Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

• The latest of edition of Graham Isador’s “What I Wish I’d Known” series in Intermission features Augusto Bitter—one of our mentors from our 2018 Youth Advisory Committee’s Emergence 2.0—and reflections on "the delicious challenge of a single performer transforming and holding an audience’s attention.”

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts celebrated their 10th birthday. We look forward to returning to the RHCPA for Theatre Ontario Festival from May 15 to 19.
• Great Canadian Theatre Company and SpiderWebShow Performance are celebrating World Theatre Day on March 27 with a livestreaming performance of Behavior by Darrah Teitel on HowlRound TV.
• The latest addition to Respectful Workplaces in the Arts from the Cultural Human Resources Council is a guide for “Reporting and Investigating Mechanisms.”

In Case You Missed It

• Introducing our new workshop for Adjudicators, “The Adjudicator’s Voice.”
• ONstage Openings this week in Oakville, Cambridge, Toronto, Cookstown, Kingston and Ottawa.
• Browsing Our Bulletin Board, including workshops, grant deadlines, volunteer opportunities, and more.

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque

• In Part 2 of the Thousand Islands Playhouse blog series “From Page to Stage: Creating the Canadian”, Rob Kempson talks about his role as a director in developing this world premiere production.
• Alicia Richardson shares the story of how she became the Playwright-in-Residence at Driftwood Theatre.

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• Looking ahead to the next Ontario Fringe Festival as we move north to Fringe North, opening August 9 in Sault Ste. Marie.
• The Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that the sections of the Income Tax Act that restricted registered charities political activities to be unconstitutional. Imagine Canada, the national umbrella for the charitable and non-profit sector, described this decision as a golden opportunity to work with the government on modernizing charity law in Canada.
• The Stratford Festival will be making an appearance on the July 31st episode of The Amazing Race Canada—featuring a “dramatic, skill-testing, on-stage challenge” for the competitors.

In Case You Missed It

• “Emerging in the Industry”—a resource for new and emerging artists from our Youth Advisory Committee.
• Applications are now open for our Professional Theatre Training Program.
• ONstage Openings this week in Port Perry, Drayton, Port Stanley, Grand Bend, Penetanguishene, Haliburton, Orillia, Wellington, Ottawa, and Gananoque.
• Browsing Our Bulletin Board, including playwright readings, grant deadlines, courses, theatre labs, and more.

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

• “Being an understudy is hard, because you have to fall in love with the work, but it's not quite yours.” Carly Street shares the perspective of the understudy in Intermission, from her recent experience being part of Old Times on Broadway.

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• Both Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa and The Grand Theatre in London announced their 2017/18 seasons.
• The links between community theatre and professional theatre: playwright Michael Healey returned to Brockville and the Brockville Theatre Guild for a workshop with the company of his play The Drawer Boy.

  

  ONstage in Eastern Ontario
  The Drawer Boy at Brockville Theatre Guild

• The newest stop for Ontario Fringe Theatre enthusiasts is the Fringe North International Theatre Festival in Sault Ste. Marie, opening August 10, 2017.
• The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts Stats Report Phase 4 (for 2014/15 and 2015/16) is now available online. Four million tickets were sold for theatre, dance, and opera, reflecting an increase in audience attendance of 5%.
• A group of former Ottawa Citizen arts writers have launched a new Ottawa arts blog: artsfile.

In Case You Missed It

• Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program, featuring training in digital media creation and directing, production management, lighting design, and artistic direction.
• Browsing our Bulletin Board featuring opportunities across the province including upcoming grant deadlines, voice-over workshop, stage management weekend intensive, tech training, directing at community theatre, awards, fringe deadlines, emerging artistic leader opportunities, scene-study for adults and more.
• The 2016 Youth Advisory Committee profiles Youth Theatre Festivals: this week exploring the Juventis Festival in Kingston.
• ONstage Openings this week in Oakville, Toronto, Brockville, Ottawa, and Sudbury.

I will be on the road next week at the Western Ontario Drama League Festival in Guelph and the QUONTA Festival in Timmins.  This column will return on March 24.

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

• I’m excited to see Playwrights Guild of Canada launching “The Play Map of Canada.” With the goal of improving the number of Canadian plays in Canadian communities (with a focused eye on the upcoming sesquicentennial in 2017), I was impressed by HowlRound’s New Play Map, and wondered out loud if something similar could inspire our communities to share the breadth of success stories in producing our works. And PGC ran with it. Join us for the launch on Monday, January 11, with a Twitter Chat from 12pm to 2pm EST.
• Jini Stolk, the Creative Trust Research Fellow with the Toronto Arts Foundation, suggests a mistake to avoid in 2016: don’t forget your past Board member as soon as they leave your Board.
• The mathematics is rather complicated—but this study of the National Theatre Live program in the UK suggests that broadcasts of theatre productions within the theatre’s community does not affect attendance.
• As you plan your blog posts for 2016, this ArtsHacker blog post by Jonathan Eifert should remind you of the principle that “content marketing isn’t ‘repurposed advertising’, but about creating something worth talking about.”

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

St. Marys Community Players production of Cabaret. SMCP
is the proud recipient of an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant.
Photo by Lucid Musings Photo.

• St. Marys Community Players received an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant for renovations to the Town Hall theatre. It’s always good to see OTF supporting this important work in our communities.
• Native Earth Performing Arts unveiled their recipients of their 2015-2016 Theatre Creators Reserve program … as well as sharing how Weesageechak Festival Producer Jessica Lee Fleming will be training in B.C. through our Professional Theatre Training Program.
• Welcome to the newest member of the Ontario Fringe Community: the Windsor-Walkerville Fringe Festival.

In Case You Missed It

• Theatre for Literacy by Alexsandra Marzocca – A partnership between Frontier College and Theatre Ontario empowering students with drama techniques that develop their communication and literacy skills.

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport announces the
Ontario Culture Plan initiative.  (Photo by Executive Director
Bruce Pitkin at the launch event.)

• Ontario is seeking input from across the province to develop its first culture strategy, which will set out a vision for arts and culture in Ontario to build healthier, more vibrant and prosperous communities. The community is invited to participate through town halls, the Culture Talks website, and through the #ONCulture hashtag.
• Vern Thiessen was our Playwright-in-Person at the Summer Theatre Intensive in Waterloo. Playwrights Guild of Canada asked him to recommend five Canadian plays for community theatres.
• Mitchell Marcus, Artistic and Managing Director of Acting Up Stage Company, writes on their blog “Musical Notes” about the worst part of his job: rejecting people.
• What does sustainability look like at your theatre? Consider “The Sustainable Theatre Practice Treaty” from Ian Garrett on HowlRound

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts has launched their new cultural access app: TOnight!
• The first Guelph Fringe Festival open October 8.

In Case You Missed It

• Stories from our Summer Theatre Intensive: Ann Robertson writes about finding the space “Between Panic and Possibility” in Physical Theatre and Text with Jim Warren.

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

• Jonathan Mandell wrote on HowlRound about the evolving definition of “professional.”  (ICYMI – here is the original post.)  For me, this is an important conversation when we talk about how definitions exclude members of the community.  It’s also important when we talk about the working conditions of professional artists—and it was great to see Allan Teichman (Council President of Canadian Actors Equity Association) contribute a comment with an articulate conversation-starting definition into the conversation.
• Howard Sherman reflected on a call for submissions for a short play festival and the inadvertent lessons it teaches about disrespect for playwrights.
• And Travis Bedard on 2amt reminds us about the dangers of punching down and the value of proportional response in “On Being Right.”
• #CdnCultTimes from SpiderWebShow looked at the behaviour of audiences.

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The next stop in Ontario’s Fringe circuit is North Bay, with the On the Edge Fringe Festival opening on August 11.
• Part 5 of Kelly Nestruck’s “High School Drama” series in the Globe and Mail on a secondary school theatre program shines a spotlight on how less drama in the schools hurts the theatre industry—a conversation that we’ve been having for a long time, and one that I’m glad to see in the public conversation. It also touches on the need for education that includes behind-the-scenes teaching—a theme came up in our youth forum at Theatre Ontario Festival in Oshawa.
• Soulpepper Theatre Company will receive $1.5 million over four years to create a permanent touring repertory theatre.  From Albert Schultz, Artistic Director, “Over the next four years, we will lay the foundation for a robust touring network that will spell more employment for local artists and new opportunities to connect with audiences and partners across the province.”

Migrations

• Anita Small is the Project Manager and Catherine MacKinnon is the Deaf Community Consultant for Cahoots Theatre’s Deaf Artists and Theatres Toolkit initiative.

In Case You Missed It

• Speak Out on Bill 54 and the need for regulations for the safe and healthy use of vapour devices in performing arts.
• Lisa Cox wrote about her experience as the International Creators Scholarship recipient, training in theatre creation at SITI Company.
• I wrote about building a lifelong love of adjudication.

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

• Our Ontario Summer Theatre blogger has made her first two trips of the year, travelling to Campbellford to visit Westben Arts Festival Theatre, and to Perth to visit the Classic Theatre Festival and see Barefoot in the Park.

  

  Rachel Fischer and William Vickers in
  Barefoot in the Park at Classic Theatre Festival in Perth

• Mitchell Marcus, Artistic Producer of Acting Up Stage Company, poses a good question: What will make the great Canadian musical Canadian?
• I’ve been impressed with some of the more nuanced conversations emerging from the latest “cell phones in theatres” brouhaha.  Among my favourites: Scott Walters writes on The Clyde Fitch Report about the history of theatre etiquette (“We’ve made the theatrical experience so fraught with the rules of etiquette that nobody wants to venture into a theatre”) with a call to “overcome the distraction of the age by being so compelling that people can't look away.”
• Rob Weinert-Kendt writes in American Theatre about how “it is theatre’s blessing and curse that it shares space with all of humanity—even humans with cell phones.”
• Meanwhile, Travis Bedard suggests that eliminating rules, standards, and controls isn’t welcome an audience—it’s fearing that they’re going to leave, and suggests an approach where “the rules are clear and low friction.”

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The inaugural Kick & Push Festival has opened in Kingston, focused on site-specific and immersive theatre, and based on an idea by Theatre Kingston artistic producer Brett Christopher (and includes Blue Canoe Productions among the participating companies.)
• Carolyn Wilson, an alumnus of our Summer Theatre Intensive and now Artistic Director of Durham Shoestring Performers in Oshawa, was profiled in a recent issue of Oshawa This Week.
• Take Two Theatre in Timmins was featured on CTV News Northern Ontario on the occasion of their 30th anniversary.
• A blast from the past—the Ontario Arts Council has a great podcast featuring Pat Bradley talking with Nancy Kenny about their theatre grant programs.
• The OAC has also prepared a video on preparing effective support material.
• Our friends at Playwrights Guild of Canada are running a fun “anti-social media meets Miracle on 34th Street” campaign to bring Tom Stoppard to Toronto for a Canadian literary community super conference.

Migrations

• Evalyn Parry is the new Artist Director of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
• Antoni Cimolino has had his contract as Artistic Director of the Stratford Festival extended to 2022.

In Case You Missed It

• Recent Professional Theatre Training Program Project profiles featuring Emma Mackenzie Hillier (training in dramaturgy with Bob White at the Stratford Festival), Catherine Ballachey (training in dramaturgy with Laurie Steven at Odyssey Theatre), and Jasmine Chen (training in outreach with Marjorie Chan at Cahoots Theatre.)
• We unveiled our new four-year strategic plan and staffing changes.

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

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Welcome to Katy James, who joins us as our Education Assistant for the summer. Katy is a recent graduate of McGill and Humber, and will be assisting Rebecca Ballarin in preparation of materials for our Summer Theatre Intensive, and providing administrative support for Theatre Ontario. This is a Summer Experience Program funded by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Welcome Katy!

Conversation Starters

Henri Canino and Megan Hadley in The Clean House.
Presented by Theatre Sarnia at Festival 2015.

• What is the relationship between audiences in community and professional theatre?  Well, here’s one example: After seeing the Theatre Sarnia production of The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl at Festival, Ken Stephen left the Festival eager to see Ruhl’s adaptation of Eurydice at Soulpepper Theatre—part of a “Soulpepper binge.”
• #CdnCult Times’ latest issue evolved from discussions at the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas 2015 Conference—including the influence of Twitter on dramaturgy.
• The Guelph Arts Council committed in 2015 to an “Artful Pledge” to full engage with the arts in their community. In June, the commitment was to Watch.
• ArtsHacker offered a “graduation gift” to the newly diploma-ed: “10 Ways to Become a Young Arts Professional.”
• “If the arts were reported like sports”—a fun YouTube share from Howard Sherman but with also some astute criticism of the video’s flaws.

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The next stop on Ontario’s Fringe Festival tour is Hamilton, opening July 16.
• Kelly Nestruck has started a new series in the Globe and Mail described as “a quest to re-discover the magic of theatre, starting in a high-school drama studio.”
• Stats week! Hill Strategies Research looked at “Educating artists”—among the startling statistics is that for visual and performing arts graduates in the labour force, only 11% are working as artists.
• Meanwhile, Statistics Canada released the “Provincial and Territorial Culture Satellite Account, 2010” report on the economic importance of arts and culture in Ontario and across Canada. The Ontario Arts Council contributed to this framework.

TO Toasts

• ... To Elley-Ray, from our Board of Directors, awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Windsor.

In Case You Missed It

• Biden Hall writes on our blog about our recent Youth Advisory Committee social—and conversations about how to create an inclusive environment for young theatre artists.
• Catch up on the latest profiles from projects funded by the Professional Theatre Training Program—featuring Alysse Rich training in dramaturgy with Brian Quirt at Nightswimming, Rose Napoli training in producing with Rona Waddington and Ingrid Bjornson at St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, and Neil Silcox training in directing with Matjash Mrozewski at Canadian Stage.

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

VOS Theatre members at the EODL Brunch.
We shall not identify them out of respect
for their clear and intense desire for privacy.

Conversation Starters

• VOS Theatre didn’t enter this year’s Eastern Ontario Drama League Festival—but they went to Awards Brunch anyway, and came away with something valuable.
• The RISER Project is a producing model where “senior” producers assist with cash, space, and publicity for new producers—having seen this model advocated in forums like 2amt for years, it’s terrific to see it in practice in Ontario.
• David J. Loehr “kicks the tires” of Meerkat and Periscope to see what these live, instant streaming video apps can do for theatre.

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• Sad to hear the news of the death of Sten Eirik, the founder of Guild Festival Theatre in Scarborough and recent director of Living Curiosities at Theatre Erindale.

TO Toasts

• … to the finalists for the Ottawa Arts Council Arts Awards, including Janet Irwin—a past President of our Board of Directors—who will be receiving the Victor Tolgesy Arts Award for her forty-year contribution to the development of local theatre and opera artists and a variety of arts organizations in Ottawa.
• … to Mary Jane Boon (Treasurer on our Board of Directors) who was awarded the Best Lighting Design of a Comedy THEA from the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario for her design of Almost, Maine at The Curtain Club.  Congrats to all of the ACT-CO Festival THEA Award nominees and recipients, with a bashful nod to the Best Director of a Comedy.
• (And we’ll be toasting the EODL Festival award recipients when their webmaster is back in town and the results are up-to-date on their website.)

In Case You Missed It

• It’s National Volunteer Week—and we say thank you to all of our volunteers at Theatre Ontario.

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

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters

• You’ve Cott Mail recently curated an issue focusing on strategies for getting millennials to attend the arts
• Howard Sherman explores how the introduction of Periscope and Meerkat—tools for streaming live video from your phone—will impact the marketing of live performance
• Megan Reilly shares her insights on the challenges of designing for interactive theatre on HowlRound
• Ari Weinberg, the Intern Artistic Director, at Acting Up Stage Company (and new Artistic Director of Winnipeg Jewish Theatre), writes about “the show that changed his life”
• Is theatre criticism crucial for anybody or anything? Are theatre critics too negative? Is the field dying out?  Jonathan Mandell explores these questions in “Are theatre critics critical?” on HowlRound
• The Guelph Arts Council’s “Artful Pledge” for March was to “Learn!”

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• Diana Belshaw has been a valued member of our Youth Theatre Training Program jury, and in 2011 was honoured with our Maggie Bassett Award for her contribution to theatre in Ontario.  I first met Diana when she was with Canadian Actors Equity Association and she helped me navigate my first-ever Guest Artist Contact as a community theatre producer.  She recently returned to the stage after fifteen years in the Native Earth Performing Arts / Factory Theatre production of The Unplugging, and was profiled on the Native Earth site



"Listen Up, Perth!" from Classic Theatre Festival,
dramaturged by Talent Bank member Laurel Smith

• Laurel Smith, Talent Bank member and Artistic Director of Classic Theatre Festival in Perth, dramaturged and directed a performance of “Listen Up, Perth!” as part of the Youth Centres Canada “YouthXChange” conference focusing on a range of issues facing Canadian youth
• Gideon Arthurs—CEO of the National Theatre School, and a former General Manager at Tarragon Theatre and Executive Director of the Toronto Fringe Festival—was profiled in the National Post, as the school explores what is needed in the theatre community from the next generation of theatre artists

Migrations

• Tim Jennings is the new Executive Director of the Shaw Festival

In Case You Missed It

• Professional Theatre Training Program project profiles, featuring Sarah Kitz (training in directing with Amiel Gladstone), Julia Hune-Brown (training in artistic directing with Ruth Howard), and Mariel Marshall (training in directing with Ross Manson)
• Meet Joanne Williams, Theatre Ontario Board Member and Interim General Manager of the Toronto Fringe Festival, as she shares her experience getting into the Toronto theatre community

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

Social Media as a Professional
Tool for Individual Artists
Workshop on March 16

• Grant Writing Information Session recorded webinar on March 9 with Pat Bradley of the Ontario Arts Council: Looking for tips and must-dos for preparing an application to the Ontario Arts Council
• Deadline for applications for Theatre Ontario and Why Not Theatre's International Creators Scholarship is March 13
• Deadline for applications for Theatre Ontario’s Youth Theatre Training Program grants is March 16
• Social Media as a Professional Tool for Individual Artists workshop on March 16 with Seb FoxAllen: Can your social media presence get you work?
• Unleashing Your Inner Entrepreneur recorded webinar on March 18 with Erin Keating and Scott Dermody: Thinking of producing a show or starting a theatre company?
• Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp workshops on March 28 in partnership with STAF: Learn necessary skills to produce creative works in a one-day session covering promoting theatre on social media, leveraging your online presence, getting a grip on grant writing, and participating in a mock grant jury

Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• The deadline for nominations for the Mississauga Arts Council’s MARTY Awards has been extended to March 6.
• Deadline for emerging artists to register for Canadian Stage’s workshop on taxes led by Rova Epp of Artbooks is March 12.

New on The Bulletin Board

• Canada’s National Voice Intensive is coming to Toronto in May, led by Artistic Director (and long-time Talent Bank member) David Smukler.  Applications are due on March 15.
• PACT invites nominations for the 2015 Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award, honouring outstanding leadership in Canadian theatre.  Nominations are due March 27.
• Theatre Unlimited invites applications for volunteers directors, choreographers, and musical directors .  Applications are due March 31.

Check out these items, and other postings from our members of funding opportunities, workshops, calls for submission, awards, and more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions and job postings on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

• Building Your Brand As an Artist workshop in Toronto on February 21 with Edward Power
• Ask an Agent! Everything you’ve always wanted to know workshop in Toronto on February 21 with Alicia Jeffery
• Taxes for Artists workshop in Toronto on February 24 with Sam Marinucci: Have questions related to filing your tax return?
• Targeting Audiences - Now that you are talking... webinar on February 25 with Ronnie Brown (free for Theatre Ontario members)
• Deadline for applications for Theatre Ontario's Professional Theatre Training Program mentorship grants is March 2
• Deadline for applications for Theatre Ontario’s Youth Theatre Training Program grants is March 16
• Social Media as a Professional Tool for Individual Artists workshop on March 16 with Seb FoxAllen: Can your social media presence get you work?

Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Deadline for applications for Ontario Arts Council grants for Aboriginal Artists in Communities, Aboriginal Arts Projects, National and International Touring, Ontario Arts Presenters, and Ontario Touring is today
• Ottawa Little Theatre is hosting an Accent Acquisition workshop with Julia Lenardon on February 22
• Playwrights Canada Press deadline for submissions of ten-minute plays for an upcoming anthology is February 27

Check out these items, and other postings from our members of funding opportunities, workshops, calls for submission, awards, and more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions and job postings on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters

• Lisa Schmeiser’s “So What, Who Cares” has proven to be a fun addition to my inbox: taking a compelling news reports and curating some context around it.  Last Friday, her topic was the economics of “content production” and how information technology has de-professionalized artists’ labour
• When creating a solo work, there is a difference between personal revelation and performance – Deb Margolin explores the difference on HowlRound
• This post from Jill Robinson at TRG Arts is based on American statistics, but there are some interesting arguments in it: “Inconveniently, subscriptions still sustain the arts”
• But Drew McManus on Adaptistration argues that there are technical issues to be resolved first in To Subscribe, Or Not To Subscribe, That Is NOT The Question

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• Meet Jessica Lea Fleming, the new Artistic Associate at Native Earth Performing Arts
• Meet the Buddies In Bad Times’ Youth Creators Unit as they prepare for the Rhubarb Festival

Migrations

Cast, creative teams, and admin staff on the first day of rehearsal
for She Loves Me at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in 2014.
Rob Kempson is in the centre in the green pants.

• Rob Kempson is the new Associate Artistic Director at Thousand Islands Playhouse (Rob is a former Professional Theatre Training Program grant recipient, and trained with Ashlie Corcoran at Thousand Islands)
• Joanne Williams, from our Board of Directors, is the Interim General Manager (for a maternity leave) at the Toronto Fringe Festival

In Case You Missed It

• Professional Theatre Training Program project profiles featuring Sarah Kitz, Emma Mackenzie Hillier, and Peter Pasyk

I’m off next week, so our next issue of Ontario Off Stage will be on February 27

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

• Deadline for applications for Theatre Ontario’s Talent Bank of theatre instructors is February 15

  

  Thom Currie, from our Talent Bank of Instructors teaching at
  our 2014 Summer Theatre Intensive.  Deadline for Talent Bank
  applications is February 15.

• Building Your Brand As an Artist workshop in Toronto on February 21 with Edward Power
• Ask an Agent! Everything you’ve always wanted to know workshop in Toronto on February 21 with Alicia Jeffery
• Taxes for Artists workshop in Toronto on February 24 with Sam Marinucci: Have questions related to filing your tax return?
• Targeting Audiences - Now that you are talking... webinar on February 25 with Ronnie Brown (free for Theatre Ontario members)
• Deadline for applications for Theatre Ontario's Professional Theatre Training Program mentorship grants is March 2

Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Deadline for applications for the 2015 Directors Lab North is February 13
• Deadline for applications for Canada Council Multi-Year Grants to Professional Organizations is February 15
• Deadline for applications for the Canadian Stage Masterclass workshop on Table Work—The Pros and Cons with Matthew Jocelyn is February 17
• Deadline for applications for Ontario Arts Council grants for Aboriginal Artists in Communities, Aboriginal Arts Projects, National and International Touring, Ontario Arts Presenters, and Ontario Touring is February 18

New on The Bulletin Board

• Humber College is expanding their Puppetry Intensive to include both the 12-day intensive for anyone interested in integrating puppetry into their creative practice (running June 1 to 13) and two 3-day master class series focusing on advanced techniques (June 15 to 17, and 18 to 20)

Check out these items, and other postings from our members of funding opportunities, workshops, calls for submission, awards, and more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions and job postings on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters

• Hannah Moscovitch explains in Quill and Quire about the importance of publication (as well as production) for playwrights
• David J. Loehr writes in ArtsHacker about the power of livestreaming to connect live performance with new audiences
• “Death by a thousand data points”: Buffalo News art critic Colin Dabkowski tries to reconcile the lure of “big data” with the unquantifiable impact of arts organizations
• In the not-for-profit sector, we talk about double bottom lines (financial and social impact) and triple bottom lines (adding environmental/ecological impact) and quadruple bottom lines (adding future impact), and so on.  But Nina Simon suggests on Museum 2.0 that the more goals we add, the less clarity we have in achieving them
• Does your theatre have a strategy for planned giving / bequests / memorial donations?  Charity Village looked at the state of planned giving today

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The Guelph Arts Council has made a new year’s resolution: “The Twelve Month Artful Pledge” with personal, specific commitments to support the production of creativity, artistic activity, and the cultural sector in Guelph, and to talk about what they're doing



Acting Up Stage Company's Syd and Shirley Banks Prize

• Acting Up Stage Company in Toronto awards the Syd & Shirley Banks Prize to two emerging musical theatre artists, giving them professional mentorship, exposure, and a cash award.  Alessia Lupiano, one of this year’s recipients, shares her experience so far
• Toronto's 5th Annual Arts Day at the City is coming up on February 12.  Toronto's arts champions will meet with their city councillors to discuss the role the arts play in Toronto and make the case for continued and growing support for culture within the city.

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters

• Stephanie Vegh, Executive Director of the Hamilton Arts Council, wrote a good analysis of how “flat-lining” leads to decline in arts funding.  She also talks about the recent Ontario Arts Council reduction of operating grants by 5%, but shares an interesting tidbit: $500,000 has been earmarked for increases to organizations with exceptional performance, and another $500,000 has been earmarked for new and emerging artists (I wonder if that means first-time recipients)

• 

  STAF's Open Source Brainstorm

  STAF is undergoing a transformation in how it serves independent artists in Toronto.  We are excited to be partnering with STAF on a couple of the projects—and hopefully find ways to expand the reach beyond the city’s borders into the many “maker communities” in Ontario where independent theatre is growing.  I attended their Open Source Brainstorm this week on that transformation—and in the spirit of “open source” the discussion is available online
• Are post-show discussions effective for audience engagement?  HowlRound explored the question of how you create effective ones
• One of the hot topics at the STAF forum was tools for video.  HowlRound asks when it comes to recording productions, how do we bring theatre into the digital age?
• Alexander Offord reflected on the recent “Disappearing Act” forum on Toronto theatre audiences and challenged three ideas: that different media compete with each other, the goal of attracting “non-theatre people”, and the correlation between “good” and “popular”

 Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The Canada Council for the Arts is exploring a new funding model that will focus on a new suite of national, non-disciplinary programs
• The Artists’ Health Alliance is seeking feedback on the needs of the artistic community to better serve artists of every discipline across the Greater Toronto Area

In Case You Missed It

• Professional Theatre Training Program project profiles, featuring Julia Hune-Brown (training in artistic direction with Ruth Howard at Jumblies Theatre), Alexis Scott (training in artistic producing with David Whiteley at Plosive Productions), and Peter Pasyk (training in artistic direction with Chris Abraham at Crow’s Theatre)
• Erin Keating wrote about this year’s Next Generation Showcase of graduating post-secondary theatre students

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters

"Disappearing Act: A Public Forum on
Canadian Theatre and Toronto Audiences"

• Mitchell Marcus, Artistic and Managing Director of Acting Up Stage Company, reflects on the low income of artists, and how artists subsidize our own industry
• The Title Block podcast’s recent episode included “Disappearing Act: A Public Forum on Canadian Theatre and Toronto Audiences” - the event's organizers invite people to respond to a survey
• “Audience Instructions for Our Immersive/Experimental Theatre Production in an Abandoned Middle School in Bushwick.” by Rachel Klein

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The Capitol Theatre in Port Hope—home of the Port Hope Festival Theatre—is being evaluated for an historic site designation
• The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts has launched a new website

Migrations

• Ontario’s loss is New Brunswick’s gain: Thomas Morgan Jones (a Professional Theatre Training Program alum) is the new Artistic Director of Theatre New Brunswick

In Case You Missed It

• Profiling projects from the Professional Theatre Training Program

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

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters

Take The Stage at Acting Up Stage Company

• Can we find our own Ice Bucket Challenge in the arts?  Do we want to?  Deniz Kepenek of Acting Up Stage Theatre Company ponders the question “to ice bucket, or not to ice bucket”
• “Change management” is not a common term used in the performing arts—but it should be
• “We can all take part in cultivating the next generation of artists”—Marisela Orta writes “On Mentoring and Paying It Forward” on HowlRound (ICYMI: Our next application deadline for Professional Theatre Training Program mentorship grants is October 1)
• Good surtitles are a work of art: From “Mind your language: the trouble with theatre surtitles” on Lyn Gardner’s theatre blog in The Guardian

In Case You Missed It

• A New Look, A New Energy For a New Future at Theatre Ontario

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

• Deadline to apply for our Education Assistant position, a Summer Experience position for youth is June 16
• Culture Days Information Session free webinar for theatres, performing arts troupes, and theatre artists is June 16 at 7:30pm
• Deadline to apply for the Neil Munro Intern Directors Project at the Shaw Festival is June 20
• Summer Theatre Intensive featuring residential courses for performers and directors of all skill levels is August 10 to 16 in Waterloo; registration deadline is June 27

Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including our Adjudicators Symposium

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

Shadowland Theatre stilt-walking
workshop in Kingston

• Shadowland Theatre is holding a Sir John A 2015 Salon Production workshop on puppet, mask-building, stilt-walking, and parade techniques starting June 13 in Kingston
• The Accessing the Arts Symposium is on June 13 in Whitby
• Shaw Festival is holding a Let’s Create Theatre workshop for teens on June 14 in Niagara-on-the-Lake
• Ottawa Little Theatre is holding a Props Building and Design workshop on June 14
• Deadline to apply for the Ontario Arts Council’s Chalmers Arts Fellowships is June 16

New on The Bulletin Board

• Alumnae Theatre Company in Toronto is invited submissions of scripts for the 27th annual New Ideas Festival in March 2015; deadline for submissions is September 5

Check out these items, and other postings from our members of funding opportunities, workshops, calls for submission, awards, and more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions, job postings, and volunteer opportunities on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Browse for summer training opportunities for youth from our members

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

• Self-Producing: The Basics workshop with Mairin Smit and guest producer Scott Dermody is on June 9 at 3pm in Toronto
• Deadline to apply for our Education Assistant position, a Summer Experience position for youth is June 16
• Culture Days Information Session free webinar for theatres, performing arts troupes, and theatre artists is June 16 at 7:30pm
• Deadline to apply for the Neil Munro Intern Directors Project at the Shaw Festival is June 20
• Summer Theatre Intensive featuring residential courses for performers and directors of all skill levels is August 10 to 16 in Waterloo; registration deadline is June 27.  We thrilled to welcome Dave Carley and Marcia Johnson as our Playwrights-in-Person at our Summer Theatre Intensive.

Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including our Adjudicators Symposium

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

Ottawa Little Theatre's Scenic Design
workshop series continues June 7

• Ottawa Little Theatre’s next workshop in Scenic Design, focusing on designing at OLT, is June 7
• Deadline to request an application package for ArtReach Toronto’s Youth Arts Projects grant is June 8 for the June 12 grant deadline
• The Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas Mini-Conference on Dramaturgy is June 9 in Toronto
• Shadowland Theatre is holding a Sir John A 2015 Salon Production workshop on puppet, mask-building, stilt-walking, and parade techniques starting June 13 in Kingston
• The Accessing the Arts Symposium is on June 13 in Whitby

New on The Bulletin Board

• The Siminovitch Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Theatre is now accepting nominations for the 2014 prize for playwrights; the nomination deadline is July 15

Check out these items, and other postings from our members of funding opportunities, workshops, calls for submission, awards, and more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions, job postings, and volunteer opportunities on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Browse for summer training opportunities for youth from our members