IN THIS ISSUE
Pacific Contact 2007 - It's A Wrap - (Except for photos) - Dates for 2008
BCTC Awards
Block Booking and Touring Plans
NEW DATE - Mainstage and Studio Stage Showcase Applications
Community Presenters Assistance (CPA) - Deadline June 30th
Arts On Tour
New Jobs On BCTC Website
BCTC Board of Director News
Member News
Contact Event News
Industry/Sector News

Greetings!

Pacific Contact 2007 is a Wrap! I'd like to thank Kara Harris and all the volunteers, Linda Tamblyn in Nelson, Mark Sutherland and the production crew at the showcase venues, John McLachlan for great design and host Daniel Packard, as the master of all ceremonies. Thanks to all the workshop leaders and panelists, funding partners, sponsors and advertisers and silent auction prize donors. To Gavin Perryman for his facilitation of the Strategic Review and the board of directors of BCTC - all of whom worked very hard to make 2007 Pacific Contact a great year. All in all I think the conference was very productive and lots of fun. Also special thanks to Karen Birkadel as our official - unofficial photographer at Pacific Contact. We hope to have photos up soon, so stay tuned. Don't forget to mark your calendar for the next Pacific Contact, March 28 - April 1st, 2008 again at the Vancouver Hilton, Metrotown, the Michael J Fox Theatre and Shadbolt Centre For The Arts.

BCTC Awards - Pacific Contact, Sunday, April 1st - Congratulations to all the 2007 BC Touring Council Award recipients!
Presenter of the Year - Monica Grill, Arts Council of Ft. St. James
Touring Artist Of The Year - Ben Heppner
Touring Agent/Manager of The Year - Aaron Schubert, Paquin Entertainment
Raising Curtains Award - Scott Ashton-Swan
Touring Award of Excellence - L. Peter Feldman

Block Booking And Touring Plans are now under way. The initial block booking interests of presenters attending the Block Booking Meeting at Pacific Contact is not yet posted on the website as there were not many at the meeting. Presenters please send us your final (or close to final) booking lists and we'll be happy to get them up on the website for all to see fyi@bctouring.org. Also please forward links to your 2007, 2008 season / series announcements when available. There will be follow up and further posting to the website as plans get firmed up. Stay tuned!

New Dates! Mainstage and Studio Stage Showcase Applications for the 32nd Pacific Contact March 28th to April 1st, 2008 will be available online June 15th with a deadline of September 30th. General information about showcasing can be found on the 2007 Pacific Contact link at
www.bctouring.org/pacific-contact/2007/mainstage-studio.html.

Community Presenters Assistance (CPA) Awards are available on a project basis to assist non-profit community organizations that present British Columbian and Canadian professional performing arts touring events. This is a funding program of the BC Arts Council and is administered by the BC Touring Council. For full information please go to www.bctouring.org/presenter-assistance/index.html
Deadline for submissions is June 30th.

ArtsOnTour website at www.artsontour.com is a great one-stop shopping for upcoming tours. This comprehensive website has agent roster, full contact information and descriptions, genre specific and family and adult classifications and video and audio links.

New Job Postings can be found on the BCTC website at www.bctouring.org/job-opportunities/. Submit postings to the office by emailing fyi@bctouring.org

BCTC Board of Directors News - BCTC is pleased to announce it has made two artist appointments to the Board of Directors. Welcome Margo Kane of Full Circle: First Nations Performance and Renee Iaci of shameless hussy productions. The full list of board members and their affiliations can be found at www.bctouring.org/about-us/index.html

Board and Executive Director met in Vancouver April 3rd to review its strategic plan. Gavin Perryman facilitated a full day of thoughtful discussion and the board and staff will now work to create concrete plans for BCTC over the next three years.
Okanagan and Similkameen regional members - mark your calendar! The Board will travel to South Central region on September 21st to 23rd for its annual regional Board and Members meeting. More to come on that in future E-News.

Member News
On March 15th Lorne Elliott suffered a heart attack. After spending one week at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, he has been back home resting and working at regaining his strength. He is under good medical care expecting a full recovery. Though Lorne has had to cancel touring this spring he is expecting that in a few months will be able to resume his touring activities and he is looking forward to his next BC tour planned for October 2007. He is most grateful for the understanding and cooperation from all the presenters affected by the situation. On behalf of the board, staff and members of BCTC - "Get well Lorne!"

Contact Event News
ATTENTION ALL PERFORMING ARTISTS, AGENTS, MANAGERS - Expand your world by applying to showcase at Saskatchewan Showcase of the Arts 2007. OSAC's annual conference features Showcases, Contact Room, Visual Arts Exhibitions, Workshops and Discussion Forums. A jury of community presenters and members of the professional arts community will select the showcases. All applicants will be notified of the committee's decisions by June 30, 2007. Touring will occur in the 2008/2009 season. Application deadline is May 1, 2007. For further information or to access the application forms, please refer to the OSAC website at www.osac.sk.ca or contact Kevin Korchinski, Performing Arts Coordinator, 306-586-1220 or kevin@osac.sk.ca

Industry News
Music BC - Read up on news about Vancouver's bid for the 2009 Junos, deadlines for Factor grants and other information about the BC music industry - www.musicbc.org

Congratulations on the 30th anniversary of the Vancouver International Children's Festival. Check out the great line-up of events at www.childrensfestival.ca

Canada Council News - More than 560 arts organizations across the country will receive grants totalling $33 million as a result of a special competition aimed at strengthening their current operations by enhancing their artistic, administrative or audience development activities.
A full list of grants awarded through the Supplementary Operating Funds Initiative, as well as additional information about the distribution of the new Canada Council funding, are available on the Canada Council web site at http://www.canadacouncil.ca/grants/

Jerry Yoshitomi invites you to read his blogpost. If you're interested in what Jerry's reading this week, go to www.meaningmattersnet.net

CITT/ICTS Rendez-vous is an annual classic within the Canadian performing arts industry combining professional workshops, sessions, social events, and exceptional networking opportunities for members and fellow colleagues from across the country. The CITT BC Section will be hosting Rendez-vous 2007 Ties to the Community from August 13 to 19 at the historic Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver. For more details about Rendez-vous 2007 and to register, please visit our conference webpage at http://www.citt.org/conf.php

Joanna Maratta, Executive Director
BC Touring Council
PO Box 547
Nelson, BC V1L 5R3
T. 250-352-0021 F. 250-352-0027
www.bctouring.org
Pacific Contact 2008 - March 28 - April 1