Grant Writing Information Sessions Coming to Your Community

We are thrilled to be bringing our popular, free Grant Writing Information Sessions to communities across Ontario.

Looking for tips and must-dos for preparing an application to the Ontario Arts Council?  Pat Bradley, Theatre Officer of the Ontario Arts Council, will share her perspective, information, and tips about project grants, particularly the OAC’s three theatre project programs.

Upcoming sessions include:

• Toronto  – Monday, January 13, 2014 at 6pm in the Theatre Ontario Boardroom
• London – Monday, January 27, 2014 at 6pm in the Jessica Tandy Rehearsal Hall at The Grand Theatre
• Ottawa – Monday, March 24, 2014 at 6pm in the Omni Board Room at Great Canadian Theatre Company

We are also planning sessions in Barrie and Sudbury.

Grant Writing Information Session with Pat Bradley at Theatre Ontario

New Workshop Sessions on Proposal Writing, Taxes, Playwriting, and Grant Writing

We’re pleased to announce five new Theatre Ontario workshops—including more Grant Writing Information Sessions for Playwrights and Theatre Artists.

Proposal Writing with Wanda Nanibush on Tuesday, February 19—for individuals and organizations applying for funding and sponsorships, learn to write proposals that place the reader in a position where they have an overwhelming desire to fund, promote or collaborate with you.  Bring a current proposal that you are working on for group and one-on-one feedback, and walk out with new skills, ideas, confidence—and possibly a finished proposal.

Taxes For Theatre Artists with Sam Marinucci on Thursday, March 7—What are Revenue Canada’s record-keeping requirements? What expenses can you claim? What deductions are you allowed? How do you report your income? How does HST impact you?  Whether you are employed, self-employed, or registered as a small business this session is an opportunity for you to check your facts, ask questions, and share experiences.

Playwriting: Idea to First Draft with Lindsay Price on Saturday, March 9—Sometimes the hardest step in the playwriting process is the first. Where do I find inspiration? How do I develop an idea? What if my idea fizzles out halfway through? This workshop takes you from the idea stage to confidently writing a first draft.

We also have two more Grant Writing Information Session for Playwrights and Theatre Artists, with Pat Bradley, Theatre Officer of the Ontario Arts Council—These sessions share information, perspective, and tips about project grants, particularly the OAC’s three professional theatre project programs—Theatre Projects, Playwright Residency, and Theatre Creators’ Reserve.  The new Grant Writing Information sessions will be in Thunder Bay on Wednesday, February 27 and in Ottawa on Thursday, March 21.

We’re also still taking registrations for our previously announced workshops—Grant Writing Information Session for Playwrights and Theatre Artists in Burlington on Thursday, January 24; Getting Started For Actors on Wednesday, January 30; and Self-Start: The Basics of Producing on Wednesday, February 6.

Read more about all of the upcoming Theatre Ontario training opportunities

New Workshops for the New Year

We have both exciting new workshops and some returning favourites coming up in January and early February.

Inclusion—Professional Advice for Professional Theatre Companies, with charles c. smith: Part 1 on Tuesday, January 15, Part 2 on Tuesday, April 16 – As part of their creative process, contemporary theatres are working to gain a better sense of creative possibilities and to engage communities in all aspects of their operations. This has been both a rewarding and difficult challenge for theatre companies that are addressing such issues in the context of diversity and pluralism, particularly in terms of making connections with Aboriginal peoples, peoples of colour, persons with disabilities, and others whose mother tongue is not one of Canada's official languages and whose religious and/or spiritual beliefs fall outside of the dominant western belief systems.  This two-part session will assist theatre leaders in addressing these concerns and coming to understand how to begin to move their practices so that they are open and inclusive.

Auditions—Preparation, Etiquette, Expectations, with Elley-Ray Hennessy, Andrew Lamb and Renna Reddie on Wednesday, January 16 – Join us for this Talk Back Session on: What should you expect at auditions?; What do you bring to an audition?; Good & bad audition stories; Differences between film, TV, commercials & theatre auditions; Equity versus non-equity auditions; Crashing auditions—when is it a good idea?

Grant Writing Information Session for Playwrights and Theatre Artists, with Pat Bradley, Theatre Officer of the Ontario Arts Council on Thursday, January 24 in Burlington – These sessions share information, perspective, and tips about project grants, particularly the OAC’s three professional theatre project programs—Theatre Projects, Playwright Residency, and Theatre Creators’ Reserve.  (And we’re looking forward to announcing sessions in other Ontario communities in the new year!)

Getting Started for Actors, with Tim Chapman on Wednesday, January 30 – For actors beginning their professional careers, this two-hour workshop answers the most frequently asked questions about the business of acting.  Find out about the realities of showbiz, pictures and resumes, Equity and ACTRA, agents and casting directors, auditioning, and maintaining and improving your acting skills.

Self-Start: The Basics of Producing, with Tim Chapman on Wednesday, February 6 – If you want to do a show but have never produced professionally before, and if you want to know what questions to ask first, this workshop is for you.  This workshop gives you the opportunity to ask questions and try out ideas, discover the questions you need to ask and answer, learn to organize your thinking and planning, work on scheduling and budget considerations, and find out about available resources and services.

Read more about all of the training opportunities at Theatre Ontario on our website

Theatre Ontario Hosts Two Grant Writing Information Sessions

Theatre Ontario is excited to announce that we are hosting two free information sessions on grant-writing, with Pat Bradley from the Ontario Arts Council and Michael Du Maresq and Margo Charlton of the Toronto Arts Council.  The first session on September 12 is for theatre organizations and collectives; the second session on September 19, is for individual theatre artists.

Space in these workshops will be available exclusively to Theatre Ontario members until August 30, and then opened to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Read more about our Grant Writing Information Session for Organizations and Collectives, and our Grant Writing Information Session for Theatre Artists.