See the full conference schedule for more learning and networking opportunities.

Thursday May 23rd

Extended Breakout Session from 2.15-4.15pm

Engaging and Working with Deaf Artists, ASL/English Interpreters, ASL Coaches and Deaf Consultants in Theatre: A Summary for the Community
Led by Connor Yuzwenko-Martin, Brian Dooley, and Nicole Sander (Network of Interpreters, Consultants & Advocates)

A performance’s overall aesthetic, coherence and cohesiveness is part of the resounding factors that lead to its success or ultimate failure in the patron’s and critic’s view. Many factors impact these aspects when utilizing inclusive measures to incorporate something like American Sign Language (ASL). Where do you find competent theatre skilled Interpreters? How will the performance use them? Should you be using a Deaf Interpreter? What about a Deaf Actor on stage? Have you considered the need for a Deaf Consultant or ASL Coach? Did you budget correctly or did you budget at all? And most importantly, why are you doing this in the first place?

During this workshop we will delve into these questions and many more. With the current shift towards greater inclusion in the mainstream, we will uncover the truths about access versus inclusion and what that really looks like from the Deaf perspective.

This presentation is ASL/English Accessible.

Breakout Sessions from 2.30-4.00pm

Canada’s Creative Export Strategy
Led by Christine Angelo, Director of International Trade Operations, Department of Canadian Heritage

Want to take your work abroad? Learn how to access the various initiatives, programs and services under the Creative Export Strategy. This presentation will describe how the Department of Canadian Heritage, together with its other government partners, is helping Canadian creators and creative entrepreneurs explore and take advantage of business opportunities in key global markets to maximize their export potential.

Many Happy Returns: Learn about GST/ HST with Canada Revenue Agency
Led by Michael Monk, Outreach Officer with CRA

This is not an audit! CRA has launched a GST/HST Outreach project to help charities learn about their GST/HST obligations and entitlements and to provide guidance on a going-forward basis. Discover how to claim all eligible amounts and identify potential issues in advance. Topics may include: rebates, taxable/exempt supplies, input tax credits, reimbursements, grants and more. No prior knowledge required.

Board Management: Everything You Wanted to Know but Were Too Afraid to Ask

Led by Rachael King (Blyth Festival), with Rose Brow (Vertigo Theatre), Gaylene Buckle (Theatre Newfoundland Labrador), Régine Cadet (Theatre Passe Muraille), Nikki Hipkin (Persephone Theatre), and Max Reimer (Drayton Entertainment)

Does your board manage you, or do you manage your board? How do you keep your board focused and engaged without encouraging micro-management? Where can you find board members who are passionate about your company’s mission and will bring diverse perspectives to the table? We’ll talk about recruiting board members, setting realistic expectations, and cultivating productive collaborations.

Breakout Sessions from 4.30-6.00pm

Canada Council Granting Streams
Led by Matthew Tiffin and Dennis Lepsi, Program Officers, Canada Council for the Arts

Do you have innovative or special projects in mind but don’t quite know which Canada Council for the Arts program they might fit under? Or maybe questions on how to apply for support for your upcoming projects? Canada Council for the Arts Program Officers Matthew Tiffin and Dennis Lepsi will be giving a presentation on some of the project components of the Explore and Create and Supporting Artistic Practice programs. This presentation will include an overview of these project components and some helpful tips on what you can apply for, when the next deadlines are, and how to put together your strongest application.

Random Acts of Ticketing
Led by David Ciano of Spektrix Ticketing

Sometimes a successful marketing campaign calls for finding new ways to creatively communicate your organization’s mission to your patron base. We all know that can be hard to do when time to brainstorm and budgets are limited. This session would jump-start that process by providing inspiration, space to share and a list of tools you can use to build into your organization’s marketing strategies. It will look at case studies of organizations who have taken fun and unexpected approaches with a proven return on investment.

Homebrew: Cultivating Artistic Practice in the Bread Basket of the World
With members of the local theatre community

What is the “Saskatchewan style” of theatre?  Agrarian, of course! We grow things that feed you and quench your thirst. Local organizations and artists chat about projects and initiatives that nurture artistic practice in Saskatchewan. Come hear about what’s brewing locally: innovative approaches to interpreting Shakespeare, fostering creativity and skills in the Indigenous community, investing in new directors, creating a rural theatre experience, and bringing the arts to young people in the farthest reaches of the province.

Balancing Work and Life: A Roundtable Conversation
Led by Gina Puntil (Alberta Workers’ Health Centre) and Camilla Tibbs (Gateway Theatre)

We all know that theatre can make huge demands on our time, energy, and personal lives. This peer-to-peer roundtable is a chance to share ideas and experiences around well-being, mental health, family commitments, and more. What challenges have you been facing in balancing your work and your life? What personal strategies have you developed to maintain joy and equilibrium? What initiatives could institutions put in place to help?

Saturday May 25th

Breakout Sessions from 11.15-12.45pm

Emerging, Young and Restless…
Led by Angus Ferguson (Dancing Sky Theatre), with Jennifer Dawn Bishop (Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre), Torien Cafferata (It’s Not a Box Theatre), Charlie Peters (Live Five), Elizabeth Nepjuk (Ferre Play Theatre), and Jensine Trondson (U of Saskatchewan design graduate)

For many years emerging theatre artists in Saskatchewan felt that they had to leave the province if they wanted to pursue a career in theatre. Recently there has been an explosion of young theatre artists who have chosen to stay in Saskatchewan and create theatre in their own way and on their own terms. In this session, five young and emerging artists talk about the work that they create and the processes and conditions that they use. One old (but hopefully still emerging) artist will guide a conversation about what artistic structures and supports we need to build in the future to accommodate new ways of creating theatre. Come and help us imagine a world where the new artists will flourish.

Planning for Succession Success
Led by Tabitha Keast (PACT), with Martin Bragg (Arts Consulting Group), Ashlie Corcoran (Arts Club),  Andy McKim (Theatre Passe Muraille), Lori Marchand (NAC – Indigenous Theatre) and Shari Wattling (Lunchbox Theatre)

Canadian theatre is experiencing major changes in leadership right now. What do incoming leaders need, and what can outgoing leaders offer? How can organizations and their stakeholders prepare for change? Let’s talk about finding our new leaders and setting them up for success.

Labour Relations: Working Across Borders
Led by Eleanor Antoncic (PACT), with Jeff Cummings (Shaw Festival), Danny Everson (Mermaid Theatre), Sandra Henderson (Neworld Theatre), and Lisa Li (Soulpepper)

What’s the process for bringing international artists to Canada? How do you start touring projects and artists overseas? Come with your questions and stories to this open knowledge-sharing session. We’ll talk about the International Mobility Program, foreign worker permits, and anything else you want to know about taking your art across borders.