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At the Ontario RAGM on September 9, Executive Director Arden R. Ryshpan presented figures on her staff review of how the new two-level contract system is working so far.
Because the new two-level provisions in the CTA only took effect at the beginning of this calendar year, we have only six months of data to go on. Also, a good portion of recent contracts were offered under the old scheme. So, the results are preliminary, but they are positive. Staff will revise the report early in the new year, once a full 12-month cycle of contracts has concluded.
Arden has posted the results, along with an update on the two new independent theatre agreements, in her online journal.
Showing posts with label independent theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label independent theatre. Show all posts
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Thursday, December 6, 2012
New Independent Theatre Agreements
At the end Monday's meeting, Executive Director Arden R. Ryshpan announced the imminent publication of the two new agreements. One last round of proofreading to go before launch!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Independent theatre update
A draft of the new "Indie" (it still doesn't have a name that isn't so long it needs to be printed on legal sized paper...suggestions welcome!) has been circulated to the two former ITRC co-chairs to make sure that staff has dealt with as many of the concerns expressed by the members as possible, both in the content and in the administration of the policy.
Staff are also finishing work on a second policy, which will be called the "Artists Collective Activity Project" or ArtCAP. This will replace the Co-op, and be similar in some regards, but offer a more open take on collaboratively-produced projects.
Staff has already started building the contract forms and other material to support these. Once Council elections have concluded, staff will be able to fully turn their attention to getting these out for use.
Staff are also finishing work on a second policy, which will be called the "Artists Collective Activity Project" or ArtCAP. This will replace the Co-op, and be similar in some regards, but offer a more open take on collaboratively-produced projects.
Together, staff anticipate that these two new engagement policies will make it easier for members to initiate the work they want to do, work with whom they want to, and do so on a schedule that is appropriate for the work and the participants. The new policies remove the impediments that were identified in the survey, while still ensuring a level of protection for the artists involved.
Staff has already started building the contract forms and other material to support these. Once Council elections have concluded, staff will be able to fully turn their attention to getting these out for use.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Small-scale theatre policy changes
As announced at the time the ITRC final report was published, Council dug right into policy work and was able to complete it by its self-imposed deadline of February Council.
Reporting on policy language is a pretty dry business, so please forgive me if I don't bore you to sleep with the specifics. The full policy document is here , so you can look up the exact wording, but I'll stick to generalities in this post. I’ve included policy numbers in each case, to point you toward the correct policy.
To begin with, Council decided to standardise on the term “small-scale” theatre, which is generally defined as engagement opportunities that encourage income, career advancement, or artistic fulfilment, through self-production and collaborative production.
In general, the direction from the membership as regards small-scale theatre was three-fold in nature.
Council has expanded on the language in End-3. Previously, it was couched almost entirely in terms pursuit of auditions/interviews in hopes of securing an offer of work. End-3.4 now recognises that development of collaborative production and self-production, where members play a much larger overall role in the realisation of a project, is an equally valid form of pursuing work opportunity for oneself within Equity's jurisdiction. It also calls upon the Executive Director and her staff to facilitate this type of work. Finally, career advancement and artistic fulfilment are now explicitly recognised alongside income opportunity for small-scale productions.
Several changes were made in EL-11, which deals with the negotiation, development, administration and enforcement of our various engagement documents. The first (EL-11.1) is that “engagement policies”, the internal engagement documents under which most small-scale theatre is done, are now specified for regular review and member input, much the same as negotiated agreements.
While the ITRC recommended that engagement policies be subject to a ratification procedure, Council was not able to incorporate that. Two key factors came into this decision. First off, ratification is intended for negotiated documents, where there is a trade-off between what two parties may be seeking. In a situation where the input comes almost entirely from within the membership and Equity has the ability to promulgate whatever terms arise from that input, a unilateral ratification process would only replicate the member input that shaped the document in the first place. As well, properly transparent and verifiable ratification votes are not inexpensive. The working dues revenue from the majority of small-scale engagements is zero, and very low in almost all other cases. As things stand, these engagements are not able to cover the cost of their own administration; in our current financial circumstances, Equity cannot bear an additional, large unfunded expense such as ratification.
Also in EL-11.2 (E), staff are now required to take into account a much wider range of special circumstances when evaluating proposed deviations from standard agreements, including inherent economic challenges relative to a specific project, regional variation, diversity of practice and cultural variation. Finally, in EL-11.3, the organisation is prohibited from implementing administrative requirements in respect to engagement of members, beyond those reasonably necessary to ensure compliance with applicable bylaws and governance policies.
Taken together, these policy changes address all of the recommendations put forward by the ITRC, save one for financial reasons, and closely adhere to what members told us is important to them when being engaged for small-scale projects. Staff is currently at work preparing for a summer consultation “tour” to put the final details on revised engagement documents, and on track for a late fall/early winter launch date.
Reporting on policy language is a pretty dry business, so please forgive me if I don't bore you to sleep with the specifics. The full policy document is here , so you can look up the exact wording, but I'll stick to generalities in this post. I’ve included policy numbers in each case, to point you toward the correct policy.
To begin with, Council decided to standardise on the term “small-scale” theatre, which is generally defined as engagement opportunities that encourage income, career advancement, or artistic fulfilment, through self-production and collaborative production.
In general, the direction from the membership as regards small-scale theatre was three-fold in nature.
- First, that these engagements are seen as much less geared toward immediate income generation. While members consider income to be important, and the survey clearly indicated a disinclination to wholly forego pay in favour of more intangible benefits, they recognise these projects as being about more than a paycheque. Factors such as artistic exploration, artistic fulfilment and showcasing talent also enter into their “compensation” calculation.
- Second, that there be as few “administrative” impediments as possible between the idea and the performance. What members really want to do is get a production up in front of an audience, with the least possible time dedicated to filling out paperwork about it.
- Finally, members asked for greater flexibility in terms when being engaged for this type of work, and wanted regular input opportunities into those terms going forward.
Council has expanded on the language in End-3. Previously, it was couched almost entirely in terms pursuit of auditions/interviews in hopes of securing an offer of work. End-3.4 now recognises that development of collaborative production and self-production, where members play a much larger overall role in the realisation of a project, is an equally valid form of pursuing work opportunity for oneself within Equity's jurisdiction. It also calls upon the Executive Director and her staff to facilitate this type of work. Finally, career advancement and artistic fulfilment are now explicitly recognised alongside income opportunity for small-scale productions.
Several changes were made in EL-11, which deals with the negotiation, development, administration and enforcement of our various engagement documents. The first (EL-11.1) is that “engagement policies”, the internal engagement documents under which most small-scale theatre is done, are now specified for regular review and member input, much the same as negotiated agreements.
While the ITRC recommended that engagement policies be subject to a ratification procedure, Council was not able to incorporate that. Two key factors came into this decision. First off, ratification is intended for negotiated documents, where there is a trade-off between what two parties may be seeking. In a situation where the input comes almost entirely from within the membership and Equity has the ability to promulgate whatever terms arise from that input, a unilateral ratification process would only replicate the member input that shaped the document in the first place. As well, properly transparent and verifiable ratification votes are not inexpensive. The working dues revenue from the majority of small-scale engagements is zero, and very low in almost all other cases. As things stand, these engagements are not able to cover the cost of their own administration; in our current financial circumstances, Equity cannot bear an additional, large unfunded expense such as ratification.
Also in EL-11.2 (E), staff are now required to take into account a much wider range of special circumstances when evaluating proposed deviations from standard agreements, including inherent economic challenges relative to a specific project, regional variation, diversity of practice and cultural variation. Finally, in EL-11.3, the organisation is prohibited from implementing administrative requirements in respect to engagement of members, beyond those reasonably necessary to ensure compliance with applicable bylaws and governance policies.
Taken together, these policy changes address all of the recommendations put forward by the ITRC, save one for financial reasons, and closely adhere to what members told us is important to them when being engaged for small-scale projects. Staff is currently at work preparing for a summer consultation “tour” to put the final details on revised engagement documents, and on track for a late fall/early winter launch date.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
ITRC Final Report available online
An EquiFlash posting recently went out on this topic, but I'm posting it here for those who subscribe to this blog.
Council recently received the final committee report for the Independent Theatre Review Committee, and will be drafting final policy for passage by February. The report can be found here. Policy recommendations will be posted soon, with final policy notification expected shortly after they are complete.
These policy changes will form the core instructions for staff to begin changes to the existing engagement policies. Our Executive Director, Arden R. Ryshpan, anticipates being able to share a draft with Council once CTA negotiations are substantially complete in mid-spring. Wider distribution for feedback will follow shortly afterward. So that implementation is not unduly delayed while new agreements are finalised, staff will also look for ways to recognise the policy changes within the existing agreements on an interim basis.
Enormous thanks are due to the committee members, and to all members, staff and engagers who took the time to complete the survey.
Council recently received the final committee report for the Independent Theatre Review Committee, and will be drafting final policy for passage by February. The report can be found here. Policy recommendations will be posted soon, with final policy notification expected shortly after they are complete.
These policy changes will form the core instructions for staff to begin changes to the existing engagement policies. Our Executive Director, Arden R. Ryshpan, anticipates being able to share a draft with Council once CTA negotiations are substantially complete in mid-spring. Wider distribution for feedback will follow shortly afterward. So that implementation is not unduly delayed while new agreements are finalised, staff will also look for ways to recognise the policy changes within the existing agreements on an interim basis.
Enormous thanks are due to the committee members, and to all members, staff and engagers who took the time to complete the survey.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Independent Theatre Review Committee report
At the most recent Council meeting, the ITRC presented an initial report on the results from its member survey work, and you can find the summary document here. This report only covers the results from closed-ended questions (i.e. where a selection of possible answers were provided), and over 7000 open-ended text replies are still under review. As one may guess, collating and summarising these into a reliable data set is an enormous undertaking.
The ITRC also has a requirement to survey engagers and Equity staff on related matters, so that Council can have a complete picture from which to consider policy changes. This work is still ongoing.
The ITRC also has a requirement to survey engagers and Equity staff on related matters, so that Council can have a complete picture from which to consider policy changes. This work is still ongoing.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Staff report on Independent Theatre released
At the October 2009 National AGM, a member resolution was brought forward by Sarah Stanley, and passed by the members in attendance. The resolution called for a full report on independent theatre issues to be presented to the membership at large by the time of the next National AGM. At its next meeting, Council adopted the resolution for action as part of its work plan for reviewing member-initiated production.
The report is now available through EQUITYONLINE. Thanks to Executive Director Arden Ryshpan, and her staff, for their work on this. Agenda details for the upcoming National AGM, to be held in Toronto, are also available at EQUITYONLINE.
The report is now available through EQUITYONLINE. Thanks to Executive Director Arden Ryshpan, and her staff, for their work on this. Agenda details for the upcoming National AGM, to be held in Toronto, are also available at EQUITYONLINE.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Guest Post: Independent Theatre Review Update
Operating since the late Spring, the Independent Theatre Review Committee is made up of thirteen diverse members from across Canada. We have been tasked with examining the current state of small-scale and independent theatre nation-wide, from the perspectives of staff, members, and producers: everyone from those who assist with the production of new work (on stage or off) to those who help drive and create new work for themselves and others. The outcome of our efforts will be a set of recommended policy alternatives, supported by detailed research data, that aim to help Council align the Association's objectives and practices with the needs and priorities of members whose passions are ignited by small-scale and independent theatre work.
Before our committee was formed, regional CPAGs and interested members drove and participated in town hall forums and discussions in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Winnipeg; even earlier, significant effort on this issue was expended by the Indie Caucus, of which many members are part. Our committee's efforts, thus far, have largely been put towards collecting and sorting through minutes and reports generated by this existing body of work. We are stockpiling members' thoughts on what has been working, what hasn't been working, and what people would like to see in agreements covering performance creation below the scale of the Independent Theatre Agreement and Canadian Theatre Agreement. Many common concerns and suggestions have appeared in this material, and a diverse range of views have been captured.
However, we still need to know much more: the terrific discussions that have already taken place must be expanded to include the views of every interested member of the Association. The committee is currently in the planning stages for a national survey that will reach out to every member who would like to contribute. Details are still being worked out, but we are very interested in your candid, open responses to questions on everything from the scope of "small scale" work to the kinds of protections and benefits you value as a member of the Association.
Stay tuned in to e-drive and your regional CPAG early in the new year to hear how you can make your voice heard. And if you've got thoughts and suggestions that you're eager to share, feel free to contact us directly (and confidentially) at itrcommittee@caea.com. A list of committee members can also be found on our committee page on the Equity web site , and you may direct your thoughts to any of us at any time.
Before our committee was formed, regional CPAGs and interested members drove and participated in town hall forums and discussions in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Winnipeg; even earlier, significant effort on this issue was expended by the Indie Caucus, of which many members are part. Our committee's efforts, thus far, have largely been put towards collecting and sorting through minutes and reports generated by this existing body of work. We are stockpiling members' thoughts on what has been working, what hasn't been working, and what people would like to see in agreements covering performance creation below the scale of the Independent Theatre Agreement and Canadian Theatre Agreement. Many common concerns and suggestions have appeared in this material, and a diverse range of views have been captured.
However, we still need to know much more: the terrific discussions that have already taken place must be expanded to include the views of every interested member of the Association. The committee is currently in the planning stages for a national survey that will reach out to every member who would like to contribute. Details are still being worked out, but we are very interested in your candid, open responses to questions on everything from the scope of "small scale" work to the kinds of protections and benefits you value as a member of the Association.
Stay tuned in to e-drive and your regional CPAG early in the new year to hear how you can make your voice heard. And if you've got thoughts and suggestions that you're eager to share, feel free to contact us directly (and confidentially) at itrcommittee@caea.com. A list of committee members can also be found on our committee page on the Equity web site , and you may direct your thoughts to any of us at any time.
Kris Joseph
Chair, ITR Committee
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
ITR Committee Announced
ITR Committee Chair Kris Joseph recently announced the full lineup of the committee (save for one space). The full announcement and more detail should be available on the Equity web site in the next short while, but in the meantime, here is the rundown.
From Kris:
BC & Yukon: Steven Greenfield, Colleen Winton, Katey Wright
Northern Alberta: Gina Puntil
Southern Alberta: Cheryl Hutton
Saskatchewan: James (Jim) Arthur
Manitoba & Nunavut: (still to be confirmed)
Ontario: Sharon Di Genova, Kerry Ann Doherty, Richard Lee, Mark Wallace
Eastern Ontario & Outaouais: Kris Joseph (committee chair)
Quebec: Deena Aziz
"We have forged a troupe of 13 committee members from across Canada and are now planning for our first group meeting and the data collection phase of our mandate. Sharon, Kerry Ann and I are VERY pleased with the makeup of the group and excited about the work.
We have a wide range of work experience, career depth and breadth; expertise on data collection and analysis as well as health & safety and diversity issues; a very even gender split; and a range of folks who are members and member-engagers."
The committee is:
Northern Alberta: Gina Puntil
Southern Alberta: Cheryl Hutton
Saskatchewan: James (Jim) Arthur
Manitoba & Nunavut: (still to be confirmed)
Ontario: Sharon Di Genova, Kerry Ann Doherty, Richard Lee, Mark Wallace
Eastern Ontario & Outaouais: Kris Joseph (committee chair)
Quebec: Deena Aziz
Thanks to all who have stepped forward to help craft the future of independent theatre in Canada.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Independent Theatre Review Committee seeks members
Just a quick note to let everyone know that the ITR Committee is seeking additional members to assist on this project, and details are posted here.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Independent Theatre Review Committee begins work
A motion was passed at the March meeting of Council, striking the Independent Theatre Review Committee, to look at the future of member engagement opportunity in the spectrum of theatre not currently covered by the CTA/ITA.
Council has appointed Councillors Kerry Ann Doherty (Ontario and 2nd VP), Sharon DiGenova (Dance) and Kris Joseph (E. Ontario/Outaouais) to the committee to get things up and running. Their first job will be to bring more people onto the committee, seeking representation from across the country and in keeping with Council's diversity policies.
One of the most important aspects of the committee terms of reference is that it will be expected to consult broadly. Member interest across the country is anticipated to be much greater than can reasonably be accommodated on a committee of any workable size, so extensive outreach will be done to ensure that all members have an opportunity to participate in this discussion. As part of this, the committee will also be asking CPAGs across the country to connect with their local membership, both for sharing information and for collecting input.
In addition to seeking contributions from an artist engagement perspective, the committee will also be hearing from independent theatre engagers (both members and non) and Equity staff, to gather information on their needs and challenges in regards to member engagement. Council intends for this work to result in a comprehensive approach to improve and facilitate member engagement opportunity across this range of theatre.
If you are interested in being part of the steering committee, details on how to submit your name for inclusion will be available in the next short while. Please keep an eye on e-drive postings and this blog for startup details.
Council has appointed Councillors Kerry Ann Doherty (Ontario and 2nd VP), Sharon DiGenova (Dance) and Kris Joseph (E. Ontario/Outaouais) to the committee to get things up and running. Their first job will be to bring more people onto the committee, seeking representation from across the country and in keeping with Council's diversity policies.
One of the most important aspects of the committee terms of reference is that it will be expected to consult broadly. Member interest across the country is anticipated to be much greater than can reasonably be accommodated on a committee of any workable size, so extensive outreach will be done to ensure that all members have an opportunity to participate in this discussion. As part of this, the committee will also be asking CPAGs across the country to connect with their local membership, both for sharing information and for collecting input.
In addition to seeking contributions from an artist engagement perspective, the committee will also be hearing from independent theatre engagers (both members and non) and Equity staff, to gather information on their needs and challenges in regards to member engagement. Council intends for this work to result in a comprehensive approach to improve and facilitate member engagement opportunity across this range of theatre.
If you are interested in being part of the steering committee, details on how to submit your name for inclusion will be available in the next short while. Please keep an eye on e-drive postings and this blog for startup details.
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