Get Ready for Theatre Ontario’s 2014-2015 Workshop Program

As Summer closes its door, Fall welcomes a window of opportunity: a chance to take your career to the next level! And Theatre Ontario is offering an even better way to stage the future of our members by creating two workshop streams: The Career Stream and The Creator Stream.

Not sure where to get started? No problem, Theatre Ontario offers introductory webinars and courses for those just starting out or who need a refresher. Working actor but looking for a change or some insight? Our Career Stream workshops deliver insider knowledge from casting directors, agents and other industry professionals. Check out our contract law workshop for actors and get legal guidance through your rights and responsibilities when it comes to signing contracts. Get your foot in the door and walk out with endless possibilities to fuel your acting career.

Have an idea for an award-winning play? Great! We have the right workshops for the creator in you. In the Creator Stream, we offer workshops on subjects such as playwriting, proposal writing and a grant writing workshop facilitated by an OAC representative. Or put on your business hat and develop your producing skill-set with marketing, financial and planning workshops. Theatre Ontario can provide any creative individual with the toolbox to build their portfolio as a producer and entrepreneur.

Wondering how to find the time to take these workshops? We've got you covered! We offer individual workshops in the evenings, webinars that you can do from home, and full-day boot camps and weekend intensives for those of you who want to get started right away. No matter your availability we offer flexible programming to fit any artist’s schedule. And we provide our members great value by offering discounted prices on all our workshops, courses and boot camps.

So are you ready to Stage your Future?

The Career Stream

The Career Stream is for those who want to learn and harness the basic tools and resources needed to thrive in the profession.

1. Launching Your Career (previously known as Getting Started for Actors): An introductory level workshop for those with limited or no previous professional experience in the industry. Delivered by webinar online training, with guest speaker video clips.  Topics covered:

• Introduction – the gist of it!
• Starting your Business – just the beginning
• Finances – keeping yourself afloat
• Marketing – “selling” yourself
• Professional Development – keeping things fresh

2. Managing Your Career: The next level for established artists, for those who have completed formal training, are in mid-career, or are in career transition. Delivered as individual workshops or full-day boot camps.  Workshops offered:

• Networking
• Audition Talkback
• Ask an Agent
• Ask a Casting Director
• Working in other media
• Marketing: Creating your Brand
• Promoting your brand-Social
• Financial Basics for Artists
• Taxes for (Theatre) Artists
• Law For Artists
• Your Associations-CAEA, ACTRA

The Creator Stream

The Creator Stream is for anyone looking to produce their own work or start their own theatre company. Behind every great masterpiece lies the visionary who created it—You, the producer, who is also a ‘Jack of All Trades’. With in-depth knowledge and a wealth of experience from industry professionals, participants will walk away with confidence and inspiration.

1. Unleashing Your Inner Entrepreneur (previously known as Self-Start: The Basics of Producing): An introductory level workshop for those with limited or no previous professional experience in the industry. Delivered by webinar online training, with guest speaker video clips.  Topics covered:

• Producing a Show vs. Starting a Company
• The Fun Part: The 5 “Ws” and an “H” of Producing
• “What” do you want to do? - Rights for creating, writing or adapting
• “Where” do you want to do it? - Theatre, venue or site-specific
• “Who” do you want to do it with? - Contracts, Agreements and Insurance
• “When” do you want to do it? - Planning and Scheduling
• “Why” do you do it? – Marketing and PR
• “How” do you do it? – Budgets and Fundraising

2. The Artist as Entrepreneur: Established level for Intermediate Producers or self-producing artists looking to upgrade/update their producing skill set. Delivered as individual workshops or full day boot camps.  Workshops offered:

• Grant Writing Information Session
• Proposal Grant Writing Skills
• Business Basics: planning for artists
• Finances: budgeting and funding
• Boards and Fundraising
• Social Media 101-Creating your brand
• Marketing: PR, Web and Social Media-Promoting your brand
• Legal I: Contracts, Agreements and Rights— CAEA, PGC, PACT, ADC, SOCAN
• Legal II: Incorporation and charity status

Registrations will be available soon.  Contact Ashleigh Addison, Community Outreach Coordinator, at outreach@theatreontario.org or 416.408.4556 x.10 to register for our September sessions.