30 Theatre Maker

Theatre-Maker, Self-Producing or Starting Your Own Company

Pathways

I trained as a classical dancer from the age of four. I mean, that’s when my obsession started, I was obsessed as a child. And that transformed once I got a political consciousness away from the ballet. And also, I’m very tall and I was also very hungry and just finally went, I don’t think… I don’t want to be this thin for… I don’t want to have to worry about that as a life choice. So I’m lucky and I guess I had a somewhat built in smart gene that just helped me go, this is going to be hard for this body type. And instead went into creative and contemporary movement. Well first I did show dancing. I danced jazz and on TV and stuff and then went hmm nah this isn’t for me, but amassed this huge amount of chops. And so then turned that into a career as an independent choreographer and performer. At the same time, I was starting work as a big house choreographer, and then Rabbit, I started to work with One Yellow Rabbit as an actor. And then very quickly as a playwright and director and, you know, making my own work, and working as a performer with that ensemble, which has been my world, the bulk of my life’s passion. – Denise Clarke, Choreographer/Theatre Artist/ Associate Artist One Yellow Rabbit, Calgary, AB
…we have been working, some of us that ended up forming Rising Tide, been working for a troupe called the Mummers Troupe, which was very much a part of those early days. And that work was definitely… had a strong political bent to it and certainly was very much around stories of the, you know, of a part of the culture and history of the place. And that was really how I got about. I was more interested in lots of ways that we were using theatre as a voice than anything else. And I have to confess, I did not train. – Donna Butt, Artistic Director, Rising Tide Theatre, Trinity, NL

Often the impetus to be a theatre-maker, one who creates and produces their own work, comes from a desire to make a specific kind of theatre. After working for a while as an actor, director, or multi-disciplinary artist some folks realize that they want to devise work from start to finish with full creative control. Historically many artists just started doing it and it was trial by fire. Now, one of the biggest mistakes is thinking you have to go it alone. There are resources, supports, mentorships and some theatre companies even host theatre-makers or smaller companies in residence to support this type of self-produced art-making.

There are also options for those who don’t want to create their own work, but produce the work of others. When opportunities aren’t being given to them, many actors or decide to self-produce or create their own company. It can be a simple desire to do a particular show at the Fringe, leading to doing the Fringe regularly, and then expanding to producing works outside of the festival circuit.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, there’s a lot of crossover, you know, what I mean is like people are directors and they’re actors, and they’re writers, and that may be in the country as well. I don’t know. But there is a lot of that here. – Donna Butt, Artistic Director, Rising Tide Theatre, Trinity, NL

Another regular pathway is a cohort of students who study together and decide to start their own collective upon graduation. They know that they work well together and that they have a shared desire to do a specific type of work. This works particularly well when the group balances each other’s skill set.

Finally, self-producing is also a choice some playwrights will make to get their play produced when they can’t find a theatre company willing to program it. It can be used as a way to showcase your work, get your name out there, and provide support materials you will need for future grant applications or submissions.

Should I Self-Produce?

I would say, really think about why do you want to run a company? Because running a company is not the same thing as running a project. A very different thing. Think about what you want your life balance to be between, you know, we didn’t so much in our day and I think about that, between work and life. Think about, I find today a lot of people   think more in terms of, they don’t think in terms of 12 months of the year, seven days a week. Good for them. So, think about what kind of company you’re going to have and what you’re going to be prepared to do. I would always advise, even when we’ve been wrong, talk to some people who’ve done it, because even though it’s changing a lot now, there’s still some essential things, that remain. – Donna Butt, Artistic Director, Rising Tide Theatre, Trinity, NL

I think all the Rabbits were a bit more iconoclastic, we want to make our own. But it was always, those guys, Blake and Michael had a very strong, like didn’t take any money from the company for a couple of years. They worked for free. They kept jobs, so they could make their theatre company. So, they did have an idea of what would happen. We’re going to need, our own space because we can’t do this without our space. Well, how are we going to get our own space? We need money. So, we’re going to start building a company that will do anything like mall gigs in the beginning to get the money. – Denise Clarke, Choreographer/Theatre Artist/ Associate Artist One Yellow Rabbit, Calgary, AB
I think it can be a good thing, but it’s also quite expensive, especially in this day and age. If you want to be able to pay people and pay for a video. I’ve mentioned, you know, if it’s your passion project and you can find people that are also willing to do that project for free, I would say don’t make your friends work for free unless you have to. But I think it’s equally as important to meet the ADs and get your face out there, than to produce a show that they might not be able to come see. Right. Yeah, it can be helpful if you weren’t able to work on the university shows. So, you don’t have some credits behind your belt. But, you know, there are other options, like go work on community theatre. Um, if you want the credits. And you want some, some evidence of the work you can do, and you’re willing to do that without getting paid. That’s, that’s always an option, too. – Judith Schulz, Theatre Designer, Saskatoon, SK

Sometimes creating your own work is your calling and you want the ability to work in a specific way or focus on specific content. Other times it is what you do to showcase your work until you are then being hired by other theatres. Self-producing requires many skills from budgeting to publicity. It is a lot of work. It often also requires a monetary investment and accepting the reality that you may not be paid for your labour. Taking it one step further if you choose to start your own company, rather than a one-off of self-producing a show, the workload is intense. It will require a great deal of effort and likely sacrifice to get it off the ground. However, you will also learn a lot!

This is probably terrible advice to give across the country. But honestly, I think one of the great skills you learn is if you start a theatre company. Even a tiny theatre company. Even if you only ever do two Fringe shows and you close it down, like the skills you learn in actually doing the work is real. Producing. You have to write a press release. You have to apply for that Fringe waiver paperwork for Equity. You have to figure out that venue. You build accountability, and rudimentary producing skills. It’s a perfect kind of soup to nuts opportunity for you. I know we don’t want every theatre grad to create a small theatre company. Maybe they, you know, bundle up in pairs or trios. But, you know, actually putting on a play in a framework that is supportive but also allows you to grow a little bit is pretty good administration practice. Fringes, festivals, you know all of those, all of those chances to do that work to flex those muscles. They’re really good and they will give you a deeper appreciation. You know what I find sometimes as we work with, we work with hundreds of artists. But I really note the ones who have that little producing gene, have a deeper appreciation for what the organization is doing beyond hiring them to do their specific thing. – Camilla Holland, Executive Director, RMTC, Winnipeg, MB
I’m really sympathetic that people would just want to be artists and have no desire to learn the ins and outs of producing, but you don’t have to learn every facet of producing. Again, if you find the right group of friends and colleagues, you can focus on the things you know, like maybe you’re not the least bit interested in the finance end, but you like social media and you’ll handle the marketing. Or maybe you really love grant writing, but you hate ticket sales. Like basically, as long as you can latch on to one area you can manage doing and you’re grouped with the people who kind of balance out your areas of deficiency or where you’re not as interested, you find you don’t have to become like a fully-fledged I can produce, do every aspect of producing because and again, there are people who love doing that. So maybe you need to find the person who wants to go down the arts admin road and make that part of your, your cohort that you are rising up with – Jovanni Sy, Actor/Director/ Playwright, Montreal, QC
…some personalities really want to produce their own work and then the rest are not interested at all. So, I don’t really want to push it as a thing that everybody should do. I have never, ever wanted to produce my own work. I could build a skill set, but it’s not interesting to me and I don’t know right now what the climate is for that. I think I’ve lost track of that in particular because established companies are struggling so much, I can’t even imagine what small companies, how what they’re doing or how they’re managing to kind of get work on its feet. I think it’s probably extremely hard. – Andrea Lundy, Program Director – Production Design and Technical Arts Program – National Theatre School of Canada, Montreal, QC
It is a lot to go through. These are all of the things that I need to worry about, and these are all the subcategories of all the things that I need to worry about. I didn’t quite realize, like the chunk I was biting off with that. And I think, though, on one hand, it’s kind of annoying to see people make these companies for like one season and then never do anything again. It is valuable if you’re going to continue to work in theatre, because then you understand all of the facets of what’s going on. It’s not just about – I found a nice place to do a show. It’s what can we do there? Can we have liquor? How many people can it seat? What are the fire codes? Where is everybody going to get dressed? There are so many things that you need to think about. And when you work in, just in one aspect of theatre, you never get that scope. – Nikki Vigneault, Former Production Manager at Theatre New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
See, this is the whole conversation about career versus endeavor and instinct and art making because you’re an artist. And remember when that term went sort of awry and people oh, I don’t call myself an artist. And I was like, why? It’s my badge of pride. I’m super proud of being an artist. But I noticed for a long time it was like, Oh, I don’t do art. I think that’s an odd comment for someone in the game. But if you are an artist and inspiration moves you; or you are inspired by something to create, you know, listen to it. Not as a career move, but as an artist. We’re super lucky to live in a country that actually still has a granting system. Combine that with an entrepreneurial spirit, in other words, the courage to ask people to support you, to put together on the right scale, something that you feel is thrilling and really worthy of some people’s time and energy. Don’t start a company as a career move. Unless it’s because everything else just keeps falling into place. – Denise Clarke, Choreographer/Theatre Artist/ Associate Artist One Yellow Rabbit, Calgary, AB
I think that nothing teaches you more than mounting your own show, like it’s such a great experience. For me, I just find it tricky because it doesn’t necessarily pay the bills, so it’s hard to say I’m going to spend a month working on my own show and then make 500 bucks at the end of it and hope for some funding or whatever. But, I think that the skills that you learn in that are super valuable when it comes to working in a professional setting as well. So, I think most of the artists that I look up to definitely do a lot of their independent work as well. And I think that that really adds to the community and adds to them as an artist. – Ricardo Alvarado, Stage Manager, Persephone Theatre, Saskatoon, SK

Producing/Management

Often when you start a company or self-produce, you will take on a management role. As a producer you are essentially responsible for taking the show from idea to realization. You need to find the funds, find the artists, and lead all things behind the scenes. As discussed in the Theatre Companies chapter you will need to deal with administration, funding, logistics, marketing, contracts, budgets…or hire folks to do these things.

Really be sure to ask yourself if you have the energy, stamina, personality, and organizational ability for this awesome responsibility. If you do, it can be incredibly rewarding.

I only started producing out of necessity. I don’t like producing, it’s not my favourite thing to do. I don’t get much joy from it, but it is something I have to do if I, you know, want my own workshop funded, or need to put one of my own shows up or need to contribute towards the show. Yeah, I think it’s an important aspect in the industry right now – creating your own work. Particularly because a lot of casting around now-a-days is already… they’re already cast. People cast people they know as opposed to auditioning. So, it can be tricky because not everybody is auditioning. So, if you have any kind of inkling towards creation or that’s something that you want to do, definitely self-producing is something, a skill that needs… that should be learned and the first step of that is learning how to write a grant and talking to people who might help you with that. And then it’s about how to negotiate with people and speak with people and handling budgets.

I would say, not to do it alone, that it’s better to have a collective or something, someone else who can help you. Because self producing by oneself is a lot of work and is really taxing and can be really difficult depending on how much of the producing that you’re doing. Because the grants and the finances are just one part of it, right? Like if you’re doing a full production then you’ve got to handle who is being hired, and what they are doing and how to disseminate all that money. You have to handle contracts. Producing is like a whole thing and it’s a lot of work and so it’s better to do it with other people than it is to do it by oneself. But, yeah, I think it’s a big skill to learn. I think the bigger things are grant writing. I think contracts are another big thing, learn how to read contracts. Look up the CTA and the ITA, those are big ones to know. Because contracts have coded language in them so often the contracts that come from institutions cite clauses in the CTA, which means you have to go all the way to another document to look up that information and if you are in any way, shape or form neuro-divergent or, you can’t ingest information the same way, there is no other option for you. Which is why negotiating is such a big thing… have a meeting with somebody – can you explain this to me, walk me through this step by step. Learning how to read a contract is a big one and then you will know how to write a contract. Same way, reading grants will help you write grants. Yeah, those are big ones. – Yolanda Bonnell, Actor/Director/Playwright, Toronto, ON

The (arts) councils kind of make us form companies. Some of them, you know, because, you know, as a collective or a company… I mean, I would say that you don’t have to register your company. You don’t have to do the whole board thing. Having a collective, and that seems to be something that councils have now, really and even Canadian Heritage, they’re more open now to groups and collectives and such. But I think that’s a better way of going than to form your company and to get a board and you know all that stuff because all that stuff really bogs you down. And as you work with a group of people, I mean, like I was telling you that I’m working with my sister Joanne, who has really helped to define values, to find like even before we have the mission and vision and mandate. How do you understand yourselves as a group, as a collective? What is it that you really want? What kind of change do you want to see in the world? So it’s all that kind of visioning and such that has to happen on a continual basis, really, even when you’re working with a collective of people. But to ensure that you’re, you know, is this right? But should we be doing this? But I’d say both ends like go for jobs and if there’s a project or if there’s something that you want to do that you love to do, find the artists that are aligned with you and work together. Because, you know, we tend to sort of isolate ourselves and we all think that we’re the only one that’s not working and we’re the only one that’s struggling. But having those opportunities to, sort of come together and dream together I think is really important. – Diane Roberts, Director/Dramaturge/Cultural Animator, Montreal, QC

Getting Started

Let’s say that you want to start your own theatre company either by yourself or with a collective of colleagues. Ask yourself:

  • Who will be the leader/core group?
  • What is your mission and mandate?
  • What will be your structure of operations?
  • Will you be incorporating, if so who will be on your Board?
  • Do a SWOT!
  • Who are potential partners, mentors, funders, alliances?
  • Do a workplan/timeline with clear actions, goals and deadlines as well as who is responsible for what.
  • Plan your first show or season.

Pitfalls:

  • A huge number of people say they want to form a theatre company but aren’t willing to put the work in.
  • You won’t know what kind of support you have or what kind of a team you’ve built until things go wrong.
  • There is always a risk of toxic behaviour. If you are creating a company with friends, you may come to a point where the friendship is at risk.
  • Conflict of interest is still a consideration even if you are the ones initiating the work. You may be called to task for only hiring your friends or serving your own interests, which can limit your ability to get funding.
  • Conflict resolution will be required at some point.
  • Adapting to change as a company grows or evolves can be hard.
  • Burn out is real.
  • Ego can get in the way. If you are in it for the glory, it may not work out.
  • If you are an artist at heart, you may find yourself frustrated as you end up doing more administration than artistic work.
I think it’s good to find a mentoring company, like companies are also looking now for the fresh blood and the fresh ideas. And if you have something that you feel aligns… like this thing of alignment is so important, aligns with the company then you might say, can we hang out or can there be a partnership? Or we’re developing the show and you’re not asking them to produce it, but you’re asking them to mentor you, to be part of that collective. And lots of companies have that in their mandate to nurture new emerging companies, new emerging artists and such. So, if you have an idea that you want to cultivate, find the company that is interested in cultivating that idea. – Diane Roberts, Director/Dramaturge/Cultural Animator, Montreal, QC

Legal – Incorporation and Copyright

When it comes to starting a company, you can certainly choose to keep it unregistered. Some funding will require incorporation status to be in place or at the very least the ability to write a cheque or send funds to the company name. To establish a business bank account, generally name registration or incorporation will be required. You will have to decide if you want to incorporate as a non-profit and have a Board. It is worth talking to others who have taken this route for their advice and looking into the funding opportunities you hope to access to see if it is necessary.

As previously discussed, incorporation is generally provincial and begins with a name search to make sure your chosen company name is available. Then completing necessary paperwork with your region’s Companies Branch/Office. You will then have legal obligations as a business.

Copyright

It is important to also be aware of copyright. In theatre, particularly non-professional theatre, people can play fast and loose with material that they may not have the legal right to use. This applies to scripts, other writing such as poems, as well as music. The Canadian Copyright Act was amended on December 30, 2022. It extended the term of copyright protection in literary, dramatic, musical, and artist works from 50 years to 70 years after the end of the year of the author’s passing. After this point it falls into the public domain and can be used. It is always worth checking though as there can be exceptions whereby the artist’s estate has extended copyright. As well, this is for Canadian works. There are different terms in other countries.

If you are producing someone else’s play and they are a living playwright, you will need to have a contract in place. Or if the script is managed by an entity you will need to apply for the rights. For example Playwrights Guild of Canada often manages the amateur rights for many of its members. If the playwright is no longer living but their work has not entered the public domain, then you will need to research who manages the rights. Often this is listed in the initial pages of a published play. Royalties can range from $105 for the first performance and $90 for each additional performance, as per the PGC amateur rights standard, to hundreds of dollars per performance for a popular musical. For professional productions, the minimum rate is 10% of gross box office revenues but some playwrights will request more. Rights for popular shows may be denied if there is another production occurring nearby within a certain time frame or if another company is holding on to the rights for a future production.

If you want to include a poem or portion of writing from another source in your production, you will need to get permission or the rights unless the work is in the public domain. For one project that I worked on several years ago, we were using Bertolt Brecht’s poems. Although it was easy to locate the rights holders for his plays, his poems were not published with an eye to being performed. We ended up dealing with a lawyer for his estate to get permission and work out a royalty payment. If you can’t track something down, you should at least be able to demonstrate that a full effort was made.

It is good to note that there are also limitations for photocopying work, including plays you are producing. Technically with a published play one should be purchasing enough copies for those involved with the production. Although this can all sound costly, it is important to remember that playwrights make very little money. If we want to make sure playwrights can continue to write plays, then it is good to remember that the small amount they earn from script sales and royalties might help them to make a living.

When producing you also need to be aware of legal obligations around the use of music in theatre. If you go to any Fringe show, you’ll note that most companies use popular music freely. In many cases this is technically illegal. If the venue has a SOCAN license then an array of music covered under this licensing can be used for pre-show, intermission and post-show. However, if music is being used as part of the show, with something occurring on stage, there is the need for a different licensing since this act can change the interpretation of the music itself. I once produced a show that was intended to have a particular musical artist’s work throughout with characters responding to it as part of the storyline. I worked for months trying to negotiate permission, but due to the reality that there were multiple musicians credited for each recording, aa well as the record company to deal with, it ended up being impossible. Instead we hired a composer to create music with a similar feel. Of course, you can decide what the risk is and like many just take the chance that your production will fly under the radar of any major names or record labels.

Finally, there are exceptions under copyright for things like parody and satire. It is covered by the Fair Dealing clause of the Canadian Copyright Act  for those who love the legal nitty-gritty.

Contracts

Basics on contracts were covered in the Self-Employment chapter  but some additional contract considerations, when you are the producer and in a position to hire people:

  • Be aware of all legal obligations!
    • What are the labour laws in your region that might apply?
    • Do you need any insurance for the venue you are using?
  • You will need to work with the correct contracts or agreements if anyone you engage is a member of a collective bargaining group (for example CAEA).
  • Even if self-producing, and not working with anyone who requires a contract through a bargaining group, it is good to still have contracts for anyone you engage. You should even have one for yourself if you are producing but also the playwright or director. This keeps everything transparent.
  • If you have to create contracts as a producer be sure to get guidance and check industry standards.
  • Often small companies or self-producers struggle to pay standard rates, at the very least be upfront about this and make sure everyone is being treated equitably.

Funding Specifics

Some funders allow ad hoc groups or collectives to apply for grants. Others require incorporation or for a group to meet specific criteria, such as having existed for a certain amount of time. If you are a theatre-maker creating your own work, you can apply for individual artist grants or you can create an entity/company and apply in this way. The best advice is to discuss options with the staff at the arts councils or other funding agencies to make sure you understand eligibility in advance of when you plan to apply.

If you decide to start seeking funding for a theatre company that you are going to start or have already begun operating, you will need to craft a strong Company Description to use in funding applications and solicitations. This often includes:

  • Who are you?
  • What are your mandate, mission, vision and values?
  • How were you started?
  • What need/gap do you fill as a company?
  • What is your history of production, highlights, track record?
  • Who do you serve?
  • What is the impact of your work? Successes? Awards? Reviews?
  • Why are you the right company to do this production/project? Prove that you have the ability to pull it off!

Although charitable status is required for funding from foundations and for donors who want a charitable tax receipt, there are other ways to fundraise without having to go this laborious legal route. Those self-producing for the first time or doing their first Fringe shows will often ask for contributions from family or friends. You will need to learn to write a strong ask for support. Likewise, getting businesses to advertise in your program or to sponsor your work in exchange for visibility is a viable option. You will need to learn to pitch to businesses. Holding fundraising events is a popular way to go, as well as crowdsourcing. You will need to assess the labour involved against the potential benefit.

Budgets and Accounting

I think that personally it’s been really beneficial also that I do work in different areas of theatre. So, like I’m the artistic producer for some theatres, so I do a lot of their financing and all of that kind of stuff. But then I also have my own theatre company that I’m a director and a designer, and I’ve worked with other groups in different ways. And so, as an independent artist, all of those things definitely help build your little nest and also like well-rounded as an artist. And so, being able to do different things I think gives you way more opportunities as opposed to just being focused on one thing. And I see that a lot with all of my peers, like everyone is an actor and a designer and a director, and it’s really nice to collaborate with people like that. – Ricardo Alvarado, Stage Manager, Persephone Theatre, Saskatoon, SK

There is no way to avoid doing some accounting once you start producing your own work or running a company. Taking a basic accounting course is a huge benefit. Even if you have someone else willing to manage this end of things, you will want to understand it.

Be sure to reread the earlier chapter on Budgeting. You will need to plan a budget in advance to make sure you can even afford to do each production you want to undertake. You will also need to know how to create a strong budget for any funding applications. Always be realistic and conservative with your numbers, discovering you have a bit more to spend is great but realizing that you overspent and can’t cover the costs will lead to possible personal financial ramifications. I’ve known self-producers who have risked their home by funding a project against their mortgage. That is definitely commitment and belief in the work, but it also led to a lot of stress.

Marketing with little budget

In the Marketing for Theatre chapter a list of option for low cost marketing was provided. There is nothing worse than putting all the effort into producing a work only to have no one see it. Find ways to spread the word! Even if your intent is to be an artist creating your own work, you need to hustle to take advantage of possible publicity and to create a buzz. Or find someone who does this really well and bring them on board!

Scheduling and Season Planning for Independent theatre

Often independent producers will look to schedule their work around competing performances. Be sure to communicate with other theatre-makers and small producers in your region. Even if you choose not to collaborate in any other way, it is good to make sure you are not in direct competition for audiences with multiple shows running the same weekend.

Most new companies and independent theatres are not able to plan a whole season of works. They are generally applying for funding for one project at a time and need to wait for confirmation before proceeding. This makes it hard to plan, engage people, and market. However, it is better to take things one step at a time and not feel you need to be like larger theatres in planning multiple works or a season. The beauty of not being beholden to subscribers or having to support a large infrastructure, is that you can take time to develop work and do it within a timeframe that serves the art.

Venues

You will likely need to rent space for rehearsals and performances. Many small companies rent from other theatres, which has the advantage of being set-up already for performance work. However, for greater scheduling flexibility and a lower cost alternative spaces like churches, community halls, and even warehouses can be worth exploring. Be sure to do your research though and ask a lot of questions before deciding.

A few considerations:

  • Make sure you are aware of all costs. What staffing is included in the rental fee versus being an additional charge (e.g. technician, front of house, box office)?
  • Have you scheduled out things reasonably and have all the dates/times you need? If you needed to add time is the space available?
  • What is the overtime cost should this be required?
  • Do they have a SOCAN license?
  • Are there any required taxes on top of the quoted rental cost?
  • Do they assist with advertising and marketing? Do they have a built in audience or following?
  • What are you responsible for? For example: equipment, cleaning, security…
  • What is the cancelation policy?
  • If they manage box office do they take a cut, do you have to arrange for comps?
  • Do they have liability insurance or will you need to have this in place?
  • Are there any restrictions on signage you can put up in the space?
  • What are the fire code restrictions on audience size and exits? This might affect how you use the space and stage design?
  • Will they restrict any of the content? Some venues have clauses in their contracts about offensive material.

No matter what, get it all in writing and share the details with the whole team to avoid issues. There are many horror stories about venues not delivering or adding fees after the fact.

Leadership and Communication

You are probably picking up on the fact by now that this work requires leadership and communication skills. In this regard, it is helpful to read about these skills in both the Arts Management and Production Management tracks.

Fringe Festival/Opportunities

By far the easiest way to produce your own work, at least the first time, is within a festival setting. This is due to the built in infrastructure and support. It is also far less risky due to the need for less of an economic investment. For the Fringe fee you get a venue, technician, some marketing, and are part of a larger event that has its own following.

I think Fringe really helped my growth and that’s where a lot of people saw me for the first time as an actor, a couple of ADs, Fringe is the first time. So, do Fringe. Like Fringe is the best for me. It’s not the best for everyone, but if you can get a spot and produce what you want to do – because you get to do a role that you feel that you’re going to shine in, or as a director, a show that you can really show what you can do. And it’s kind of the easiest way to produce a show. If I think about it, you know, you have the fee, you have your rights and then your venue is there, your tech is there. They have lights for you, so you don’t have to worry about all that side stuff. So, that’s probably the easiest way, maybe, to produce a show I’d say. Maybe the most cost-effective way. So, I’d really encourage the fringe. – Ray Strachan, Actor, Winnipeg, MB

Some see the Fringe as not professional due to the lottery nature, however it is how many great shows are developed and how artists have honed their craft for decades. Most major cities in Canada have a Fringe festival and they truly support artists creating their own work. There are also upwards of 300 Fringe Festivals across the world.

There are also juried festivals for those working at a higher caliber. As a juried festival you have to submit your proposed production for review and be selected. In reality, there are a range of festivals across the country all with their own programming process. For example:

Some will present the work and pay you a fee, others will simply have you take the box office income for your show, and some will even co-produce with you. As always, do your research and then submit based on fit. Also if touring there are many other considerations and costs to factor in. Some festivals provide travel and accommodation, but many do not. Most festivals offer minimal tech time, quick turnaround between shows, and little resources. Make sure the show will work in this context without losing the quality. There are additional grants you can also access for touring.

Touring or participating in festivals internationally can be great, but there are many other considerations so talk to those who have done it before to make sure it is feasible financially and also in terms of things like travel visas.

Here is a great resource: Fringe Festival/Opportunities/Touring Dear Performing Artists, Are you Ready to Tour?

Finally, always be respectful of your hosts as producing a festival is no easy feat!

 

Trouble-Shooting Challenges

…if you’re running a company, in addition to understanding about teams of people and all those kinds of things, you’re kind of like a small business person, whether you like it or not. I mean, you have to do plans and you, and in my case, you know, you have to manage budgets and you have to learn about all of those things. So, but for me, I learned it all on my feet along the way. That’s, you know, I really did learn it that way. And I’m not saying that I think there are certain skills around those things that could have been learned also in a school, in a training position, whatever. Right? And so, I would advise not, don’t be afraid to learn those things in a school environment as well. – Donna Butt, Artistic Director, Rising Tide Theatre, Trinity, NL

Finally, as a producer you also need to think about things like your stakeholders, your role in your community, land acknowledgements, insurance, creating a safe workplace… You will be responsible for dealing with any issues, trouble-shooting, and answering to the larger public who may engage with your work.

I think resources is always a challenge, right? I mean, how do you meet like, say, in a case like ours, how do you meet all the rising expectations of your company, both, you know, artistically, economically, as a part of the community. As you know, you have a building, how do you maintain that? I mean, how you balance all that? In our case, you know, this is not easy, right? And how do you manage also to be able to have, you know, commission the work to make sure you’ve got the money put aside for that. And then one challenge is, you know, often you just don’t have enough funds to be able to do the kind of development that you would want. So that’s why I like people when they go to a project grant, they’ll get, you know, sometimes significant money and fantastic, right? So, but then they’re able to spend a lot of time on that project.

When you’re running a company like ours, I’m not saying, all companies, not at all, but then, you know, you have a lot of strings to pull. You have a lot of people wanting a piece of you. And I think that trying to figure out how to keep all that going and still make sure that the work has integrity is, you know, it’s a continuing challenge. And I would also say for us, we make this work in a certain milieu. Absolutely, how you reach out now and diversify and open up and make sure that you do that in a real way as opposed to some kind of, you know, you might be thinking you’re doing the right thing and it might really not be, it might not be the right thing at all. And I’d say for me, I think when you build something for a long time, then, you know, and you built it up from the ground, then like everybody, young people, sometime the younger or the people I work with, they need to, sometimes open themselves up to understand that it’s not all going to be the way they see it. You know? And, that they’re finding the balance is always going to be challenging. But equally, we all have to make sure we’re opened up to finding the balance as well. And so, I go back, I think people being able to work side by side with each other of all ages and types and everything else is really where you start to find that. Because you don’t, in my opinion, like I know that I’m talking to the young, I mean, I’m a bit… I’m probably quite a lot old fashioned really, but I like talking to people. I am not a fan of putting an opinion on Facebook. I don’t see those things on social media. They’re often not dialogue, they’re one person’s opinion and then all your friends have that opinion, then all those have a look like mine and nobody’s discussing it and thinking, really. Right? So, I think discussion and debate and exploration and listening are the key to moving forward. – Donna Butt, Artistic Director, Rising Tide Theatre, Trinity, NL

Resources/Tips

Well always the first thing that comes to my mind is fun. We just had so, and still do, have so much fun. And it’s a really big part of the values that the company practices and that we really espouse and that, you know, it’s like if you break down the word fun, then you will have a safe space, you will have a healthy atmosphere in the room. There will not be a toxic residue on things because people won’t stay. And so, long before the conversation on safe spaces became part of our practice now, we Rabbits already been very hardcore in terms of like, don’t be a drag, like do everything but be fun and nice and kind and respectful. – Denise Clarke, Choreographer/Theatre Artist/ Associate Artist One Yellow Rabbit, Calgary, AB

So, for anybody coming in, it’s having great teams of people. So, if you feel you have something to offer a team, then let people know what you have, both in terms of your skills, your interests, you know, what makes you passionate, where you feel you can contribute. It’s really important to know all of those things about a person because when you’re building teams of people and certainly once we moved to Trinity in ‘93, you’re also building them in very small rural communities where being part of both the community of the theatre, because there’s 45 people or more that are working here in the summer involved, but also being part of the community of the place. So, I would say, knowing who can function well within a team is a really, really important part of the undertaking. So, I would say teams of people, I would say, you know, never be afraid to surround yourself with the best. And I think that, you know, you got to be pretty determined, pretty stubborn. You got to know that there’s going to be lots of bad days. Not every day is going to be a good one. There are going to be lots of times when things did not go the way you’d planned it. The vision might come together that day or that week or that play.

And I think, I would say now, I probably wouldn’t have said it then, but I would say it now at this stage, after all the years I’ve been in the theatre, you know, sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. And I don’t do that very well. You know, you take everything on and you go, oh my God, if only we had the resources to do that. A lot of the things that go wrong often go wrong because of the human resource reality, you know, the amount of funding, the number of people. And then you always want to be doing things that are important or things that you feel are important. And you want to give that playwright a chance to commission that play and get that work done or you want to hire. We’ve always hired a lot of young people here and develop that work. You know, that’s always been a really important part of everything that I’ve done over all of the years. And so, I think that you just have to, you know, do your best, always be willing to learn and always be willing to change, always be willing to listen to each other. And sometimes you’re going to make mistakes. And if you learn from them, that’s the best. That’s the best that, you know, one can do. – Donna Butt, Artistic Director, Rising Tide Theatre, Trinity, NL

It’s been amazing working with, part of the pathway was working with artists that were like minded. So, it was finding the people around you who had a similar vision and just going step by step. Like it started with a workshop and then it started with another workshop and then people started to want to learn more about the process. So, I started to work with a co-facilitation team and I started with, I think, two co-facilitators in the first round and now I have 20 co-facilitators across the country. And for me the process is always evolving. – Diane Roberts, Director/Dramaturge/Cultural Animator, Montreal, QC

Resources

Producing Resources:

Fringe Toronto Research Report

Being Produced Checklist

ArtReach Toolkit

The Big Secret Book by Denise Clarke

 

Residencies for Creation:

Buddies Residency Program — Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Slaight Theatre Creation Residency – Fall 2023/ Winter 2024 | Banff Centre

 

Challenges:

Kate Maltby: Running a theatre is a thankless job. No wonder people are saying no (thestage.co.uk)

License

The Business of Theatre: Pathways to a Career in Theatre Copyright © 2023 by Hope McIntyre. All Rights Reserved.

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