FREE MONEY

by Nancy Kenny

Well, now that I have your attention, read on.

Nathan Gibbs via Compfight

As an independent theatre producer, I constantly find myself paying for my projects out of pocket. Yes, I have received grant money in the past and I do believe they still offer much needed help to artists. However the process to get them can be lengthy, the competition just keeps getting tougher, the pool money available often seems to be shrinking, and at the end of the day, after jumping through all the necessary hoops, you're still not guaranteed a dime. (That said, for more information and tips on grant writing, please see some of my previous posts here and here, as well as my podcast series with the Ontario Arts Council.) What's a poor artist/producer to do? Well, if you've been anywhere near the Internet in the last year or so, chances are good that you've heard about Crowdfunding. According to the knower of all knowledge (i.e. Wikipedia):

Crowd funding or crowdfunding describes the collective effort of individuals who network and pool their money, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations. Crowd funding is used in support of a wide variety of activities, including disaster relief, citizen journalism, support of artists by fans, political campaigns, start-up company funding, movie or free software development, inventions development and scientific research.

Now, you might not have been aware of the term "crowdfunding," but you've probably heard of the multiple platforms out there that perform this very service. I'm talking about the Kickstarters, the Indiegogos and the GoFundMes, among others. So, you just pick a crowdfunding site, put in your brilliant project, send out a tweet and BLAMMO! Now you can just kick back and watch all that glorious moulah roll in, right? Well, not quite. While I personally find crowdfunding to be easier than writing one grant application after another, it still involves quite a bit of work. From choosing the platform that's right for you, having a financial goal in mind, creating perks, leveraging your network and fans, making campaign updates that don't annoy the heck out of everyone you know and following through on your promises, developing a successful crowdfunding campaign requires a lot of careful planning and considerations.

ED. UPDATE: Our next "Crowdfunding Essentials" workshop with Nancy will be on November 15, as part of our "Artist as Entrepreneur" Boot Camp.

Originally posted: http://nancykenny.ca/2013/02/free-money/

Nancy Kenny is a professional actor, writer and independent producer. She is a founding member of Evolution Theatre in Ottawa, now entering its seventh season, and has toured her one-woman show, Roller Derby Saved My Soul, to great critical and public acclaim across the country. She ran a successful crowdfunding campaign for RDSMS and is excited to share with you what she learned along the way.

For almost ten years, Nancy has been working in marketing, promotions, and event planning with a focus on social media and theatre arts organizations.  She has worked professionally for the University of Ottawa, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian War Museum, the Great Canadian Theatre Company, and Evolution Theatre.  She was the Interim Online Communications Coordinator for the Ontario Arts Council, and currently produces and hosts their monthly podcast series.  She is also the Social Media & Community Manager for VIA Rail.

Web: www.nancykenny.ca Twitter: @nancykenny

Browsing The Bulletin Board

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?  Theatre Ontario's Taxes For Theatre Artists workshop with Sam Marinucci on March 7 will help you find the answers.

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?  Theatre Ontario's Playwriting: Idea to First Draft with Lindsay Price on March 9 takes you from the idea stage to confidently writing a first draft.

Does your organization want to undertake a unique youth training project, led by professional theatre artists?  Theatre Ontario's Youth Theatre Training Program may be for you.  The application deadline is March 15.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• The Toronto Fringe Festival is announcing a free community event series called “Tent Talks in the Creation Lab”—a monthly discussion addressing pertinent issues that indie theatre artists face.  The first talk is today at 11am, addressing the question: “With government funding for the arts in decline, how do we remain proactive and guarantee that we can afford to make innovative work that is not tied to corporate sponsorship?”
• The Arts and Letters Club in Toronto is holding a student playwriting contest for secondary and post-secondary students in the Greater Toronto Area.  Submission deadline is February 28, and the prize is $1000
• Magnetic North Theatre Festival is inviting submissions for Pitches at the 2013 Festival—this program is for professional artists with projects that have financial and producing strategies in place, seeking collaborators to take the project to the next level.  Application deadline is March 1
• Jumblies Theatre is running a workshop on directing community-engaged performance, starting on March 2
• Ryerson University Continuing Education is starting a program on Communication and Promotion for the Arts for arts managers, potential arts managers, and individual artists.  This course led by Sue Edworthy and Jacoba Knaapen starts March 4
• ArtsBuild Ontario is providing a five-episode webinar series on Making Sense of the New Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Standards; Theatre Ontario member organizations are eligible for a discount on this program.  It starts March 4
• Toronto Fringe Festival will be inviting applications for Visual Fringe (for visual artists, performance artists and all those in-between) on March 4, and AlleyFringe (for artists with micro-plays that are staged in tents and sheds in the Fringe Club) on March 6; the deadline for Site-Specific Art is also March 4

New on The Bulletin Board

• The Wuchien Michael Than (WMT) Foundation is pleased to announce funding for Theatre Productions in the province of Ontario for productions taking place between September 1st, 2013 and August 31st, 2014.  Charitable Organizations who are producing works by Asian Canadian Playwrights are invited and highly encourage to submit an application.  Deadline for submission of applications is May 1st, 2013.

Check out these items, and all our postings of workshops, calls for submission, specific volunteer opportunities, awards, and much more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Advocating for Theatre, Arts, and Culture in Ontario

By Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

We all had the date marked on our calendar.  Arts Day at Queen’s Park was going to bring together artists and arts administrators with Members of Provincial Parliament to meet and talk about the value of arts in Ontario and the work of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC).

Unfortunately, Dalton McGuinty’s resignation as Premier and the prorogation of Queen’s Park changed our plans.  Instead, we would meet locally in the MPP’s riding office.  Both individual Theatre Ontario members and representatives of member organizations were among the many people from all arts disciplines who volunteered to meet with their MPPs.  I met with Reza Moridi, Liberal MPP for Richmond Hill and recently appointed Minister of Research and Innovation, to share some of the good news:

• Ontario’s cultural sector directly contributes $19.7 billion annually to Ontario’s economy, representing 4.2% of the province’s GDP
• Direct employment in Ontario’s cultural sector is 252,300 people or 4.1% of total Ontario employment
• Ontario arts organizations receiving operating funding from the OAC had direct expenditures of $541 million in 2009-2010, with previous research showing almost 90% of arts organizations’ spending on goods and services going directly to Ontario business
• Arts and culture tourist spending generated $3.7 billion in GDP province-wide in 2010

But the most exciting part of the discussion for me was talking about the intrinsic value of the arts—the studies showing how arts activities help enrich the quality of our lives, and play an important role in building our identity as a province within Canada and internationally—and it was heartening to hear Mr. Moridi be as enthusiastic about art’s intrinsic value as its economic value.

We’re proud at Theatre Ontario to be able to advocate on behalf of our members—and we look forward to continuing to articulate your needs to our political leaders in the future.

ONstage Openings for the week of February 25

In Southwestern Ontario
Feb. 27, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Theatre Ancaster (Hamilton)
Feb. 28, Heart's Desire at Elgin Theatre Guild (St. Thomas)

In Toronto
Feb. 25, Aluna Cafe: La Maliche at Aluna Theatre
Feb. 26, Spotlight Japan at Canadian Stage
Feb. 27, And Slowly Beauty... at Tarragon Theatre (currently in previews)
Feb. 27, Jacob And Jack at TEATRON Toronto Jewish Theatre
Feb. 28, The Cat Came Back at Young People's Theatre
Mar. 1, Bent at Hart House Theatre
Mar. 2, Iceland at Factory Theatre (in previews)

In Eastern Ontario
Feb. 28, Cactus Flower at Smiths Falls Community Theatre
Mar. 1, Innocence Lost at National Arts Centre—English Theatre (Ottawa) with previews from Feb. 27

For more information on these shows and other theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Spaces are still available in our upcoming Grant Writing Information Session for Playwrights and Theatre Artists in Thunder Bay on February 27 at 6:30pm – Pat Bradley of the Ontario Arts Council shares information, perspective, and tips about project grants, particularly the OAC’s three professional theatre project programs—Theatre Projects, Playwright Residency, and Theatre Creators’ Reserve

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Playwrights Guild of Canada is holding a workshop with Gideon Arthurs for artists with a successful Fringe Festival show, interested in creating a future for your piece on February 25

New on The Bulletin Board

• The Toronto Fringe Festival is announcing a free community event series called “Tent Talks in the Creation Lab”—a monthly discussion addressing pertinent issues that indie theatre artists face.  The first talk is on February 27, addressing the question: “With government funding for the arts in decline, how do we remain proactive and guarantee that we can afford to make innovative work that is not tied to corporate sponsorship?”

Check out these items, and all our postings of workshops, calls for submission, specific volunteer opportunities, awards, and much more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of February 19

In Northeastern Ontario
Feb. 20, You Are Here at Sault Theatre Workshop
Feb. 21, Same Time, Next Year at Sudbury Theatre Centre

In Southwestern Ontario
Feb. 22, To Kill A Mockingbird at London Community Players
Feb. 22, Barefoot In The Park at The Edge Productions (Windsor)

In Toronto
Feb. 20, Little One / Other People's Children at Tarragon Theatre (currently in previews)
Feb. 20, And Slowly Beauty... at Tarragon Theatre (in previews)
Feb. 20, The 34th Rhubarb Festival at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Feb. 21, Midden at Toronto Irish Players
Feb. 21, Communicating Doors at East Side Players

In Central Ontario
Feb. 22, Sketching Sunshine at Theatre Orangeville, with a preview on Feb. 21 – world premiere
Feb. 22, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) at Peterborough Theatre Guild

In Eastern Ontario
Feb. 22, Annie Jr at Mississippi Mudds of Carleton Place

For more information on these shows and other theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Ontario Off Stage

Conversations

• Praxis Theatre and the Theatre Centre are launching Civil Debates—a monthly series that invites two speakers from opposite sides of an argument to debate their perspectives for a live audience, bringing together an engaged online community into a physical space.  The first subject for March 7: “Be it resolved that the Creative Cities theories serve to reinforce dominant class structures” [UPDATE: This debate will now take place on March 15.]
• The U.S. National New Play Network has received cornerstone funding to launch “The New Play Exchange”—one of the most innovative ways I’ve seen to connect playwrights and theatres by replacing the playwright submission process with crowd-sourced searching.  Gwydion Suilebhan was the playwright who introduced the idea to me, describing it as a “New Play Oracle”
• Scott Walters latest strategy for becoming an independent artist on Creative Insubordination: Keep your green jacket (good advice for professional golfers too)
• Pete Miller encourages us on 2amtheatre.com to examines artist exceptionalism, and the thesis that the idea that artists are different in kind from non-artists may create a barrier that discourages non-artists from attending or engaging with your work

Migrations

• Jennifer Tarver is the new Artistic Director at Necessary Angel in Toronto

You can also receive news from Theatre Ontario every month by email.  Our archives are online and the February issue is now available.

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Do you know someone who has made a significant, sustained, unselfish, and involved contribution to Ontario theatre?  We are still accepting nominations for Theatre Ontario's 2013 Maggie Bassett Award.  Recent past recipients include Dave Carley, Diana Belshaw, Don Fleckser, Alex Mustakas, and Yvette Nolan.  The nomination deadline is February 28.

There's still time to book your appointment with Tim Chapman to review your application for Theatre Ontario's Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP).  PTTP offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline, except performance.  The application deadline is March 1.  PTTP is funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• The Rhubarb Festival at Buddies In Bad Times needs volunteers; the mandatory orientation session is February 13 (today).
• b current needs box office and front-of-house volunteers for afterRock - deadline is February 14.
• Theatre Passe Muraille invites applications for two programs - the Elephants In The Room Creation Group for artists who self-identify as emerging interested in working as part of a collective, and the Pitch Andy sessions for artists interested in making a pitch to TPM's Artistic Director who have something to say beyond “please produce my show.”  Deadline for both programs is February 18.
• Jumblies Theatre’s What Happened Next? Oral History and Artmaking is an in-depth workshop on the ethics, aesthetics, power and pitfalls of performing and making art from recounted memories; runs February 20, 21, 23, 24.

New on The Bulletin Board

• Ryerson University Continuing Education is starting a program on Communication and Promotion for the Arts for arts managers, potential arts managers, and individual artists.  This course led by Sue Edworthy and Jacoba Knaapen starts March 4.
• ArtsBuild Ontario is providing a five-episode webinar series on Making Sense of the New Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Standards; Theatre Ontario member organizations are eligible for a discount on this program.  It starts March 4.
• Toronto Fringe Festival will be inviting applications for Visual Fringe (for visual artists, performance artists and all those in-between) on March 4, and AlleyFringe (for artists with micro-plays that are staged in tents and sheds in the Fringe Club) on March 6.
• York University is holding a Fine Arts Summer Intensive; theatre offerings include stage combat, physical approaches to theatre, sound art, and Shakespeare for educators; courses begin April 30.

Check out these items, and all our postings of workshops, calls for submission, specific volunteer opportunities, awards, and much more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Thank You to All of Our Donors

A big thank-you to everyone who supported Theatre Ontario with donations in 2012.  Your contribution nurtures theatre artists at every stage of their careers, and supports theatre across the province, through Theatre Ontario.

Our success depends upon the donations of generous theatre lovers like you who share our belief that theatre is critical to the cultural and social vitality of Ontario communities.  Your donation creates mentorships, workshops, networks, and resources.  Make your donation to Theatre Ontario today!

ONstage Openings for the week of February 11

In Eastern Ontario
Feb. 12, Pride & Prejudice at Ottawa Little Theatre
Feb. 16, Sanctuary Song at National Arts Centre—English Theatre (Ottawa)

In Southwestern Ontario
Feb. 12, Yankee Tavern at The Grand Theatre (London)

In Toronto
Feb. 13, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead at Soulpepper Theatre (currently in previews)
Feb. 14, Little One / Other People's Children at Tarragon Theatre, in previews (premieres)

For more information on these shows and other theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

New Training Opportunities: Crowdfunding, Getting Started For Actors, Self-Producing, Playwrighting Self-Editing and a Directors Intensive

We’ve pleased to announce five more exciting training opportunities coming up at Theatre Ontario.

So You Need Money For Your Project? Crowdfunding for Artists and Arts Organizations is a new workshop with Nancy Kenny on March 25 at 6:30pm.  You’ve got the ideas.  You’ve got the passion.  You’ve got the drive.  What you’re missing is the almighty dollar.  Grant writing and fundraising events are no longer your only options when it comes to finding money to get your project off the ground.  Welcome to the wonderful world of crowdfunding—come learn the tools and the techniques to succeed.

We have also scheduled our next dates for our two popular professional theatre sessions.

Getting Started For Actors with Tim Chapman on March 27 at 2pm.  This session is for actors beginning their professional careers to get the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the business of acting: 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 April 10 at 2pm.  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 session is for you!  This workshop is designed for individuals thinking of producing a show or starting a theatre company, and 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.

Finally, we have two weekend courses, one for playwrights and one for directors.

Playwriting: How to Self-Edit and Critique with Lindsay Price on April 5 to 7.  Plays are not written in the first draft.  Plays come to life in rewrites.  But re-write how?  What if we don't know how to move our work forward?  What if we don't know how to critique our own work?  What if we aren't sure how to process feedback from others?  This workshop offers tools and techniques for playwrights who have a play “under construction.”

Directors Intensive with Autumn Smith on April 20 to 21.  This two-day workshop is designed for experienced directors in both the community theatre and professional theatre realms, concentrating on making the work as specific as possible; and exploring how to get what the playwright intended onto the stage in a simple and detailed fashion.

To find out about all of Theatre Ontario’s upcoming training covering grant information, proposal writing, taxes, and introduction to adjudication, visit the Courses and Workshops listing on the Theatre Ontario website

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Spaces are available in two of our upcoming workshops:

• Proposal Writing with Wanda Nanibush on February 19 at 6:30pm in Toronto – For individuals and theatre organizations applying for funding and sponsorships to learn to write proposals that place readers in a position where they have an overwhelming desire to fund, promote or collaborate with you.
• Grant Writing Information Session for Playwrights and Theatre Artists with Pat Bradley of the Ontario Arts Council on February 27 at 6:30pm in Thunder Bay - 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 don’t forget the February 11th deadline for applications to our Introduction to Adjudication course with Ron Cameron-Lewis, running March 12 to 16 in Guelph.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• The application deadline for SubDevision 2013 at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival is February 8.  SubDevision will feature Ontario artists with site-specific, innovative, boundary-pushing work.
• The Rhubarb Festival at Buddies In Bad Times needs volunteers; the mandatory orientation session is February 13.
• b current needs box office and front-of-house volunteers for afterRock - deadline is February 14.

New on The Bulletin Board

• Theatre Passe Muraille invites applications for two programs - the Elephants In The Room Creation Group for artists who self-identify as emerging interested in working as part of a collective, and the Pitch Andy sessions for artists interested in making a pitch to TPM's Artistic Director who have something to say beyond “please produce my show.”  Deadline for both programs is February 18.
• Playwrights Guild of Canada is holding a workshop for artists with a successful Fringe show interested in creating a future for the production: Next Steps with Gideon Arthurs is on February 25. 
• The Professional Association of Canadian Theatres is now inviting nominations for the Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award.  The nomination deadline is March 22.
• Humber College is holding a puppetry intensive for artists and teachers who have previous experience in theatre performance, theatre production, visual arts, dance, design, and/or writing, starting June 3.

Check out these items, and all our postings of workshops, calls for submission, specific volunteer opportunities, awards, and much more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Call For Applications for the Youth Theatre Training Program

Does your organization want to undertake a unique youth training project, led by professional theatre artists?  Theatre Ontario's Youth Theatre Training Program may be for you.

Theatre Ontario is now inviting applications for the March 15, 2013 deadline for the Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP), funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

YTTP provides training dollars to fund accessible theatre programs involving youth aged 14 to 21. YTTP assists Ontario organizations that wish to undertake projects providing training to youth in various theatrical skills and disciplines, lead by professional theatre artists.

Read all about the Youth Theatre Training Program on the Theatre Ontario website. After reading the YTTP guidelines, applicants are encouraged to contact Tim Chapman, Professional Theatre Coordinator (tim@theatreontario.org or 416.408.4556 x.12) regarding your application.  You can also read about the most recent youth training (Fall 2012) funded by this program.

ONstage Openings for the week of February 4

In Toronto
Feb. 5, Here To Hear from Carousel Players at Young People's Theatre with a preview on Feb. 4
Feb. 6, Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata at Factory Theatre in co-production with Acting Up Stage Company (currently in previews)
Feb. 6, A Fond Husband (or The Plotting Sisters) at George Brown Theatre School
Feb. 7, The Power of Harriet T! at Young People's Theatre, with previews from Feb. 4
Feb. 7, The Piper at Ryerson Theatre School
Feb. 7, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead at Soulpepper Theatre in previews
Feb. 7, Rapunzel at NAGs Players
Feb. 7, Sweeney Todd at Scarborough Music Theatre
Feb. 7, Shakespeare's Nigga at Theatre Passe Muraille produced by Obsidian Theatre
Feb. 8, The Classics at Ryerson Theatre School
Feb. 8, [title of show] at Lower Ossington Theatre

In Central Ontario
Feb. 7, The Number 14 at Talk Is Free Theatre (Barrie)
Feb. 8, Monty Python's Spamalot at Kempenfelt Community Players (Barrie)

In Eastern Ontario
Feb. 5, Rabbit Hole at Kanata Theatre
Feb. 5, undercurrents: theatre below the mainstream at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa)
Feb. 7, Bedtime Stories at Belleville Theatre Guild
Feb. 8, Chicago at Seaway Valley Theatre Company (Cornwall)

In Northeastern Ontario
Feb. 7, 9 To 5: The Musical at Theatre Cambrian (Sudbury)

In South Central Ontario
Feb. 6, Gaslight at Markham Little Theatre
Feb. 7, A Few Good Men at Oshawa Little Theatre
Feb. 7, The Odd Couple at West End Studio Theatre (Oakville)
Feb. 8, Frozen Dreams at Georgetown Little Theatre
Feb. 8, Les Belles Soeurs at Theatre Aurora

In Southwestern Ontario
Feb. 8, Bedtime Stories at Theatre Tillsonburg
Feb. 8, Soldier's Heart at Theatre Woodstock
Feb. 8, Shorthanded at Elmira Theatre Company – world premiere

For more information on these shows and other theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Ontario Off Stage

Behind The Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• Susan Douglas Rubes, founder of Young People's Theatre, passed away on January 23 and is remembered on the YPT website: "Only the best is good enough for our children"
• Dahlia Katz shares a “Theatre Photography Mini-Master Class,” with some great tips on how to plan your production photography strategy
• The Ontario Arts Council has released a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of arts and culture on Ontario tourism—yeah, it’s significant

Conversations

• The “uncertain and unhappy beginnings” of Our Town, and the lessons we can learn in our own development processes, from Kate Powers on plainkate.com

From The Wire

• Canadian Actors Equity Association has announced new policies designed to facilitate small-scale theatre production
• The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts invites you to the book launch of Conversations With George Luscombe: Steven Bush in conversation with the Canadian theatre visionary on Monday, February 4 at 6:30pm at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, hosted by Brendan Healy.  You can also donate to the Friends Of Toronto Workshop Productions campaign for a Heritage Toronto plaque honouring George Luscombe

Migrations

• Erica Angus is the new Executive Director at Theatre Collingwood

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator