Organized by Interstudio, the Federal institute for the Professional Development in Culture, the conference entitled Economics of the Performing Arts: Fundamental Models and Contemporary Views, taking place in St. Petersburg, Russia, on 16-19 March 2006, invites experts in the arts, teachers, scholars, members of creative unions and professional associations, officers of the cultural sector and all those interested in the socio-economical problems of culture to discuss issues relevant to the performing arts' business. Continuing a series of the events and actions, held as a part of a long-term project under the title The Yufit Assemblies which was started in January 2001, this year's theme is inspired by the upcoming publication of Performing Arts - The Economic Dilemma: 40 Years After, which will be presented within the framework of the conference. This book is based on the classical work by William J. Baumol and William G. Bowen on the economics of the arts (New York, 1966), published in Russian for the first time. The main topics of the conference are: the place of the performing arts in the contemporary cultural process, the audience of the performing arts yesterday, today and tomorrow: tendencies of the changes, price as the marketing instrument and social regulator of the consumption: main trends of the pricing policy, the income-expense structure of the performing arts institutions: old and new regularities, and sources and mechanisms of the performing arts' financing. For further information contact: Interstudio Conference, Nevsky prospect, 86, of.93, St. Petersburg, 191025 Russia; tel./fax: +7 (812) 275-3709, 275-4221; http://www.interstudio.ru/eng/ufit.htm