Missed Cues

In this episode, part one of two, we are honoured to be joined with four of the six founding members of Acting in Good Company: Shannon Tosic-McNally, Grace Gordon, Kaleigh Choiniere and Gabriela Saltiel. We touch on many of the pervasive issues that the theatre industry is rife with, from the thankless of job of stage managers, to working with dyslexia as well as the need for continued activism and a new canon that faces our contemporary issues. Find Acting in Good Company on Instagram at @actingingoodcompany or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/actingingoodcompany/

In this episode, part one of two, we are honoured to be joined with four of the six founding members of Acting in Good Company: Shannon Tosic-McNally, Grace Gordon, Kaleigh Choiniere and Gabriela Saltiel. We touch on many of the pervasive issues that the theatre industry is rife with, from the thankless of job of stage managers, to working with dyslexia as well as the need for continued activism and a new canon that faces our contemporary issues. Find Acting in Good Company on Instagram at @actingingoodcompany or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/actingingoodcompany/

This is part two of our chat with Alisa MacKinnon and Alèn Martel of PIVOT. In this episode, we talk about the things they don't teach things you in art school and Alisa shares their budgeting tips. For more information on PIVOT. check out their website at itspivot.com or follow them on social media. You can find them on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

This is part one of our chat with Alisa MacKinnon and Alèn Martel of PIVOT. In this episode, we talk about the different ways that PIVOT. helps provide much-needed support and consulting to Canadian arts organizations, from arts admin to event management and even venue design, particularly in the area of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization. For more information on PIVOT. check out their website at itspivot.com or follow them on social media. You can find them on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

SummaryKate and Tom are delighted to have Kenji Maeda on the podcast. Kenji is—among many things—the Executive Director of the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance (GVPTA). He shares about the systemic issues he's passionate about, from shared leadership models to having more diverse voices in arts organizations and unpacks the unpack report and how arts organization and artists in BC are feeling about the state of the industry as well as the challenges facing the industry. About Kenji MaedaKenji’s experiences are diverse and grounded in his passion for the arts, education, and building community, and influenced by his Uchinanchu heritage. He is currently the Executive Director of the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance; artsvest B.C. Program Manager for Business / Arts; lecturer for Simon Fraser University's Thriving as a Cultural Entrepreneur course; and an arts and culture consultant working and living on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Kenji currently sits on the board of Mass Culture, a national organization which uses the power of research to learn and enable the arts and culture community to be strategic and adaptive. He is a Jessie Richardson Theatre Award recipient, and an alum of the Banff Centre's Cultural Leadership Program.ResourcesGVPTAartsvest BCMass CultureKoto: The Last Service on DOXAGVPTA COVID-19 Impact Report: Spring 2021

In this episode, Tom and Kate talk about personal branding and tackle Kate’s personal issues with it head on: does personal branding make you egotistical? Kate also puts together content marketing in her head for the first time. Then we talk about something very serious: toxic theatre cultures that put actors at risk. We look at the issue primarily from the perspective of theatre schools and training programs while acknowledging it’s an attitude that pervades how we treat actors in many situations. If you feel like you have to do something you’re not comfortable with while being concerned about your job or your future in the industry, something’s wrong. And it’s not you. Referenceszhttps://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/drama-school-close-after-review-reveals-courses-pushed-students-edgehttps://www.citynews1130.com/2020/07/13/vancouver-carousel-theatre-bullying/https://www.straight.com/arts/carousel-theatre-society-parts-ways-with-artistic-director-carole-higgins-noting-that-changehttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/louisgrenier_marketing-creatoreconomy-activity-6793165096702005248-SAWR

How do you take care of the people you share an art form with? What are the steps involved in planning for a production? Where do you find funding in Canada? Doing Value-Based workWhen you’re doing value-based work and you’re really clear about why you’re doing it, then it makes it easier to make decisions, create policies and build the culture you want to work in and hire people who will fit in to that culture. Funding sources for your production FederalProvincial MunicipalFoundationsSponsorshipsDonationsReferencesEthical Reopening SummitRacism is Killing the Planet, Hop HopkinsThe Art of Gathering, Priya ParkerCanada Council Equity pay scales

With reopening somewhere on the horizon, it’s important for theatre companies to plan how to bring an audience back. In this episode, we talk about the elements involved in building a personal brand. We then explore Seth Godin’s concept that marketing is storytelling, which is lying and how theatre companies can use that to reach the right audiences with their marketing. Building a brandWhy do you want to build a brand? What’s the value of caring about your reputation, whether you’re an organization or a an individual? Why do you need to take steps in order to be invited at the table? Why can’t we just do the work and be recognized for that? Building a brand is not just a sleazy endeavour, touted by douchy marketing bros. It’s about your desire to transform the world and your brand is an invitation to others who want to see that transformation to participate in the work that you do. Plugging in to your audience’s storyWhile there is a need for us to step up to the plate and constantly advocate for our art form, effective marketing is not that. Good marketing is not about making the arguments for theatre as an art form, your brand or your play in particular. Good marketing is telling a story that fits within the story your audience is already telling themselves. You don’t need to convince the exhausted parent who just wants to spend Friday night chilling on a couch with Netflix on TV and TikTok on their phone to give up their hopes for comfort and enjoy a night out. There’s a large audience out there who is looking for something new and exciting to do on a Friday night. Your marketing strategy is to meet people where they are instead of trying to convince them of something else. It’s the same when it comes to arts advocacy. The people you want to reach with your message are the ones who will effectively spread it for you. Putting this together with your brand, the ongoing relationship is where you deliver that transformation that you and the audience are both looking for. ReferencesAll Marketers Are Liars, Seth Godin

Episode notesThe pandemic’s effect on the arts was complete. Overnight, theatres went from having an audience to zero. We are honoured to have Patti Pon, President and CEO of Calgary Arts Development (CADA) join us for this episode. Here she shares with us the challenges COVID-19 has presented for theatre companies and where to turn for the future. It was an invigorating and inspiring conversation and we hope you find so too. Learn more about Patti here: https://calgaryartsdevelopment.com/people/patti-pon/Learn about Stone-Olafson’s research on The Experience Economy here: https://www.stone-olafson.com/insights/experienceeconomy-results

Look, nobody’s really surprised. It’s not like pre-pandemic, governments had lavished attention to the arts, throwing more money at the industry than anybody really knew what to do with it. If you work in the arts, particularly in North America, making due is scant resources is the only way to work you probably know. But with their responses to the pandemic, it’s much harder for governments (particularly Alberta and BC’s provincial governments) to actually pretend that they care about the arts. References: https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/vancouver-news/screw-the-arts-lets-watch-sports-rio-theatre-pivots-to-re-open-under-bcs-covid-19-restrictions-3278136https://www.alberta.ca/enhanced-public-health-measures.aspx

Kate chats with her old pal, Pedro Chamale of rice & beans theatre about how COVID affected theatre and more.

Kate and Thomas talk about the ways COVID-19 has affected artists and theatre companies and some ways that we can respond.

How much do you charge for tickets? How much do you pay artists? How do you change a culture of scarcity mentality? The question of the value of theatre has more complex implications than just the philosophical conclusion that it's inherent.

Kate and Tom talk about theatre company mission statements and value statements and when it might be time to change them. They also close their first season with things that gotta die.

Tom and Kate take their Twitter spat to the airwaves and end up sharing marketing wisdom, take on colour blind casting and straight actors playing queer.

Kate talks with Canadian arts leaders from around the country about how organizations are trying to break down barriers to arts accessibility.

Kate catches up with Simon Brault, CEO of Canada Council for the Arts, and they talk about funding for the arts and Canada on the international stage.

Kate catches up with Mohsin Mohi Ud Din who talks about making the arts accessible and moving past digital slacktivism.

Kate and Thomas discuss the Notre Dame fire and who deserves funding.

We are thrilled to welcome our first guest, award-winning designer Anton deGroot who talks about how he got into theatre and his process.

Kate and Thomas talk about marketing for theatre companies and give 3 tips on how to go about it. Then they close with a reflection on how life in theatre is not always glamorous.

Should theatre companies stop giving out comps? How do you get started with livestreaming? What makes theatre theatre?

Kate and Thomas talk about the importance of Front of House to the theatre experience and have a chat about the affordability crisis and how theatres are making a difference.

Kate and Thomas talk about tokenism and why it's a problem and have a frank chat about the future of critics. In a digital world where everyone can publish their opinion, what role do critics play in theatre?

Merry World Theatre Day! Welcome to our first Bonus Special Extra episode where we talk about why theatre matters. Is it economically viable? What are the benefits to society and to us as individuals?

Kate and Thomas tackle intimacy directors, how they redefine how romantic scenes are approached and will they destroy theatre as we know it? They also tackle the simple question of: "Is theatre subjective?"

What's wrong with our canon and is it time for a new one? Kate and Thomas unpack the question. They also talk about the reaction to a Netflix-like theatre streaming service that launched and play a wicked game of Would You Rather.

In the first episode, hosts Kate and Thomas talk about why they're interested in doing a podcast about theatre. They also play a raucous game of Kill, Marry, Fuck and talk about their New Year's Resolutions.

Missed Cues is a podcast for theatre people by theatre people. We're excited to look at the challenges, opportunities, issues, controversies and the damn great work that's being done by theatre artists in Canada and to some extent around the world.