2012 TCG National Conference - Breakout Session Proposal Form
PROPOSAL DEADLINE HAS PASSED
The 2012 TCG National Conference is focused on what works – how can we better share, measure and adapt the models already making a difference? And how can we move ‘shovel-ready’ ideas effectively into action? Using our online platform, working groups will collaborate on these models and ideas as part of a year-round conference; but as theatre-makers, you know the real action happens when people gather in the same room.
That’s where our breakout sessions come in. These sessions allow working groups to meet face-to-face while also welcoming new potential partners to the conversation. So ask yourself: what model is making a difference in the work you’re doing? What big idea are you ready to share and put into practice?
Breakout session models can be drawn from education and training, advocacy, international work, governance, fundraising, play development, audience engagement, and more. We’re also looking for actionable ideas to grapple with some of the harder, more taboo topics of discussion. How can we affect real change through spreading what works?
In order to more effectively cross-pollinate ideas, we’re putting breakout sessions into four structural TRACKS:
ART
From devised to immersive, from documentary to geek, forms of theatre are constantly being stretched in exciting new directions. How can we better share the processes and models that make these new forms tick? How can we make a theatre conference spend as much time focusing on improving the art as marketing it? If you have a brave new way of making theatre, or a classic tradition that deserves more attention, this TRACK is the one for you.
ORGANIZATION
As Zelda Fichandler said in 1970, “Organization is creation.” How can we reignite that organizational creativity that helped the first wave of the resident theatre movement thrive? From board relations to Ensemble models, this TRACK will strengthen the capacity of our institutions by building on what already works and exploring new structures.
COMMUNITY
There is a growing consensus that in this digital age, audiences want more than passive engagement. From the dizzying opportunities of social media to the growing forms of community-based theatre, this TRACK is the place to explore deepening that relationship. How can change our means of engagement to evolve from just another entertainment option into the magnetic centers of our communities?
FIELD
For better and sometimes worse, our world has become increasingly interconnected; with economic, environmental and political change easily crossing borders. To survive, theatres must cultivate resilience through interdependence. From community set storage and recycling to online collaborative creation platforms, this TRACK will explore mutually beneficial ways for theatres to collaborate at regional, national and international levels.
Throughout the four TRACKS, we’ll be looking to highlight the three TRAITS of a thriving theatre movement: DIVERSITY, ADAPTABILITY and INTERDEPENDENCE. Breakout session proposals can feature more than one TRACK and TRAIT.
Breakout sessions are intended to examine critical issues in our theatre field and highlight how they are being addressed. The purpose of these sessions is not to promote a particular organization or individual.
For examples of breakout sessions from our past National Conference, click here. Approximately 60 breakout session proposals will be accepted. The deadline has passed. Proposals will be processed and responded to by March 20, 2012.