Call for Submissions: Call for Apprentices 2010-11, Obsidian Theatre Company

Obsidian Theatre Company is passionately dedicated to the exploration, development and production of the Black voice.

Obsidian Theatre’s Mentor/Apprentice Program provides emerging theatre artists much needed work experience and a deeper understanding of professional practises by working with some of the most sought after theatre practitioners in Canadian theatre, including members of Obsidian Theatre Company.

Funding by the Department of Canadian Heritage allows us to offer 4 paid apprenticeship positions. Placements occur between autumn and spring depending on production schedules.

Past partners for this program have included Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, Factory Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre Company, Mirvish Productions, Nightswimming and Canadian Stage.

Apprenticeships are available in the following fields of interest:

• Directing
• Dramaturgy
• Lighting Design
• Production Management
• Costume Design
• Set Design
• Producing
• Music Directing

Requirements:
You must be actively pursuing a professional career in the theatre. Having an education in theatre, or equivalent experience at the community or professional level is essential to this program.

You are Canadian citizen or landed immigrant and you are, or identify yourself as, a member of the Black community.

In addition to a resume, applicants must provide a letter of intent indicating their career goals and how an apprentice position would help in achieving those goals.

Submission deadline: Friday May 21st, 2010

Submit applications by e-mail or mail to:
Rupal Shah
Apprenticeship Coordinator, Obsidian Theatre
943 Queen St. East
Toronto, ON M4M 1J6

training@obsidian-theatre.com

Announcement: Flex Pass and Single Ticket Sales, Magnetic North Theatre Festival

NEW THIS YEAR: MAGNETIC NORTH FLEX PASS

Magnetic North passes are FLEXIBLE, ECONOMICAL and EASY! This year both the 5-show and 10-show passes are flexible: allowing you to customize your Magnetic North experience to give you the best value. Want to bring your spouse to five plays? Buy the 10-show flex pass. Want to go with a group of friends to one show? Buy the 5- show flex pass. Quantities are limited, so act fast!

SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE MAY 1!

Single tickets go on sale Saturday. Browse our festival programming to plan your perfect festival experience. Please visit our accommodations page for help in arranging your trip to Kitchener-Waterloo!

Job Posting: Head of Properties, Tarragon Theatre

Tarragon Theatre is seeking a Head of Properties to fill a full-time seasonal position in the Production Department. Tarragon produces a season of between seven and eight productions in our Mainspace and Extra Space theatres, with a focus on the production of new Canadian plays. The props for Tarragon shows can range from simply buying of props to full scale construction.  The Head of Properties reports to the Technical Director and Production Manager.  This is a key position within the theatre with a primary focus on props construction, purchase, alteration and maintenance.  The position requires a self-motivated, organized individual with the ability to work independently, multi-task and prioritise.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Interpreting properties designs and working with designers to create the props for all of our productions
• Preparing props cost estimates from designs and discussions to present to the production manager and designer
• Schedule and coordinate props assistants as needed by each production
• Liaise with Stage Management in order to respond to rehearsal and show notes and to keep up with the changing needs of the production
• Maintain Tarragon’s props stock and facilitate props rentals

The ideal candidate will have some experience as a senior person within a properties department, or as a Head of Properties, have the ability to work independently, be comfortable working with and directing assistants, have excellent communication skills and be highly organized. The position requires a high degree of flexibility and the willingness to with a team to accomplish a goal.  As with most positions in the theatre the hours of work can be extremely variable. The seasonal contract usually runs from mid-August to early-May.

Interested applicants should apply either via email or in writing to:  Michael Freeman, Production Manager, 30 Bridgman Avenue, Toronto Ontario M5R 1X3.  Applications should include a cover letter and resume.  Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.  The deadline for applications will be May 15^th, 2010.

Announcement: New Spring/Summer Theatre & Dinning Packages With Added Value Launched, TAPA

TORONTO – The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced today new Theatre & Dining Packages for the Spring/Summer season featuring both new and returning partners.  Barrel of Laughs is back and the new Luminato Theatre & Dining Packages include a ticket to one of five shows and dinner at one of three favourite local restaurants.

Save up to 40% off the regular Luminato ticket price and customize your own Luminato Theatre & Dining Package.   Treat your taste buds to some of Toronto’s savoury international cuisine at Spring Rolls Restaurant, Marcel’s French Bistro, or Il Fornello, then discover a world of creativity with one of five “must see” Luminato productions.  A memorable night out starting at only $49.95!

Barrel of Laughs is the longest running and most popular package, and includes a tour (and tasting!) at Steam Whistle Brewing, dinner at The Red Tomato, and a night of legendary comedy at The Second City for only $49.95.

For the first time, package purchasers can experience Toronto in a whole new way with value added ShopDineTour Toronto “Sightseeing Tour” coupons in each package.

“TAPA is proud of the partnerships that we have created with our Theatre & Dining Packages.” says Executive Director Jacoba Knaapen “Each package allows both tourists and Torontonians to experience a wide variety of what Toronto has to offer; theatre, dance, opera, comedy, music and culinary delights at unbeatable prices.”

Packages are on sale now at T.O. TIX, Toronto’s Official One-Stop Ticket Shop at Yonge-Dundas Square, in person Tues-Sat, 12noon – 6:30pm or online anytime at www.totix.ca.

Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts: The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) is an arts service organization that represents 175 professional theatre, dance and opera companies in the City of Toronto, and works to create an environment in which the performing arts may flourish and maintain its leadership role in the vitality of the City of Toronto.

Among the programs and services provided by TAPA are: T.O. TIX – Toronto’s One-Stop Ticket Shop at Yonge-Dundas Square and online at http://www.totix.ca; the Dora Mavor Moore Awards; Toronto Theatre & Dining Packages, Toronto’s official Theatre Guide, featuring comprehensive listings for theatre, dance and opera performances & theatre map; hipTIX, offering $5 tickets to students between the ages of15 and 29, TRIP – Travel, Retreat and Initiatives Program and the Commercial Theatre Development Fund. For more information visit www.tapa.ca and www.totix.ca.

Job Posting: Associate Officer Arts Education and Northern Arts, Ontario Arts Council

Starting Salary Range:  $51,600 – $58,050

Term: One year maternity leave contract effective July 12, 2010

Hours: 36.25 – 44 hours/week

Ontario Arts Council (OAC) requires an accomplished Arts Professional with broad knowledge of all art forms and practices represented in arts education and arts activity in northern Ontario.

Responsibilities:

• Manage the delegated arts education program and responsibilities and the Northern Arts program.
• Provide information and consultative advice on arts education and northern arts to existing and new artists, and arts organizations;
• Collaborate with program managers in other sectors on issues facing Ontario artists and arts organizations regarding arts education and northern arts;
• Contribute to policy development, strategies, programs and services that will best support OAC’s on-going commitment to arts education and northern arts;
• Manage program budgets, program workflow and staff;
• Facilitate assessment of grant requests in collaboration with jurors and advisors;
• Work collaboratively within a team setting;
• Attend events on evenings and weekends and travel throughout Ontario at least 20 days of the year to meet with artists and arts organizations.

Summary of Key Qualifications:

• 3 – 5 years of progressive experience in arts education;
• Bachelor’s degree (arts administration or relevant field) or equivalent in work experience;
• Knowledge of arts education and northern arts trends, networks, resources and  issues;
• Knowledge and understanding of the education systems in Ontario, including Aboriginal education systems, as they pertain to artists working in the schools;
• Knowledge of the unique issues facing Ontario’s Aboriginal, culturally diverse, Francophone, regional and new generation communities regarding arts education and northern arts;
• Experienced and knowledgeable in grant writing and public funding systems;
• Proven ability to provide direction and leadership in the development and implementation of arts education and northern arts strategies, programs and initiatives;
• Solid project planning, organizational skills, administrative practices and the ability to multi-task in a fast paced environment;
• Sound judgment and ability to problem-solve;
• Effective written and verbal communication and presentation skills;
• Excellent interpersonal, facilitation and consultative skills;
• Computer proficiency in Excel, Work, Outlook and database programs;
• Proficiency in French is an asset.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit a cover letter and résumé by May 12, 2010 using one of the following methods:

Mail: Ontario Arts Council, Human Resources Office, FILE #02-10, 151 Bloor Street West, 5th Floor, Toronto (Ontario)  M5S 1T6.

Web: http://www.arts.on.ca/Page3435.aspx

The Ontario Arts Council is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and strongly supports and values diversity in the workplace. Applications from all qualified candidates are welcome and individuals from equity-seeking groups are encouraged to apply. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those selected for interview will be contacted.

www.arts.on.ca

Event: Plans for Culture Days Unveild in Toronto, Culture Days

Culture Days unveils first-ever Canada-wide celebration of arts and culture.  Annual event celebrates the creative vitality of our communities by bringing creators and public together

St. Albert, AB; Regina, SK; Winnipeg, MB; Toronto, ON; Charlottetown, PE (April 20, 2010) – Plans for Culture Days, a free annual event that invites people to celebrate and explore arts and culture in every province and territory in Canada, were unveiled Tuesday at events in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Prince Edward Island. The Canada-wide celebration represents the largest-ever collective public participation campaign undertaken by the arts and cultural community in this country. Culture Days will take place on September 24 to 26 in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec (under the existing event Journées de la culture), New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; and on September 17 to 19 in Alberta (under the existing event Alberta Arts Days). Dates for Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon will be announced shortly.

Attended by Ministers of Culture, local performers and artists in each province, the announcements called on the arts and cultural community to offer activities that invite the public to participate in hands-on, interactive experiences during Culture Days. Interested artists and organizations can register online at www.culturedays.ca. Those who register activities will benefit from a national marketing and communications campaign as well as access to materials to help promote activities within their communities. …READ MORE

Event: FRINGE FAMILY REUNION 2010!, Toronto Fringe Festival

Get ready for the zaniest family reunion / theatre fundraiser of the year! Join us for a night of laughter, entertainment, drinks, prizes, food, and games to win over $6,000 in prizes and help raise money for the Toronto Fringe Festival!

1.   $99 – Join the Fringe Family for a delicious pasta dinner catered by Magical Catering before catching our fantastic cabaret. After the show, join us for “the after party” with desserts, our best-ever high-roller raffle, more instant-prizes and a live auction for three very special biddable packages. Arrivals begin at 6:00pm, dinner is served by 7:00pm.

2.   $39 – Includes a pre-show schmooze-a-thon with instant-prizes, plus a ticket to our fantastic cabaret. After the show, join us for “the after party” with desserts, our best-ever high-roller raffle, more instant-prizes and three special big-ticket auction packages. Arrivals begin at 6:30pm, theatre doors open at 7:30pm.

When: Thursday, May 27th
Where: The Great Hall (1087 Queen Street West)
How much: $39 ($25 tax receipt) or $99 ($65 tax receipt)

Tickets: On Sale Now! By phone at 416-966-1062, or online at www.fringetoronto.com

NOTE: Space is limited so book your tickets ASAP!

Workshop: Movement Improvisation and Creative Practice-A Set of 6 Classes, Meagan O’Shea

Discover and develop personal and group improvisation skills. The series will introduce and hone improvisation skills for individual practice and playing within a group. The first half of each session will focus on individual practice including sourcing movement, following impulses, responding to your body. The second half will focus on group improvisation – listening, make up a game, compose as you play, and exploring group scores. While the work will develop the skills for performing improvisation, it is suitable to recreational movers and non-performers who want to explore their creative sides. (this is not a contact improv workshop).

Registration is required. Space is limited.

Thursday evenings: May 13, 20, 27 and June 3, 10, 17 from 7 – 9 p.m. at hub14 14 Markham Street, (one west of bathurst, north of queen)
Fees: $ 180 or $ 120 for CADA/CAEA/ACTRA/Student

e-mail omeagan@gmail.com to register and arrange payment

Nationally acclaimed performer Meagan O’Shea is known for her innovative solo work and group improvisations. dance like no one is watching began as a guerilla street dance project with dancers performing to music in their headsets in 2007, and evolved into a featured project in Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009 – 30 dancers traveling across the city in 4 relay teams creating surprise and spectacle in unexpected locations over 12 hours. Under the banner of Stand Up Dance, Meagan creates compelling work mixing dance, physical theatre, and storytelling with improvisation. Her work has been presented across Canada and this summer she will be teaching at
Ponderosa TanzLand Festival in Germany. www.standupdance.com

Announcement: Curators and New Exhibition Sites Announced, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche

The City of Toronto today announced the new curators for the 2010 edition of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. Gerald McMaster, Anthony Kiendl, Sarah Robayo Sheridan and Christof Migone will curate four exhibitions featuring a total of 40 contemporary art projects for one night only, all night long on October 2 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

To further improve the accessibility of the event and accommodate massive audiences, all City-produced projects will be positioned directly on the Yonge-University TTC subway line. Yonge Street will be entirely closed to car traffic from Bloor Street south to Front Street., providing pedestrians safe and easy access to the exhibitions.

Gerald McMaster (Fredrik S. Eaton Curator of Canadian Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario), will curate the area in and around Yorkville, from Yonge Street to Avenue Road. “The Good Night” speaks to the mystery of the untamed night and the creative possibilities that exist in the urban landscape after dark. The artists McMaster features, including French artist Agnès Winter and New York’s digital artists The Open Ended Group (Paul Kaiser, Shelley Eshkar and Marc Downie), will use light to transform the darkness and provide a meeting of opposites.

Anthony Kiendl (Director of Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art in Winnipeg), will curate the west side of Yonge from College Street to Queen Street West. Through a range of multi-sensory experiences, languages and forms, “Sound and Vision” explores how art and popular music create, anticipate, and document some of our most inspired, passionate and widely appreciated cultural moments. His exhibition includes a new collaborative work by Leah Singer and Lee Ranaldo of the band Sonic Youth, and a new work by celebrated New York conceptual artist Dan Graham.

Sarah Robayo Sheridan (Director of Exhibitions and Publications at Mercer Union), will curate the east side of Yonge from Gerrard Street south to Queen Street West. Her exhibition entitled “The Night of Future Past” transposes one tense for another. It is composed of histories revisited, futures explored and the present in flux. Sheridan will be working with the United Kingdom’s Ryan Gander and Toronto’s Darren O’Donnell, among others.

Christof Migone (lecturer at the University of Toronto Mississauga and the Director/Curator of the Blackwood Gallery), will curate the Financial District, straddling Yonge Street from Queen Street to Front Street. “Should I Stay or Should I Go” explores concepts of movement, gridlock and mobility, responding to daily urban life and to Scotiabank Nuit Blanche as a mass event. Projects deal with transience and traces of the psychic, physiologic and geographic. Migone’s exhibition features artists such as France’s Davide Balula and Halifax’s Michael Fernandes.

While the exhibition projects are centralized downtown, the entire event remains city-wide, with nearly 100 independent projects located in various sites and neighbourhoods throughout the city. Audiences will be able to reach all of the projects easily and safely by using the all-night TTC service on trains, buses and streetcars.

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche is Toronto’s annual all-night celebration of contemporary art, produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with Toronto’s arts community. The event continues to be structured around two separate streams of programming: the first is four City-produced Curated Exhibitions in three exhibition sites, featuring a total of 40 projects including 25 commissioned works and 15 additional projects selected through an open-call. The second programming element is a series of Independent Projects featuring self-funded new or existing installations by Toronto’s schools, neighbourhoods, community organizations, galleries, art institutions or individual artists.

Announcement: An Incredible Investment Opportunity, Centre for Social Innovation

Have you heard the news?  CSI is expanding!!!  We’re just days away from the purchase of an incredible building at 720 Bathurst (near Bloor St.).  The new space – a.k.a. CSI Annex – will be every bit as vibrant and exciting as our existing space at 215 Spadina (which will remain where it is!)

With phenomenal response from investors, we’re already 75% of the way toward meeting our financial goal for the purchase.  There are just a few more investment opportunities available! So, if you’re sitting on $50,000 or more and have a keen interest in supporting social innovation, let us know.

• The Series A Bond offers an interest rate of Canadian Bank Prime + 1.75% over a ten year term
• The Series B Bond offers an interest rate of Canadian bank Prime + 2.5% over a fifteen year term (and the social returns are phenomenal).

Click here for more information and/or to apply for membership at CSI Annex.

Click here to download the investment package.