https://vimeo.com/album/2016314

Again, on boards

The huge response to my post When should a board fire itself – and to numerous other posts, tweets, and facebook comments on Factory Theatre’s firing of artistic director Ken Gass – is another indication of how forcefully a board’s actions can reverberate throughout the community, eliciting anger, questions, fears and, unfortunately, division.

It highlights how crucial it is for volunteer board members to understand the context within which their organization exists and the role it plays within the arts community.

At the very least, the Factory situation should spur every arts professional in Toronto to a rigorous course of study and discussion around governance – defined as “the shared obligation of arts professionals and the board for accountability, responsibility and structures that ensure the ongoing health, more

The Audiences Project…continues

Much of the work of Creative Trust’s three-year Audiences Project has a life beyond the project: I’m particularly proud of the foundation we’ve laid for continuing work around arts education, arts access, diversifying audiences, and data bases and systems. Here are a few highlights:

Arts Education: Both because of its fundamental importance as the way people first experience, enjoy and become inspired by the arts, and as an increasingly important commitment by companies to arts access and community building, this was a transformational part of the Audiences Project. The Performing Arts Education Overview filled a gap in knowledge and information about the contribution of performing arts companies to arts education. It has also become a rallying cry and starting point for what we hope will be real growth in the excellence of these more Continue reading →

RAW. RADICAL. PERFORMANCE.
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto
Festival Director: Laura Nanni

Rhubarb invites artists into a critic-free environment where bold, thought-provoking and boundary-pushing works can thrive. Over two weeks, hundreds of artists from Toronto and beyond transform Buddies into a hotbed of creativity and experimentation, sharing new ideas in contemporary theatre, performance art, dance and music with adventure-loving audiences.

We are currently seeking proposals for our upcoming festival (February 20 – March 3, 2013)
Visit buddiesinbadtimes.com for Application Form & Guidelines

Selected projects will be featured during the festival and will receive technical, production, promotional and artistic support. In addition to an honorarium, festival artists also receive an unlimited artist pass, allowing them to attend all special events and see work for free by local, national and international artists in our programme.

GENERAL CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

DEADLINE: 5PM, Friday September 7, 2012
Rhubarb seeks proposals for new, not previously produced performances (30 minutes or less). Submissions are encouraged from both established and emerging artists working in the areas of theatre, performance art, dance, music, interdisciplinary and hybrid forms. Of particular interest are projects, approaches and ideas that are new territory for the artist and the medium.

SPECIAL PROJECT CALLS

ONE-TO-ONE PERFORMANCE – DEADLINE: 5PM Friday September 7, 2012
Rhubarb seeks proposals for short works crafted for one performance and one audience member at a time. Building on the success of last year, The One-To-One Performance Series returns to The 519 Church Street Community Centre, with performances taking place throughout the building and around the site. Of particular interest are projects investigating sensory experience, ritual in performance and everyday life and audience as the co-author/ participant.

MOBILE WORKS – DEADLINE: 5PM Friday September 7, 2012
Reaching 10,000+ viewers annually in public spaces across Toronto, Rhubarb invites a new round of proposals for performances that move through the city and converge at Buddies (12 Alexander Street, Toronto). Performance interventions, audio led experiences, performances that intersect public and private space, flash mobs, etc. that eventually end at Buddies are encouraged. Participatory projects and online performances that are developed in the lead up to Rhubarb and culminate in another form of presentation at Buddies are also welcome. The proposal should take into consideration not only the festival audiences but also the general public, unsuspecting and accidental audiences who may stumble upon or intersect with the work. Continue reading →