Netta Toledano embodies the artist-as-entrepreneur, building original productions like Ivy and the Poison by blending creativity with logistical self-reliance. Drawing on her multicultural background and multidisciplinary training, she navigates the dual pressures of performance and production, turning independence into both a challenge and a source of artistic freedom—showing how today’s creators can sustain their careers by building their own platforms and audiences.
In the contemporary performing arts landscape, a growing number of creators are moving beyond traditional roles to become entrepreneurial forces, managing their projects from conception to curtain call. This shift demands a blend of artistic vision and logistical acumen, redefining what it means to build a sustainable career in the arts.
These multidisciplinary artists are not just waiting for opportunities; they are actively building their own stages. Among them is Netta Toledano, a musician, actor, director, and writer whose work spans the stages of New York and Israel.
A graduate of Tel Aviv University with training from the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, she exemplifies the modern artist-producer. Through original, self-generated works like her immersive musical Ivy and the Poison, Toledano navigates the complexities of independent production, embodying a hands-on approach to storytelling.
The impetus to take control of one’s creative destiny often stems from necessity. For Toledano, her production journey began during the global pandemic with an educational virtual musical, #Purimusical2021. Faced with a tight deadline and no budget, the experience became a foundational lesson in resourcefulness and willpower.
“We didn’t have a choice but to make it work, despite having no experience or budget, only creativity and pure willpower,” Toledano recalls. This mindset is common among entrepreneurs, who often exhibit a high tolerance for risk and a drive to create. That initial project instilled a lasting philosophy that continues to guide her work.
Toledano states, “That’s how I’ve gone about all my projects: Let’s make something because why not? What do we have to lose? It won’t be perfect, but at least it will exist.” This perspective aligns with studies showing that personality traits such as enthusiasm and a need for achievement are strong predictors of entrepreneurial intention.
For many artists who produce their own work, the line between performing and creating is inherently fluid. Toledano’s background as a musician laid the groundwork for a career that embraces both sides of the production. This duality allows for a holistic approach where performance and development are deeply intertwined.
“I started my artistic journey as a singer-songwriter, so I’ve always been a creator/performer,” she explains. Research comparing artists and entrepreneurs indicates that while both groups share high openness to experience, artists tend to score higher in creativity, while entrepreneurs demonstrate greater self-efficacy. Toledano’s career operates at the intersection of these profiles.
This integrated approach reshaped her view of traditional roles. “The few times that I did perform a role, it was hard for me to stay in my lane, and I would usually end up getting involved in the production or even the writing,” she says. This hands-on impulse is vital in a field where social networking and proactive engagement can significantly influence a project’s success.
Independent production is a landscape of constant problem-solving, where interpersonal dynamics can be as challenging as budgetary constraints. Toledano’s experience producing Antigone in New York, a play by Janusz Glowacki, highlighted the critical importance of a cohesive and committed team, especially when navigating the inevitable difficulties of a low-budget endeavor.
“In projects like these, obstacles and road bumps are a feature, not a bug,” she notes. Successfully managing these challenges requires a high degree of what experts call psychological resilience, particularly for independent artists. When conflicts arise, resolving them constructively is key to moving forward.
The experience underscored the significance of personnel choices. “That’s why it’s so crucial to choose the right people, because a good attitude and goodwill can overcome anything, but a bad egg can stink up the experience,” Toledano states. This focus on interaction quality echoes principles of transformative mediation, where conflict is viewed as an opportunity to strengthen interaction rather than simply solve a problem.
The role of a self-producing artist is a continuous balancing act between the creative vision and the logistical framework required to realize it. This involves a meticulous approach to planning and an acceptance that administrative tasks are as crucial as artistic ones. For Toledano, this balance is a learned skill honed through direct experience.
“A lot of prep work, and being a little bit neurotic helps,” she admits, pointing to the detailed organization needed to manage a production from the ground up. This duality of roles is reflected in crowdfunding, where an entrepreneur’s personality and openness can directly impact their ability to secure funding.
While she gravitates toward the creative side, she recognizes the value of the logistical challenges. “I’m grateful for the experience and the life lessons that being a self-generated artist has taught me,” Toledano reflects. Models for audience development in the arts also emphasize the importance of creating opportunities for engagement, a fundamentally logistical task.
An artist’s background profoundly shapes their creative voice, and for Toledano, a multicultural upbringing is central to her work. Having lived in West Africa, the US, Israel, Italy, and New Zealand, she navigates the complexities of a hybrid identity, which informs her storytelling and performance style. “Multiculturalism has been the through line of my life,” she says.
This was exemplified during her travels in the Ivory Coast, where a chance meeting with world-famous Ivorian reggae singer Alpha Blondy led to an unexpected invitation. She brought her guitar to his radio channel, Alpha Blondy FM, and played her music during a one-hour interview conducted entirely in French.
This experience of existing between cultures is a theme explored by other contemporary artists, such as Bharti Kher, whose work examines the concept of “the multiple self.”
This complex identity comes with its own challenges. “The downside of growing up between so many cultures and languages is that you never feel fully at home,” Toledano notes. Her perspective resonates with the work of artists like Sarah Biscarra-Dilley, who explore themes of cultural marginalization and mixed heritage.
Choosing to self-produce offers immense artistic freedom, but it also consolidates all creative and logistical pressures onto one individual. This trade-off is a central dynamic for the independent artist, who must be both the visionary and the executor. Toledano acknowledges this duality as an inherent part of her process.
“On the other hand, I’m free to do what I want, choose what I’m working on without compromising or waiting for a role,” she observes. This autonomy allows her to pursue unconventional projects that might not fit traditional molds. It provides an alternative to the stresses of conventional performance careers, which can include managing conditions like Music Performance Anxiety.
The independence, however, comes with its own weight. “There’s definitely added pressure, but it’s worth it because I get to do what I love, and I wouldn’t trade it for the pressure of constantly auditioning,” Toledano concludes. This sentiment captures the core appeal of the artist-entrepreneur path: the challenges are significant, but so are the rewards of self-determination.
In the digital age, the notion of being “discovered” has become increasingly obsolete. Today’s artists must be proactive in building their own audiences and platforms. For emerging creators, self-production and self-promotion are no longer optional but essential components of a viable career.
“I think in today’s world, you have to self-produce and self-promote,” Toledano advises. This approach is reflected in the missions of modern arts organizations like the Vanguard Theater Company, which is dedicated to creating platforms for diverse 21st-century artists.
The rise of social media has further cemented this reality, making an online presence a crucial tool for audience engagement. “With social media being so influential, you can’t really rely on ‘getting discovered’ in real life,” she adds. Artists are now encouraged to actively seek visibility through avenues like performance showcases and digital content creation.
Toledano’s current focus, Ivy and the Poison, synthesizes her multidisciplinary skills into a single, ambitious project. The show is designed as an immersive emo-punk musical that intentionally blurs the line between a scripted play and a live concert, a format that challenges traditional theatrical boundaries.
“My main project that I’ve been working on for about 3 years now is an immersive emo punk musical called Ivy and the Poison,” she says. This genre of immersive theater dismantles the fourth wall, inviting the audience to become part of the performance environment.
The show’s structure is unique, presenting itself as a real-time event. “It is a scripted play masquerading as an emo punk band concert, where the songs all tell one cohesive story, and my character, the front woman, has a mental breakdown on stage,” Toledano explains. This innovative format, as noted in a recent review, creates a powerful form of punk catharsis for the audience.
By merging a cohesive narrative with the energy of a live concert, featuring musical influences from My Chemical Romance to Mitski, the project aims to create a visceral and unforgettable experience. The goal is to make the audience question what is real and what is performance, a technique that pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling.
The journey of artists like Toledano highlights a significant evolution in the creative industries. By embracing entrepreneurship, these creators are not only producing innovative work but also forging new, more sustainable models for artistic careers. Their work suggests that the future of the arts may belong to those who are willing to build their own stages from the ground up.
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