Generator

🌟🎭 This is the sign you've been waiting for to write that grant!

For Ontario based artists, the Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators is the perfect first step in grant writing OR a fantastic bridge grant for seasoned applicants to get their project off the ground.

📅 Key Steps:

➡️ Find Your Perfect Match: Head to the Ontario Arts Council website and identify which company or companies align with your artistic vision. Who do you think would be stoked about your project and who do you think would fund your type of work (Note: You can apply to up to 5 companies per season!)
➡️ Create a Schedule For Applying: The deadlines for each company are scattered between NOW and January, so make sure you know what is due when.
➡️ Write your grant: For more support on this visit the ArtistProducerResource.com page on Grant Writing!
➡️ Customize Your Application: If you're applying with the same project to different companies, tailor each grant to the specific company you're applying to. Make it clear why your project aligns with their values and mission.
➡️ Submit!

For more info on the Recommender Grants:
https://www.arts.on.ca/grants/recommender-grants-for-theatre-creators

For grant writing tips and tricks visit ArtistProducerResource.com : https://artistproducerresource.ca/tiki-index.php?page=Grant+Writing&highlight=grant%20writing

🎨🎬

⚡️ New on the Generator Blog!

In this blog post, Azeem Nathoo reflects on his journey as part of the inaugural cohort of the Artist-Producer Lab (formerly Artist Producer Training). His experience this summer highlights the our commitment to adaptability, community-driven support, and the ongoing reimagining of processes that better serve independent producers.

"...when observing my fellow APLers navigate their own journeys in Artistic leadership, it was so gratifying to see Generator offer supports according to what best served each participant. Such supports ranged from fidget tools to reduce anxiety and enhance ability to process lots of information during meetings, to a variety of avenues through which one could deliver additional research opportunities."

Read it here: https://generatorto.com/blog/2024/8/30/inside-the-artist-producer-lab-with-azeem

Taking a moment to celebrate our Artist-Producer Lab mentors who have been supporting our APL participants this summer! ✨

Find out more info about these awesome mentors on our blog!

➡️ Read it here: https://generatorto.com/blog/2024/6/22/meet-the-artist-producer-lab-mentors

Need to navigate accessibility requests as an artist? Our latest guide breaks it down with practical tips and resources. 🔎

Check it out on artistproducerresource.ca

Patricia Allison, our multi-talented Communications Director who’s rocking Toronto’s indie theatre scene, is spilling the tea on how Generator's shared leadership model is supercharging her creative career. Curious? Dive into her case study to see how she’s making 2024 her most sustainable year yet! Check it out on our blog! 🌟

Need help transitioning from self-producing to being produced? Check out the Being Produced Checklist on ArtistProducerResource.com!

🧡 Great People | Great Conversation | Great Games

We had a great time at the Indie Theatre Event with

Thank you Beth Airton for being the host with the most! And to the Toronto Fringe for creating this magic meeting of passionate folks.

🧡 Last week we shared a beautiful two days with Pam Tzeng 曾小桐 (left) in a mini-retreat. The focus of our time together was to work towards crafting a working agreement and strength our communication pathways in collective leadership. It was a beautiful and inspiring time.

Pam Tzeng (曾小桐) is a second-generation Taiwanese-Canadian choreographer, interdisciplinary performance maker, movement educator and arts worker based in Moh’kíns’tsis Treaty 7 Territory.

Currently, Pam is an advisor with the Canadian Dance Assembly, an embodied leadership consultant with Generator Toronto, a member of the Cultural Instigators - a collective of artist activists visioning an anti-racist future for Calgary and part of Calgary Arts Development’s EDIA working group.

Pam works one-on-one with clients to cultivate wellness through therapeutic movement forms and exercise, including GYROTONIC® & GYROKINESIS® Methods, Yamuna Body Rolling, dance, creative movement, and somatic bodywork.

💥 GENERATIVE AI - NEW ON ARTISTPRODUCERRESOURCE.COM

We are THRILLED for this new resource on APR.com. Artificial Intelligence is a BIG and nuanced conversation, especially in it's intersections with the arts. We get it! BUT we ask how can Generative AI support your artist-producer life? Dive in to discover:

✨ What is AI? What is Generative AI?
✨ Where can I access Generative AI?
✨ How do I use Generative AI?
✨ How could I apply Generative AI in my work?
✨ Ethical and Legal Issues for Generative AI
✨ Resources + More!

Find it on APR.com : https://artistproducerresource.ca/tiki-index.php?page=Generative-AI

💡 A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO MADE IT OUT TO SPARK NIGHT

We had a wonderful time at our inaugural Spark Night which was hosted in partnership with The Theatre Centre and Undercurrent Creations. We look forward to more of these opportunities for rubbing elbows, eating treats, and talking shop (or not!)

A big special thank you to our musical guest STARLIGHT ✨ The tunes were all bops and the banter was 10/10 comedic.

Keep checking in and we'll let you know when you can come spark a night with us again soon!

Photos by Duane Cole 📸

⚡️ THIS IS A TARAN BAMRAH APPRECIATION POST

Taran is supporting the Generator team as the Program and Communications Associate! She has already been invaluable to the team in helping us get ready for our Spark Night event tomorrow evening and helping line up some logistics for our Artist Producer Lab. Taran will continue her support of Generator through the summer as she covers newsletters and socials while Patricia is away.

Get to know Taran:

Taran Bamrah (she/her) is a vibrant South Asian actor, writer, educator, and emerging producer with a zest for storytelling. A graduate of the Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies program at the University of Toronto, Taran brings a dynamic blend of talent and experience to her craft.

Throughout her artistic journey, Taran has had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with a variety of arts organizations, including Toronto Fringe, Hart House Theatre, JAYU, The AMY Project, Theatre Passe Muraille, The Foster Festival, Cow Patti Theatre, Young People’s Theatre, The Traveling Stage and now Generator. She thrives on the energy and creativity that come from working with others and believes that collaboration is at the heart of great storytelling.

Taran is on a mission to empower and nurture new talent, driven by her dedication to showcasing compelling and essential stories that challenge social norms. She aims to create meaningful art that resonates deeply with audiences and sparks important conversations.

You can keep up with all her endeavors on instagram

🎙️AN EXCITING SHIFT IN OUR PROGRAMMING AND AN INSPIRING NEW COHORT

The Artist-Producer Lab (APL) is a revamp of Generator’s popular signature activity, the Artist Producer Training Program. The APL brings together a cohort of emerging artist-producers to hone their competencies, networks, and critical skills to better thrive as artist-producers in the indie sector, and to participate in the progressive sector change they wish to see. Participants work as a cohort, one-on-one with an individualized mentor, and with the Generator staff to develop their own micro sector research project. The 2024 Lab has a focus on supporting artist-producers leading community-engaged performing arts projects.

Please join us in welcoming this exciting cohort of inspirational humans to Artist-Producer Lab 2024

🔬 Ashley T.
🔬 Azeem Nathoo
🔬 Charlie Petch
🔬 isi bhakhomen
🔬 Jules Vodarek Hunter
🔬 Morgan Davis

Read more about this cohort: https://generatorto.com/artistproducer-lab

✨ INTRODUCING OUR MUSICAL GUEST FOR SPARK NIGHT

We are thrilled to welcome STARLIGHT as the musical guest for our inaugural Spark night. STARLIGHT is a cosmic club kid witch from beyond, host of the q***r danceparty WISHING WELL and all-around fun time piano faerie.

Join us on June 6th from 7-9pm at The Theatre Centre.

STARLIGHT aka Jordan (any pronouns) is a q***r performance artist and artistic producer. He trained at Generator's APT program in 2019 and produces interactive theatre, parties, special experiences, and disability-centred theatre with The Purple Stage (upcoming: Mind The Umbrellas! at Toronto Fringe in July).

Photo by Tyler J. Sloane

Grab your tickets here: https://theatrecentre.org/event/spark-night/

💡 TICKETS ARE NOW ON AVAILABLE FOR SPARK NIGHT

PRESENTED BY GENERATOR IN ASSOCIATION WITH UNDERCURRENT CREATIONS & THE THEATRE CENTRE

June 6th
7PM - 9PM
The Theatre Centre - 1115 Queen St West
PWYC Tickets

We’ll have lots of delicious complimentary food (including vegan and gluten-free options), amazing drinks for purchase at the Theatre Centre Café/Bar, and a special musical performance. Guests can also meet Generator’s new collective leadership team and hear about what we’ve been up to and are planning for the near future. Additionally, guests will get a peek into the Producing Spectrum research project led by our partners at Undercurrent Creations, which explores what performing arts producing can learn from abolitionist movements and theory.

Photo by Jae Yang generously provided by The Theatre Centre

Get tickets here: https://theatrecentre.org/event/spark-night/

Interesting read from Joshua Chong at the Toronto Star in his article "What’s going on in Toronto’s arts scene? Inside the crisis closing festivals and arts organizations left, right and centre"

"Nikki Shaffeeullah, director of programming at the arts mentoring and innovation incubator Generator, believes that despite the hurdles the industry is facing, organizations should continue to strive to innovate and push forward with daring ideas.

“I hope that the trend will not be towards more conservatism, in all senses of it, including in curatorial and programmatic decisions,” said Shaffeeullah, who’s also an artist and producer. She added that important strides have been made in recent years to increase accessibility in the arts and improve worker compensation — efforts she hopes will not slow given the current fiscal environment. "

Read it here: https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/visual-arts/whats-going-on-in-torontos-arts-scene-inside-the-crisis-closing-festivals-and-arts-organizations/article_a328aaf8-f5aa-11ee-aad3-33ecca95b947.html

Photo: Isabel Diaz Catoni is a printmaker and member of Open Studio, which is temporarily shuttering due to financial challenges. Nick Lachance/Toronto Star

📖 NEW ON ARTISTPRODUCERRESOURCE.COM

A dramaturg (or dramaturge, depending on who you ask), is vital in the process of both play creation and productions of established plays. In Canada, this is a severely underfunded (and by result, misunderstood) craft. This page of APR aims to give an understanding of what to expect when hiring and working with a dramaturg.

This page contains:

> What is a dramaturg?
> How they work and what they do
> What dramaturgs don't do (in an ideal universe)
> Where to find a dramaturg
> How much to Pay
+ MORE!

Find it here: https://artistproducerresource.ca/tiki-index.php?page=Dramaturgy

🧡 HAPPY WORLD THEATRE DAY TO YOU AND YOU AND YOU

We see you out there making theatre magic and bringing live performance into the world. On this day we wish you so much joy and creativity but equal amounts of self care and rejuvenation.

💸 IT'S TAX SEASON - LET'S DIVE INTO SELF-EMPLOYED INCOME

The Canadian tax system is a self-assessment system. Individuals are required to determine their own liability for income taxes and file the required returns for any taxation year in which taxes are payable.

A tax return is the form(s) used to report income and file income taxes with the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency). Tax returns allow taxpayers to calculate their tax liability and remit payments or request refunds, as the case may be. Individuals each file their own tax returns; spouses do not file jointly.

The taxation year for an individual is the calendar year. That means the tax year ends on December 31st of each year.

The best time to get ready for NEXT seasons taxes are THIS season.

ArtistProducerResource.com can give you all the tips and tricks that you need for generating (pun intended) invoices and keeping track.

ArtistProducerResource.com > Artist Life > Income Tax

Find it here: https://artistproducerresource.ca/tiki-index.php?page=Income+Tax&highlight=tax

🎉 ANNOUNCEMENT: NIKKI SHAFFEEULLAH JOINS THE CO-LEADERSHIP AT GENERATOR AS THE NEW DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING

“After a rewarding leadership call and interview process in the Fall of 2023, we are thrilled to be welcoming Nikki to the Generator team. Over the past few weeks of onboarding we have already benefited from Nikki’s vast arts & culture and leadership experience, in addition to the knowledge she brings as an artist and producer who has been in Generator’s orbit since 2017. We have fallen into an energized workflow within the newly solidified co-leadership model and are inspired by the direction that Generator is moving in. We can’t wait to share our programming and long term plans with you all soon! Join us in welcoming Nikki to the team.”

— Bianca Guimarães de Manuel (Director of Operations) & Patricia Allison (Director of Communications)

Read the full announcement here: https://generatorto.com/updates/2024/3/5/announcement-nikki-shaffeeullah-joins-the-co-leadership-at-generator-as-the-new-director-of-programming

➡️ NEW ON THE GENERATOR BLOG

“I coulda did Halle’s hair in The Little Mermaid,” says Arlette Pender, Kitchen Beautician turned Hairstylist to the Stars

This is second of two reflection posts made by Karen Lee on behalf of Black Pledge Canada about the organisation and the current state of anti-Blackness in the Toronto theatre scene.

Read it here: https://generatorto.com/blog/2024/2/1/u2us5c825xjrwl19svqag2jafnb785

Photo of Arlette Pender, courtesy Roshan Spottsville

💻 DIG INTO YOUR NON-PROFIT GOVERNANCE AND PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING ONCA CHANGE!

Yes, this synchronise learning course is designed to help YOU transition your company to the new ONCA regulations. BUT in the process, this course will guide you through helpful steps in non-profit governance like board management & yearly compliance.

Who it is for:
- Non-for-profits and/or charities incorporated in Ontario
- Administrative leaders and/or board members
- Budgets under $1M

Who it is not for:
- Organization that are federally incorporated or incorporated in a province other than Ontario
- Organizations with large membership or desiring membership classes may not be a good fit.
- Reach out to Kristina if not sure.

Delivered on Google Meet Tuesdays from 2:00-4:00 PM ET, every two weeks starting on March 12. The program is designed for synchronous learning and is highly participatory.

Read more & register today: https://generatorto.com/onca-transition-group-workshop

🪑NEW YEAR NEW TABLE

Last week, we gave the Generator Office a little TLC, sprinkling in some new vibes with a touch of sentimentality. We said a cheerful goodbye to our trusty old communal office table – it had seen MULTIPLE office moves and hosted more artist meet-ups than we can count!

Let’s toss a friendly high-five to all the inspirational folks who left their mark on that table. Every crack and scratch is like a badge of honour, telling tales of dreams shared and artsy shenanigans pulled off together.

Now, as we roll out the welcome mat for our shiny new communal table, we’re all buzzing with anticipation on what discourse this table will host. Here’s to it becoming the hub for endless chats, ideas, and collaborations. Cheers to the old memories and the blank canvas waiting to be filled with new stories! 🎉

✨ WE LOVE A PAPRIKA VISIT

We were thrilled to have a Paprika Festival meet in the Generator Office today! Keshia Palm (left) and Joyce Padua (right) hosted the Design Lab session from our cozy little space. Hi Friends! 👋

💵 YOUR 2024 FINANCIAL GOALS START HERE!

Over 14 hours of training, you'll develop skills in financial planning and basic project accounting, build a financial system specific to your capacity and needs, and gain confidence to expand those systems as your career grows over time.

📅 Jan 16 - Feb 27, 2024
🕕 Tuesdays, 6-8pm ET
📍 Google Meet (Online)
💵 $200
*Limited Financial Support Available
**OPEN TO ARTISTS ACROSS CANADA

Access to Google Sheets and/or Microsoft Excel is required.
Questions? Email [email protected]

The program will be taught by Generator’s Financial Literacy Consultants Kristina Lemieux and Audrey Quinn, Natasha Mytnowych, and Chris Enns.

To learn more visit https://generatorto.com/financial-literacy

❅ A Year in Review: Reflecting on 2023 and the Top 10 Pages on ArtistProducerResource.com

As we bid farewell to another incredible year, it's time to pause, reflect, and celebrate the milestones that have shaped our artistic journeys. At ArtistProducerResource.com, we've been privileged to be a part of making art happen by offering valuable resources to artists in Canada!

Join us as we take a stroll down memory lane and countdown the top 10 most visited pages in our community:

10. Contracts Overview
9. Tax Income
8. Timeline
7. Professional Standards
6. Planning
5. Grant Writing
4. GST and HST
3. Tech Rider
2. Childcare
1. Self-Producing Check List

We have BIG and beautiful things in store for 2024 and we can't wait to bring them to you!

Jump over to APR.com and start exploring today!: https://artistproducerresource.ca/tiki-index.php

Is there something you think is MISSING from APR.com or have you noticed a section that needs an update? You can submit here: https://airtable.com/appYRicudxqUtfR5W/shrhUmOGr0SIRSA3c