully supported through philanthropy.
- The Music School Festival Orchestra will shorten its season by one week.
- Some additional weekday and Sunday programs in the Amphitheater will feature student and/or faculty performances through a Schools in the Amp initiative.
- New initiatives — including a theater intensive for youth and a Black Box late-night series — will be piloted in 2026.
- Concessions will be piloted in Odland Plaza and the Amphitheater (pending board approval at the November meeting).
- Practice cabins will be available for public rental during Weeks Seven, Eight and Nine.
Lectures, Literary Arts, Religion and Education
- The Interfaith Lecture Series will offer four lectures each week. The 2 p.m. Friday slot will now be used for the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle lecture, which was previously held at 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays in the Hall of Philosophy.
- Morning worship services will move to the Hall of Philosophy on Thursdays and Fridays, aligning space use with attendance and operational needs.
- The Abrahamic Program for Young Adults will pause.
- Following a planned two-year sunset, the Institution has ended its financial support of the Chautauqua literary annual, which continues as a student-focused initiative based at longtime partner UNC Wilmington.
- One CLSC author will additionally serve as a faculty member for the Writers’ Center, combining program resources to help the Writers’ Center break even.
- The Writers’ Lab (spring or fall) and Young Writers Institute (summer) will pause.
- The Poetry Makerspace activities will be moved to the Octagon and Smith Memorial Library.
- The Heritage Lecture Series will end.
- The Forum on Democracy will pause.
Youth, Family and Community Programs
- Young Adult Dances will be discontinued.
- Sunday School will end.
- The Battle of the Books program will pause for 2026 while alternative funding is explored.
- Program venue blackouts will be implemented to improve scheduling and operational efficiency.
Special Studies and Lifelong Learning
- There will no longer be Special Studies course monitors.
- Online year-round classes will be discontinued due to limited return on investment.
- The Chautauqua on a Budget program will expand by one week, meeting demand for affordable, all-inclusive options.
