November 2007 - Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE

Congrats to the Winner of a free Pacific Contact Registration
2008 BCTC Membership - Now Due  
Website Changes - Arts On Tour Directory Registration
Showcase Application Update
Early Bird Registration for Pacific Contact - December 3rd
Facility Managers Meeting - November 19 th
Job Postings
Members News
Industry News

Congratulations to Bulkley Valley Concert Association - winner of the early membership draw for a free registration to the 2008 Pacific Contact, March 28 – 30, 2008
Thanks to everyone who renewed their memberships and welcome to new members.

2008 Membership Now Due - Yes, for all those who have still to renew your membership this is to let you know that it is now due. Please support performing arts touring in British Columbia. Renew your membership with BCTC and ensure that your voice is heard. Full details can be found at the following link http://www.bctouring.org/membership/

2008 Arts On Tour Directory - Registration for the 2008 ArtsOnTour Directory will begin December 3rd. BCTC is currently making changes to aspects of the website to a content management format. This will allow members greater access to directories and the ability to update information as you wish. More to come about that in the coming weeks.

Showcase Application Update – BCTC received over 170 showcase applications for the 2008 Pacific Contact. The showcase selection committee will meet November 20th and 21st and showcase applicants will be notified of results by the first week in December. Thanks to all who applied.

Early Bird Registration for Pacific Contact Online - December 3rd – Changes are afoot for the next installment of Pacific Contact and details will be coming in November. The most significant change is that the conference will be shortened by one day. The dates are now March 28th to 30th. General conference information can be found online at www.bctouring.org/pacific-contact/

Facility Managers Meeting - November 19th from 11am to 2pm at the Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver. http://www.kaymeekcentre.com/ Please RSVP to Kara Harris – admin@bctouring.org no later than Wednesday, November 14th.

Job Postings - See the latest jobs posted to the BCTC website at http://www.bctouring.org/job-opportunities/ To submit a posting please send to fyi@bctouring.org

Member News

Natalie Ackers bids farewell as Company and Touring Manager of Green Thumb Theatre. Natalie joined Green Thumb in 2005 as Touring Coordinator. She leaves to assume the position of VP Touring Division with Kids’ Entertainment in Toronto beginning November 12 th. We wish Natalie every success in her new position.

Industry News

Western Canadian Music Awards – Congratulations to Jim Byrnes – Outstanding Blues Recording (House Of Refuge), Joel Kroeker – Outstanding Blues Recording (Closer To The Flame) and Pied Pumkin – Outstanding Children’s recording (Pumkids).
To view the many other award recipients http://www.wcmw.ca:80/awards/2007_artistic.html

The Cultch Announces Year 10 of Alcan Performing Arts Award: Dance 2009 - The Vancouver East Cultural Centre (The Cultch) is pleased to announce the tenth anniversary of the Alcan Performing Arts Award: DANCE 2009. This $60,000 production fund is open to performing arts companies resident in British Columbia, rotating annually between Dance, Theatre, and Opera/Music. This year's competition is open to dance companies. Application forms are available on http://www.vecc.bc.ca The deadline for all submissions is Friday, December 15, 2007 at 5pm.

Canadian Heritage News - Josée Verner, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages, announced $30 million- funding per year set aside in the 2007 Budget to support local arts and heritage activities that engage Canadians in their communities through the expression, celebration and preservation of local culture.
The $30 million in new funding will be ongoing, and includes the creation of a new program, entitled Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage (BCAH), as well as enhanced resources for Arts Presentation Canada, and funding for community historical anniversaries infrastructure.
The new BCAH program will provide support for both local arts and heritage festivals that feature the presentation of local artists or local heritage, and major historical anniversaries of local importance.

Applications are now available for local arts and heritage festivals and community historical anniversaries occurring in winter 2008. A copy of the Guide and Application Form for both components can be found on our website. Information on how to access these two components is available at www.pch.gc.ca/

Additional funding for the existing Arts Presentation Canada program has also been made available to better support community engagement aspects of professional performing arts festivals. Details for funding of community historical anniversaries infrastructure costs will be available at a later date.

For further information please contact our British Columbia/Yukon toll free number at 1-800-663-5812.

The British Columbia Law Society, Society Act Reform Project Committee released a consultation paper in August on proposals for a new Society Act in BC, and the committee is welcoming responses to the paper prior to finalizing its content. They have set a deadline of February 29, 2008 for receipt of responses. The consultation paper link is http://www.bcli.org/pages/projects/society/Society_Act_Consultation_Paper.pdf.

A response booklet is available at http://www.bcli.org/pages/projects/society/SARP.html. They are welcoming general comments outside of the response booklet as well. Details on methods for responding can be found in the introductory pages of the consultation paper.  The consultation paper makes for interesting reading and this is a good opportunity for societies incorporated in BC under the current Society Act to have input on this group's proposed changes.

Making A Scene - The Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance hosts Making a Scene, conference for theatre professionals November 22-25 on Granville Island, Vancouver.  Keynote speaker Blake Brooker of One Yellow Rabbit plus many sessions and workshops on new works, new ideas and new creative spaces.  Sessions of interest to facility managers/presenters:  Building Creativity - Cultural space and the future of the theatrical imagination, Breaking he Audience Mold, Fire and Life Safety for Theatres (free session co-presented with SHAPE), and Marketing: It's All About the Art. Workshops specially for artists:  Creating theatre with music with James Fagan Tait and Joelysa Pankanea, Flash Directing with Blake Brooker, dancing for actors with Jennifer Bishop and The Playwright's Gym with Eric Rhys Miller and Tanya Marquardt. Note early bird registration deadline Oct 22. Further information at www.gvpta.ca or info@gvpta.ca.