TCG Bulletin

April 2006, Volume 29, Issue 4

Also online this month:

FIELD LETTER

In the April Field Letter, Ben shares thoughts and experiences taken from his latest travels and reading materials (with topics ranging from presidential essays to Danish hotel design), and he reflects on the many insights provided from TCG's latest round of field conversations: "Having attended all of the meetings in 1999 and all of the meetings this year, I was struck by a number of subtle shifts—the depiction and impact of the audience polarization many of us have witnessed in our communities; the increased desire to understand audiences more fully, especially the shifts in audience behavior…and a general sense of more intense pressure—the imperative for every production to hit its marks, as it were—even while ongoing issues around artistic compensation, training, criticism, the viability of old models and more continued to resound strongly."

• Click here to view the April 2006 Field Letter

TCG NEWS

TCG Executive Director Ben Cameron Announces Departure

After eight years of service, TCG executive director Ben Cameron has announced that he will be leaving TCG at the end of June and joining the staff of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation as Program Director, Arts. Ben has written a letter to TCG's membership announcing this change, which is available for viewing on the website.

Action: Read Ben's letter to TCG members announcing his departure.

Early Registration Deadline for TCG National Conference Approaching!

Register now for the TCG National Conference, Building Future Audience! Invitations have been sent to all TCG member theatres. The conference, which will be hosted by the Atlanta theatre community, will be held at the Woodruff Arts Center, home of the Alliance Theatre, from June 8–10. On June 8, Blue Ocean Strategy, this year's pre-conference, will focus on strategic planning in a time of change. Space is limited, so register now to avoid disappointment! We'll see you in Atlanta in June!

Action: The early bird registration deadline is April 3. Visit the Events section of the website for more information, and check back frequently for updates.

Leadership for Artistic Directors Session in June: Limited Availability!

Due to the immense popularity of the pre-conference artistic leader training at the 2005 National Conference in Seattle and the post-Fall Forum training program in New York, TCG, Dance/USA and National Arts Strategies are thrilled to offer a third session of Leadership for Artistic Directors. This advanced training program is designed for existing or prospective artistic directors who want to understand more clearly the organizational leadership responsibilities of the position. Priority will be given to leaders affiliated with a member theatre, but individual artists and non-members are eligible to be on a wait list until April 7.

Action: The application deadline is April 7. Registration is $250. There are a limited number of slots available to TCG members and the slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit the Events section of the website for more information.

Save the Date! Expanding the Theatre Manager's Repertoire: August 7–8, 2006

For the ninth consecutive year, TCG is offering the unique and successful training program Expanding the Theatre Manager's Repertoire, continuing our relationship with Target Corporation. Building on Target's own human resources training methods, which exemplify the best practices in the corporate sector, this program is specifically tailored for theatre managers. The 2006 program will take place in Detroit on August 7–8.

Action: Visit the Events section of the website for more information.

New Artistic Leader Institute

TCG is pleased to announce the 2006 New Artistic Leader Institute, a program supported with funds from the NEA and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. 2006 will mark the fourth Institute, which will be held from August 8–11 in the San Diego area. Its goal is to orient new and prospective artistic directors to the non-artistic aspects of leading a theatre company. While there are numerous professional and academic programs focusing on theatre management, there are few available that introduce artists to the responsibilities which will, in all likelihood, extend beyond their prior experiences. Artistic leaders who have been at their theatres since 2004 are eligible to apply for the Institute. Resident directors, associate artistic directors and freelance artists are also eligible to apply. The registration fee of $300 includes materials as well as continental breakfasts and lunches. Limited scholarship funding will be available.

A task force of artistic leaders will meet in the coming weeks to help shape the curriculum, which could include partnerships between artistic and management leaders, strategic planning, audience development, financial management and working with a board of directors. More detailed information and an application will be available on the website in April.

Action: More information on the New Artistic Leader Institute will be available later this month on the website. Visit the Events section of the website for information as it becomes available, or email Sheela Kangal.

TCG/ITI Travel Grants Deadlines Announced for Spring and Fall 2006

TCG/ITI Travel Grants, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding, are designed to foster cultural exchange and artistic partnerships between theatre professionals in the United States and their counterparts in Russia and Eastern and Central Europe. These $2,500 grants support travel in either direction between theatre artists, administrators and educators, enabling them to share ideas, gain exposure to each other's cultural traditions and communicate contemporary theatre techniques. Recipients may be either a U.S. not-for-profit theatre applying on behalf of a theatre professional or an individual theatre professional who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.

Action: The postmark deadlines for the TCG/ITI Travel Grant applications are April 28, 2006 (for Spring) and October 27, 2006 (for Fall). Visit the Grants section of the website for application guidelines and more information.

TCG Theatre Membership Renewals

TCG theatre membership renewal materials were mailed out to all member theatres at the end of February. We hope that you will once again choose to join the national theatre field in a spectrum of programs and conferences designed to further our collective artistic and management skills, advance internal field communication and position the field more effectively in our local and national communities. Especially in these times, our collective strength depends on our ability to find a place to join together and to share and learn from one another. We hope that TCG will provide you with such an opportunity for learning and sharing.

Please join us again as we tackle the issues affecting the theatre field this year. As a TCG member, you belong to an increasingly vibrant community of more than 430 theatres and make a stand for artistry, effectiveness and advocacy. We look forward to counting you as part of the TCG family in the coming year.

Action: The deadline for theatre membership renewal is June 1. Contact Jen Cleary for more information or to obtain duplicate copies of renewal materials.

TCG Requests Production Posters

TCG is requesting posters from your theatre's current season. We prominently display members' posters in our office, which not only creates a lively and attractive work environment but also helps us showcase the full diversity of our membership to the artists, funders, government leaders, theatre administrators and board members who visit TCG. We also remind you to send posters to your federal, state and local legislators. They often like to display their constituents' posters in their offices.

Action: Mail posters to Demosthenes Chrysan, TCG, 520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156, as well as your legislators.

TCG Trustee Leadership Network

All trustees of TCG member theatres are eligible to join the TCG Trustee Leadership Network. For $75 annually, the network affords trustees the following benefits: American Theatre magazine; annual TCG Theatre Directory; and notification of management publications including the TCG Bulletin, Ben Cameron's Field Letter and Centerpiece. Please encourage your board members to join.

Action: Visit the Membership section of the website to download a registration form or for more information.

TCG and League of American Theatres and Producers Collaborate on Quarterly Information Alerts to Commercial Producers

As part of ACT II's ongoing dialogue between not-for-profit theatres and commercial producers, TCG and the League of American Theatres and Producers have instituted quarterly alerts to commercial producers about upcoming workshops, staged readings and new productions of plays and musicals of particular interest.

If your theatre is developing a new work or production that you feel has commercial potential, it will be suitable for the alert. You will need to provide the following information: name of new work; author(s); theatre; a one-line description; dates and location of workshop, reading or production; and contact name, phone and email at the theatre. Entries will be distributed quarterly to League members.

Action: Submissions for the June 1 issue are due by May 15. To participate, email your details to Ben Pesner, League of American Theatres and Producers.

TCG Seeks Interns

TCG's Internship Program is looking for highly motivated individuals with good organizational, communication and computer skills. Learn about contemporary American theatre through contact with the artists and professionals who work in our over 430 member theatres, as well as constant interaction with the TCG staff and its unique resources. Internships are offered year-round in the following areas: Artistic Programs, Fundraising, Communications/Public Relations, Management Programs & Advocacy/Education Programs, American Theatre magazine/Publications, Graphic Design, Business Administration and Website. Spring, Summer and Fall 2006 internships are available.

Action: For more detailed information, please visit the About TCG section of the website. To apply, email your résumé and a cover letter indicating primary area of interest to Jen Cleary.

Club Quarters: A Benefit for TCG Member Theatres, Affiliates and Individual Members

Club Quarters are private, full service hotels exclusively for member organizations; they offer unique, user-friendly services designed for both business and leisure. Club Quarters have rooms of various sizes for long or short stays and each location has a restaurant and bar, club room, fitness facility and meeting space accommodating up to 250 people.

TCG is a member of Club Quarters, and TCG member theatres, affiliates and individual members can pay low rates for quality hotel rooms in eleven prime urban locations, such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston and London.

Action: Visit the Club Quarters website or call Club Quarters Member Services at 212-575-0006 to make reservations or for more information. Your password is TCG.

ADVOCACY NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN ARTS ALLIANCE AND TCG

Urgent Visa Update! Vermont Service Center to Receive All O & P Petitions

Effective April 1, 2006 ALL O and P visa petitions—regardless of the location of the petitioner—must be sent to the Vermont Service Center of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Prior to this change, petitions were mailed to one of four regional service centers.

As always, file early! According to its press release, specializing processing in two service centers will allow USCIS to "better manage and improve customer service." However, we expect that there will be some bumps along the way as USCIS makes this transition, meaning it is more important than ever to submit your visa petition as early as possible (up to six months in advance of your performance). Please note the following:

Action: Visit the USCIS website to view the press release detailing these changes. As TCG continues to work to improve USCIS policy, please keep us informed of your petition processing experiences under this new arrangement. There is much that we do not as yet know about this changeover, and we must be prepared to provide USCIS with feedback on issues ranging from processing problems to unexpected or unwelcome petition outcomes. Please email Laurie Baskin with your comments or concerns on this issue.

NEA Theater Program Acting Directo

On March 1, TCG emailed our members the news that Gigi Bolt had announced her plans to leave the NEA and that we all should take a moment to be thoughtful about the position and its impact on the field. In the meantime, the NEA has appointed director of the NEA presenting program Mario Garcia Durham to be the acting director of the theater program. Before joining the NEA, Mr. Durham was a founder and executive director of Yerba Buena Arts & Events in San Francisco, California.

Action: None

NEA Announces $700,000 in Hurricane Relief Grants to Arts Organizations

The NEA has announced $700,000 in grants to support arts organizations in the Gulf Coast region that were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year. These grants include $500,000 in support to individual organizations and state and local arts agencies in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Additionally, the NEA is funding $200,000 for regional participation in the Mayors' Institute on City Design and Your Town, two of the country's most established city planning and design programs.

Grants include $157,200 in hurricane relief funds to Gulf Coast state arts agencies to support projects to revitalize the arts industries in affected states. An additional $142,800 supports 14 local arts agencies in the region for projects including management infrastructural support to the Arts Council of New Orleans, and support to the Acadiana Arts Council for a year-long arts outreach program for temporary and permanent residents of the region. Another $200,000 will go to 14 individual cultural organizations for a range of projects.

Action: Visit the NEA website to view the entire list of grants.

Arts Advocacy Day Recap

On March 13-–14, TCG and other arts advocates converged in Washington, DC, for Arts Advocacy Day. William Safire delivered the 19th annual Nancy Hanks lecture, which kicked off Arts Advocacy Day events. Arts advocacy training workshops were the focus of the events on March 13. There were legislative issue briefings on NEA appropriations, arts education funding, charitable tax incentives, improving the visa process for international artists and funding for cultural exchange.

Joining TCG staff in Washington, DC, were Susan Tsu, professor of costume design at Carnegie Mellon University (who also serves on TCG's board of directors) and Andrew Michael, trustee of the Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. In Hill visits on March 14, the TCG delegation met with Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) as well as arts staffers in the offices of Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Congressman Tim Murphy (R-PA).

Members of Congress were urged to support an increase in the NEA's appropriation and arts education funding within the U.S. Department of Education. Congress was asked to support legislation that will reduce the total processing times for O and P visa petitions filed by not-for-profit arts organizations to a maximum of 45 days. Congress was asked to support a special appropriation of $5 million for the NEA to provide disaster recovery assistance in the next installment of hurricane relief funding. Congress was also asked to reject the proposed funding cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the FY07 appropriations bill.

We had another opportunity to bring members to the Hill on February 28, in conjunction with a Field Conversation convened by TCG. Susan Booth (artistic director, Alliance Theatre), Del Hamilton (artistic director, 7 Stages), Bryn Magnus (managing director, Free Street) and Geoffrey Sherman (artistic director, Alabama Shakespeare Festival) exercised their advocacy muscles quite effectively in the offices of Congressman Terry Everett (R-AL), Senator Isakson (R-GA), Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and with Congressman John Lewis (D-GA).

Action: If you plan to be in Washington, DC, and would like assistance in setting up an appointment to meet with your Senator or member of Congress, please contact Laurie Baskin. District meetings are equally effective.

ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Playwrighting Contest Deadline Approaching

The deadline for submitting full-length plays to the New England Theatre Conference's John Gassner Memorial Playwrighting Award is April 15. The award carries a $1,000 cash prize and the opportunity to be noticed by theatre leaders. Finalist judges have included Israel Horovitz, Jean-Claude van Itallie, Eric Bentley and Constance Congdon.

Action: The submission deadline is April 15. Visit the New England Theatre Conference website for more details and complete submission guidelines.

Residencies Available for Movement-Based Artists: Deadline April 7!

The deadline is quickly approaching to submit proposals to iLAB, a new collaborative residency program for movement-based artists and scientists, environmentalists, urban designers, architects and landscape architects. iLAB is a pilot project of iLAND (interdisciplinary Laboratory of Art, Nature and Dance), a new "dance research" organization directed by choreographer Jennifer Monson. The goal of iLAB is to "invigorate and re-imagine relationships between the public and the urban environment through kinetic experience." It will provide cross-sector teams with space, honoraria, administrative support and more.

Action: The deadline for proposals is April 7. Visit the iLAND website for application guidelines and more information.

Source: Community Arts Network APInews, March 4, 2006

ARTS EDUCATION

New Montalvo Teaching Artist Fellowship

Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, CA, has announced the creation of a new Teaching Artist Fellowship, the first national award of its kind dedicated to professionals in the teaching artist field. A joint initiative between Montalvo's education program and the Sally and Don Lucas Artists Programs, the fellowship provides a four-month residency at the Lucas Artists Programs and partnership with a local school for curriculum development. A panel of more than 20 leading figures in the arts and education field will choose the Teaching Artist Fellows through a series of selection juries.

While in residence at Montalvo, fellows will divide their time between the Lucas Artists Programs, Montalvo's education program and their partnership with a local high school. The "Artist as Example" curriculum is the first in the nation to tap into the resource of practicing artists as models for the curiosity-driven life. Developed in partnership with a selected Bay Area high school, the curriculum will eventually form a base for a national teaching artists program that encourages creativity in the classroom and throughout an individual's life.

Action: The deadline for fellowship applications is June 15. Applications will be available online beginning April 3.Visit the Montalvo Arts Center website for more information or to download an application.

2005 Coming Up Taller Awards Presentation

Young people from communities across the U.S. and Mexico who engage in after-school arts and humanities programs that promote educational achievement and productive lives were honored by Mrs. Laura Bush at a ceremony for the 2005 Coming Up Taller Awards in Washington, DC, in late January.

The honored programs represent a diverse array of experiences that enable young people to nurture their interests under the disciplined and caring tutelage of educators and community leaders. All programs will receive $10,000 in honor of their accomplishments in enriching the lives of young people and their communities.

Among the recipients is TCG member Pillsbury House Theatre in Minneapolis. Pillsbury House Theatre's Chicago Avenue Project brings together African-American and immigrant youth with adult artists to create compelling, original productions.

Action: Visit the Coming Up Taller website for a full description of the Pillsbury House project, as well as a listing of all of the 2005 recipients.

New Journal on Arts Integration

Learning through the Arts: A Research Journal on Arts Integration in Schools and Communities is a new online publication available through the UC Library System's eScholarship Repository. Based at UC Irvine (and open to submissions), it features articles from researchers, university faculty, teaching artists and school district personnel who have explored the link between learning and the arts through empirical research or through deliberate and disciplined integration of the arts—across arts disciplines, with other academic content areas, and/or into community-based educational programs. For example, the first issue offers Conversation and Silence: Transfer of Learning Through the Arts by James S. Catterall.

Action: Visit the eScholarship Repository website to view the entire online publication.

Research Summary Documenting Arts Education Benefits Available Now

Why is it so important to keep the arts strong in our schools? How does the study of the arts contribute to student achievement and success? These and other important questions are addressed in a new booklet published by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies in collaboration with the Arts Education Partnership. Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefit Student Achievement responds to the needs of policymakers, educators, parents and advocates for fact-based, non-technical language documenting the most current and compelling research on the value of arts learning experiences.

Action: Visit the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies website to purchase copies of Critical Evidence. Single copies are $7.00 each plus shipping and handling. Bulk orders are just $4.00.

CONFERENCES & SEMINARS

Development Directors Conference in Los Angeles

The second annual conference for theatre development directors and their staff is being hosted this year in Los Angeles by Center Theatre Group and the Geffen Theatre. The conference is scheduled for July 20–July 22. The conference will focus on fundraising in a deficit environment and include panels, break-out sessions, keynote speakers and more on all areas of development.

Action: The registration deadline for this conference is May 31. For more information on the conference, please contact Erica Lotzer (special events coordinator, Center Theatre Group) at 213-972-7564.

DEVELOPMENT

Childsplay Receives $500,000 Grant

Childsplay in Tempe, AZ, received a $500,000 grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust to build the Campus for Imagination and Wonder at the Mitchell School.

Action: None

Source: PNNOnline, February 28, 2006

Commonweal Receives Large Capital Grant

Commonweal Theatre Company (Lanesboro, MN) received a $350,000 grant for its capital campaign from the Bush Foundation.

Action: None

Source: Chronicle of Philantropy, February 9, 2006

INTERNATIONAL NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES

Application Deadline Approaching to Participate in Theatre of Nations Festival

The 31st session of ITI's Theatre of Nations festival will be hosted by the Chinese Center of ITI and will take place in Nanjing City from September 28–October 12, 2006. It will be an essential part of a bigger event, the Jiangsu International Arts Festival.

The festival intends to invite distinguished theatre companies or groups from 10 countries to participate in the festival. Criteria for inclusion in the festival include "plurality and diversity in contemporary theatre and popularity for the local audience." Invited groups will have their accommodations, meals and local transportation covered by the festival for a period of up to seven days.

Action: The application deadline to perform in the festival is May 15. Download the registration form as a PDF document or email Mr. Wang Ling (project manager, Chinese Center of ITI) with questions.

MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH

New Calculation for the Value of Volunteer Time

Independent Sector announced last month that the estimated value of a volunteer hour in 2005 was $18.04, an increase of 49 cents from the 2004 estimate of $17.55. Theatres can use this new figure to quantify the value of contributions made by their volunteers. The estimate is based on the average hourly wage of all non-management, non-agricultural workers as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a 12 percent increase to estimate for fringe benefits.

Action: None

Source: PNNOnline, March 8, 2006

Online Survey of Mid-Level Managers Seeking Participants

Americans for the Arts fellow Amy Duncan is conducting research on the needs of mid-level arts managers (as opposed to emerging or senior leaders) by conducting interviews and through an online survey for which she is currently seeking participants. The results of her research will be published "in order to advance discussion across the field." Survey participants will receive research updates directly from Ms. Duncan.

Action: Visit the Arts Management Consulting website to participate in the online survey.

NEW TCG MEMBERS

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre

1500 E Lake St.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
tel (612) 721-2535
fax (612) 721-7174
info@hobt.org
www.hobt.org
Sandra Spieler, Artistic Director
Kathleen Foran, Executive Director
Michael Brown, Board Chair

TCG DEADLINES

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Information appearing in the TCG Bulletin may not be reprinted without permission.