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Vancouver International Children’s festival 2012 (Click on the link I can’t make it live)…
This is F A N T A S T I C!!!
Get out there and support and enjoy the last weekend of the Vancouver International Children’s Festival.
What an experience – just do it! Rain or Shine!
Wooooeeeee! and see ya there!
If you read Lois Dawson’s Blog (and you should start now if you don’t); from the video clip on her Blog, http://www.loisbackstage.com The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is going to be an AWESOME show.
What an amazing cast!
What a phenomenal play: “[The Last Days] makes most contemporary plays seem safe, timid and dull, and reminds us of what is missing not only from 99 per cent of our drama but from 99 per cent of our lives – a sense of spirituality and of mystery.”
- The Telegraph
So all you folk in YVR hurry up, get off your butts, and BUY tickets to this show.
Here’s where to do so: http://www.thecultch.com/content/view/251/353/
Lois, cast and all at the Cultch – here’s wishing everyone the best for a super show!
http://www.loisbackstage.com/?p=1680
Lois,
Loss is tragic, whatever the loss is.
It is hard to imagine the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company having to close its doors and this definitely leaves a big and deep hole in the entire Vancouver community.
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, in the 1980′s, went through something similar with a huge and unsustainable debt load due to a sharp decrease in subscribers, sponsorship and donations and the list of woes went on and on.
Three levels of government bailed out the VSO, to no avail.
I sat at many meetings with Cabinet Ministers, the Canada Council, the BC Government, the BC Arts Office, the Chief Bankruptcy officer for the Province of British Columbia, (who became the President of the Board of Directors of the VSO in this terrible period of its history), VSO musicians, the Music Director, and many, many, others trying to “save” the VSO.
I was commissioned by the Province of British Columbia to prepare a financial and artistic recovery plan that the Province of BC could understand and begin to help implement a recovery process.
The Vancouver community could not imagine a world-class city without a symphony orchestra; and neither could I.
The short story of this downturn for the VSO is that it did close its doors for a time. The organization hired Ed Oscapella, (may he rest in peace), to put the organization back on track, financially, artistically, (when he took over there was no articulated strategic artistic plan, long or short that addressed the needs of the Vancouver community to have an world class symphony orchestra).
Through some years of trials and errors the VSO made good strategic decisions on how to involve the community to re-build the VSO and today we can all happily say the VSO has succeeded, splendidly.
Will the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company come back again? Perhaps, in another form, location, and it will be a vibrant entity in the Vancouver community; I certainly hope so, and I believe it will.
This is not to place blame, but many level headed and experienced cultural entertainment professionals warned that the “secret” bailouts as a “Band-Aid” fix, and, also the manner in which the bailouts were managed would not work. I know the movie; I lived it in the 1980′s with the VSO.
In my humble opinion running to the government for a bail-out is a short-term fix, and the City of Vancouver who owns the Playhouse facility is getting a good kick in the butt and maybe a wake up call that either they should operate the Playhouse facility professionally; (there are some models for government doing this successfully), or get out of this facility operation business and leave the artists alone to do what they succeed at – create fantastic programming and theatre entertainment.
Now is the time for some serious, serious, reflection on the part of the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company community, being the actors, directors, designers, creators, staff, stage management, production management, technical production management, marketers, publicity, fundraisers, and board of directors for all of them to come together. And first look after their supporters – ticket-holders, donors and clean up a mess.
There is always tomorrow, and there will be a tomorrow for the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company.
The next step is to re-build, and what this re-build looks like is up to the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company community.
Vancouver is blessed with talented, experience willing individuals, corporations and other entities that can help and make a difference; (the VSO and Ballet BC came back, so I am hopeful)
I am there is spirit, tonight; Lois, light a candle for the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre community, for me, thank you.
Susan Weiss
Stunning, raw emotion and a proud night indeed with this play being live streamed on Mar. 3, 2012.
Streamed live on Mar 3, 2012 by AmericanEqualRights
Featuring an all-star cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Lynch, Kevin Bacon and others, “8″ is a play written by Academy Award winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and directed by acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner.
It is a powerful account of the case filed by the American Federation for Equal Rights (AFER) in the U.S. District Court in 2010 to overturn Proposition 8 a constitutional amendment that eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry in the state of California. Framed around the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, 8 provide an intimate look what unfolded when the issue of same-sex marriage was on trial.
Here is the face of Federal Government funding for SummerWorks Festival in Canada going “bye-bye”....
Maybe, just, maybe there is an opportunity here and time to put on our collective thinking caps.
I’m thinking more strategic partnerships because this national majority “political” party thinking is going to be around for a few years!
Here is my challenge to the Crowd Sourcing Industry in Canada:
How about a collective effort to raise funds and long term investments to support emerging, gifted and talented writers, playwrights, and producers to support new theatre works?
How about a “New Philanthropy” model to move funding creativity out of the political arena and into the audience and corporate culture arena?
How about attracting “Venture Capital” based on an evaluation that is realistic, and, at the same time gives a reasonable ROI?
Is anyone listening, interested and supportive of these questions out there?
I am, so please join me – and let’s not keep going down a path of “veiled” threats from politicians to the very being of our culture and humanity – communication, for starters.
Dear Premier Christy Clark:
Please help, if you will and can, move along the appointment of the Commissioner to review the gaming grants guidelines and infrastructure, specifically related to arts and culture not for profits in BC.
The Vancouver Children’s Festival is the latest one hit hard; and soon to be a casualty. http://bit.ly/mftZOG
Once these kinds of organizations fail, based on their belief and planning in decent and consistent government funding, and then this decent and consistent government funding also fails them, (in the case of the VICF at the last possible minute), they never, almost never, are resurrected.
This, in the case of the Vancouver Children’s Festival; truly a “Families First” organization that most deserves not to fail.
Timing is everything and now is the time to move forward.
I appeal to you, Premier Clark, to stick to, and, act upon your words, (during your campaign to become the leader of the BC Liberal Party), to restore arts and culture funding in BC to 2008 levels; this will also be a good start.
Thank you for listening and please take action now.
Sincerely,
Susan Weiss
Help the Vancouver Children's Festival
I can hear it now – ticket prices don’t cover costs; where is the strategic plan to retire the deficit; and the tickets cost too much for families!
Let’s get on Premier Christy Clark’s bandwagon “Families First” and put our collective heads and hearts together to make sure there is another Vancouver Children’s Festival.
Is there anyone out there who can help launch a “VCF Crowdsourcing Campaign” to retire the deficit?
Is there anyone out there who can help launch a Social Media Campaign?
Most of all, everyone in Vancouver has some tangible benefit from this long standing festival for children and families. (Heck, I took my nieces to the VCF some decades ago!)
PLEASE, step up to the plate and donate even just 14 loonies – I am sure there are at least 10000 people in Vancouver who can do this.
I can, and will! Here is the link to do so: https://www.canadahelps.org/DonationDetails.aspx?cookieCheck=true
PS: VCF Board and Management - Forget about waiting and/or counting on government subsidies; let’s make a long term strategic partnership for a “New Philanthropy” model – count me in and VCF you can find me on this Blog – I am willing to help!
Another one bites the dust! http://bit.ly/h2Yquy
Like so many Vancouverites, in the cultural community, I too am heartbroken at the demise of the Pantages Theatre!
But more than that, I am pissed, because our Vancouver City Council can lose anywhere from between $50M and $250M on an Olympic Village complex then turnaround and kill a theatre that can be gutted, then gleaming and operational, for anywhere between $50M to $250M. (Closer to the $50M side)
The Pantages Theatre is, (now was), a cornerstone of “OUR VANCOUVER“.
Renewed, revived and running the Pantages Theatre could have added to a vibrant culture; created many jobs, and I repeat, culture = jobs, in Canada’s poorest postal code.
A vibrant theatre culture makes for a vibrant City.
Why? And, what is so hard to understand about a theatre that creates a vibrant city?
Really, what a load of crap; for shame Mayor Robertson et al @Vancouver City Council for letting this happen!
RIP: Pantages Theatre.
PS: A big THANK YOU to all the valiant Vancouverites in their efforts to save the Pantages Theatre!
As World Theatre Day 2011 draws ever closer, by the second, I take this opportunity to invite the world the join in what will be a joyous and inspiring celebration.
Like other “World Event” days, this one is particularly important to all humanity because the theatre experience brings the world and its people closer together.
So get out there and experience theatre in your community, pueblito, village, town or mega-city!
It is there for the taking – and on World Theatre Day 2011 there are many, many free events presented at the largess and generosity of the actors, performers, writers, creators and support personnel who make their livelihoods in the theatre!
Enjoy and VIVA El Día Mundial del Teatro! (Can’t wait for the sneak preview of “Wonderland”!)
Here are some links for Queretaro, Mexico: https://www.lafabrica.org.mx https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldtheatreday.co%2F&h=d86f7 http://worldtheatreday.co/wtd-2011-celebrations-25/
This is a BRILLIANT question and here is an equally BRILLIANT answer from Travis Bedard.
I enthusiastically post the entire answer here with all credit to TRAVIS BEDARD – you are insightful, brilliant and I gratefully thank you for your thoughtful response!
A VIBRANT THING http://ow.ly/4ebHy #2amt
Posted on February 10th, 2011 by Travis Bedard
A friend asked what I felt a vibrant theatre community was. Disappointed to realize I hadn’t already defined that term in this space I told her I would write up a post.
This is that post.
A vibrant theatre community is one that is connected vertically and horizontally, larger and smaller, more and less resourced, and across genres. Andrew Taylor uses a image in his creative ecology talk of the Honey Mushroom (armillaria ostoyae). To quote the linked article, “To go into the forest where this giant makes its home you would not look at it and see a huge, looming mushroom. Armillaria grows and spreads primarily underground and the sheer bulk of this organism lies in the earth, out of sight.”
Armillaria are to scientific knowledge the TWO largest living organisms. But you never see the whole thing. You see it shooting up here and there but the truth of it’s life and interconnectedness lies out of sight.
The hallmarks of a vibrant theatre community:
- A talent base.
Every community has a best, most talented person. A vibrant community has a pool of talent that like sourdough starter can be dipped into again and again and mot be diminished. - Opportunity to begin, opportunity to continue.
The bar to entry is low enough in terms of resources that you can enter the community and (without hitting the lottery) sustain an artistic effort. - Culture of Making
A vibrant creative environment needs to be rooted in creating opportunity rather than waiting for opportunity. - Artist Awareness
While taking a breath from their own pursuits individual artists look up every know and again and recognize that others exist and are doing the same things they are. Occasionally they may talk or even share a meal with another artist. - Cooperation, not competition.
Each sees and supports each. There needs to be room for each creator to root. - Overlap between producing groups.
Friction creates both heat and light, keep rubbing up against new thoughts and ideas. - Variety of goals.
A town only producing musicals or design driven reflections on the work of Anne Sexton can’t sustain a broad enough population of artists or audience to maintain continuity. - Ambition
Of some kind.
Whether is for innovation or simply drive for greatness. The needs to be an animating force for something more than “I want to do a play”. - Continuity… and churn
Like the ocean, a vibrant community needs a foundation of “elders” and community pillars underlaying a froth and chop of high kinetic energy, high entropy groups forming, crashing and reforming in a flurry. The two energies feed each other.
There is of course an equation hidden in all of this that would quantify it and balance the factors but lord knows I got 99 problems but a math ain’t one.
Dave Charest thank you for sharing the link to this post by Travis Bedard on Twitter! http://davecharest.com/about-dave-charest
