TCG Bulletin
July 2008, Volume 31, Issue 7
Also online this month:
FIELD LETTER
In the July Field Letter, Teresa recaps June’s TCG Conference and the National Performing Arts Convention. She highlights the NPAC electronic voting on post-conference priorities for the field (advocacy, arts education and diversity), and expresses her enthusiasm for the young arts leaders she met and observed at the TCG Conference. Teresa discusses several recent TCG-sponsored teleconferences, including the first two Leadership Teleconferences, which featured former Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin and acclaimed development consultant Dory Vanderhoof. She also offers her thoughts on the sobering news of the closing of TCG member Theatre de la Jeune Leune. Teresa observes, “This 30 year old company has had a major impact on both the Twin Cities and national theatre landscapes, with a repertoire of highly imaginative and detailed physical theatre… I wish them (forever the Lunies, whether or not they have a new name) all the best. I look forward to their next incarnation, and what we can all learn from the courageous decision they have made.”
CURRENT TCG NEWS
Limited Space Still Available in Expanding the Theatre Manager's Repertoire, Charleston, SC, August 10—12
For the eleventh and FINAL consecutive year, TCG and Target Corporation are pleased to offer Expanding the Theatre Manager's Repertoire, our popular and invaluable human resources training program. The program will be held August 10—12 in Charleston, SC. Building on Target's own human resources training methods, which exemplify the best practices in the corporate sector, this training is specifically tailored for theatre managers. Over 600 managers have participated in this program!
The program will begin on Sunday in the late afternoon and will end on Tuesday afternoon, which provides a more relaxed pace to the training and allows participants to catch earlier flights home after the final session.
Action: The registration deadline has passed, but we still have room for a few more registrants! Registration materials and more information are available on the Events section of the website.
Back to TopFree Night of Theater 2008 Participation Deadlines Approaching
Free Night of Theater 2008 opens across the country on Thursday, October 16. Free Night of Theater is TCG's annual national audience development program to attract new theatregoers to America's professional not-for-profit theatres. Since the pilot program debuted in 2005, Free Night has increased in scope and participation each year. The national Free Night 2008 program is already confirmed in over 100 cities from coast to coast and we are adding new theatres everyday!
Action: The deadline for new managing organizations and theatres to contact TCG about participating in the program is July 18. Visit the Events section of the TCG website or contact Phillip Matthews for complete details on how to participate in the 2008 campaign.
Back to TopTCG National Conference and NPAC: Thank You to Everyone Who Attended!
TCG was thrilled to have over 600 participants at the 2008 TCG National Conference, part of the National Performing Arts Convention in Denver. Reports, videos and transcripts will soon be available on the website and there will be an article in an upcoming American Theatre magazine. We would very much like to know what conference attendees thought about NPAC and the TCG National Conference, and we encourage all attendees to please take ten minutes to fill out this SurveyMonkey questionnaire.
Action: The survey deadline July 10. Check the National Performing Arts Convention website in the coming weeks for a report on the results of the AmericaSpeaks voting on the priorities of the performing arts field as a sector.
Back to TopTCG Member Discount: Arts Reach National Arts Marketing and Arts Development Conferences, October 4—7, San Francisco, CA
TCG members are entitled to $50 registration discounts to the 2008 Arts Reach National Arts Marketing and Arts Development Conferences, scheduled for October 4—7 in San Francisco, CA. The theme of both events is Relationships Built to Last: Creating Communities of Audiences and Donor-Investors. Top theatre professionals, as well as leaders from other arts disciplines, will be discussing trends, best practices and ways to recession-proof your organization. Managing leaders and board members, as well as marketing, public relations, membership and development professionals from all cultural disciplines are encouraged to attend.
Action: Register by July 15 to get the early registration discount in addition to your membership discount. Visit the ArtsReach website to view all of the conference offerings or to register online.
Back to TopTCG Theatre Membership Renewal Deadline Has Passed!
TCG theatre membership renewal materials were mailed out to
all member theatres in mid-March. We hope that you chose 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.
As a TCG member, you belong to an increasingly vibrant community
of more than 475 theatres and make a stand for artistry, effectiveness
and advocacy. We hope we can count you as part of the TCG family
in the coming year.
Action: The deadline for membership renewal deadline was June 2. To avoid suspension of your membership and to ensure your listing in the Season Preview issue of American Theatre magazine, please contact Jen Cleary.
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RECURRING TCG NEWS
Wanted: Electronic Human Resources Documents for TCG's Topical Files
As a service for member theatres, TCG maintains electronic
resource files for inquiries about performance reviews, job
descriptions, organizational structure, trustee evaluation,
software packages and more. Some of our most useful and most
requested files contain employee handbooks, reviews, job descriptions
and contracts that are submitted by member theatres to be used
as a resource by other member theatres.
All member theatres are encouraged to send us any electronic
human resources-related documents they utilize for inclusion
in these files. We can remove any language that identifies your
theatre, if you wish to contribute anonymously. In particular,
we are looking to expand our collection of employment contracts
for full-time and management-level staff, but we gladly welcome
any and all submissions. Also, if you have worked with a consultant
that you particularly would recommend, please forward their
information as well.
Action: If you have any documents that you would like to contribute to our files, please email them as an attachment (Microsoft Word preferred) to Sarah McLellan .
Back to TopUpdate Your Staff Contacts with TCG
TCG sends email notification of the TCG Bulletin and Field Letter directly to general managers, education directors, business managers, marketing directors, PR directors, literary managers, dramaturgs, development directors and associate artistic directors at TCG member theatres. We do this in order to keep staff informed of the activities and developments of the not-for-profit theatre field, to deepen staff knowledge of TCG and to increase participation in our programs. Many of these senior staff already participate in TCG programs and have sent TCG their email addresses. However, we are far from a complete list. We strongly encourage you to send us email contacts for all senior staff at your theatre, and to inform us of any staff changes when they occur.
Action: To receive the TCG Bulletin and Field Letter by email or to inform TCG of staff changes at your theatre, contact Gregg Gomez .
Back to TopTCG 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.
Back to TopTCG 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, 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.
Back to TopTCG 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 450 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, Management Programs, Advocacy/Education Programs, American Theatre magazine/Publications, National Conference, Graphic Design, Business Administration and Website. Summer and fall internships are available.
Action: Visit the About TCG section of the website for more detailed information. To apply, email your résumé and a cover letter indicating primary area of interest to Jen Cleary.
Back to TopClub 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.
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ADVOCACY NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN ARTS ALLIANCE AND TCG
The American Arts Alliance is Changing its Name!
The American Arts Alliance is changing its name to the Performing Arts Alliance: The Coalition of Performing Arts Advocates. The new name, which reflects the performing arts advocacy focus of this organization, will officially take effect on September 15, 2008.
Action: Visit the Performing Arts Alliance website for: A Quick and Easy Way to Contact Your Members of Congress; Arts Advocacy Dos and Don’ts; Rules for Inviting Members of Congress to Performances; Cultural Exchange Resources and Funding Opportunities; and Updates on Current Legislative Issues.
Back to TopHouse Subcommittee Approves NEA Increase
On June 11, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee approved a $15.3 million increase for the NEA in the FY09 Department of Interior Appropriations Bill, for a total budget of $160 million in FY09. The President has requested a budget of $128 million which would be a $16 million decrease from the agency’s FY08 budget.
Action: Please continue to email your Members of Congress and your Senators in support of increased funding for the NEA and for arts education. Sample emails can be found on the Performing Arts Alliance website.
Back to TopFEMA Posts Final Policy Regarding Private Not-for-profit Facilities
In June, 2001, TCG and the American Arts Alliance (now the Performing Arts Alliance), learned that a number of our members (the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and Alley Theatre) had lost millions of dollars of costumes, musical instruments, sheet music, archives and other artifacts as a result of flooding from Tropical Storm Allison. In addition, we learned that their efforts to seek relief from FEMA had been denied. Upon further investigation, it was determined that at some point between the earthquake in San Francisco of 1989 and Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, FEMA’s regulations had changed and no longer allowed performing arts facilities to be eligible to apply for relief.
We are pleased to report that after a number of years of advocacy, FEMA once again considers performing arts facilities as eligible to apply for relief.
Action: Visit the FEMA website to see the final FEMA policy on the eligibility of performing arts facilities.
Back to TopNEA Announces New Artists in the Workforce Study
The NEA has announced the release of Artists in the Workforce: 1990-2005, the first nationwide look at artists' demographic and employment patterns in the 21st century. Artists in the Workforce analyzes working artist trends, gathering new statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau to provide a comprehensive overview of this workforce segment and its maturation over the past 30 years, along with detailed information on specific artist occupations.
Among the findings:
- Numbering almost two million, artists are one of the largest classes of workers in the nation, only slightly smaller than the U.S. military’s active-duty and reserve personnel (2.2 million). Artists now represent 1.4 percent of the U.S. labor force.
- Between 1970 and 1990, the number of artists more than doubled (from 737,000 to 1.7 million), a much larger percentage gain than for the labor force as a whole. Between 1990 and 2005, the growth of artists slowed to a 16 percent rate, about the same as for the overall labor force.
Action: Visit the NEA website for the entire press release.
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ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES
Open Meadows Foundation Grants for Projects for Women and Girls
The Open Meadows Foundation is offering grants of up to $2,000 each to projects that are designed and implemented by women and girls; reflect the diversity of the community served by the project; promote community power, as well as social, economic and environmental justice; and have limited access to financial resources or have encountered obstacles in their search for funding. Organizational budgets should not exceed $150,000. Small and start-up organizations are encouraged to apply.
Action: The deadline for applications is August 15. Visit the Open Meadows Foundation website for more information and application materials.
Source: The Foundation Center RFP Bulletin
ARTS EDUCATION
Two Arts Education Reports Available
Last year, with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation,
the Center for Education Policy at SRI International issued a report
on the state of arts education in California. The report, An
Unfinished Canvas: Arts Education in California, revealed that
a large majority of California schools fail to meet state goals
for arts education—that is, they fail to offer a standards-based
course of study in dance, music, visual arts and theatre. The report
also identified key barriers to arts education, including inadequate
and unstable funding, insufficient instructional time and limited
teacher capacity in the arts.
To identify solutions to overcome these obstacles to arts education,
two additional studies were launched that examine these barriers
in greater depth and discuss implications for policy and practice.
Two follow-up reports are now available:
- An Unfinished Canvas: Allocating Funding and Instructional Time for Elementary Arts Education documents the resources allocated to arts education in elementary schools in other states and draws comparisons with California.
- An Unfinished Canvas: Teacher Preparation, Instructional Delivery, and Professional Development in the Arts documents the scarcity of arts teachers in California elementary schools and describes the limited training and support for classroom teachers to teach to the arts standards.
Action: The full reports are available at the Center for Education Policy website.
CONFERENCES & SEMINARS
2008 American Marketing Association Nonprofit Marketing Conference, July 14—16, Washington, DC
The 2008 American Marketing Association (AMA) Nonprofit Marketing Conference will take place in Washington, DC, from July 14—16. The conference is sponsored by the AMA Foundation, the not-for-profit philanthropic arm of the American Marketing Association, whose mission is to be an essential resource to not-for-profits, and help them achieve greater success through effective marketing. The keynote speaker is Andy Goodman, an author and speaker, who specializes in helping not-for-profits, foundations, government agencies and educational institutions reach more people effectively.
Action: Visit the AMA website for more information and registration materials.
Back to TopVSA Arts L.E.A.D. Conference, August 21—24, Fort Lauderdale, FL
The 2008 L.E.A.D. (Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability) Conference will provide opportunities to discuss issues ranging from physical and programmatic access to ticketing policies and marketing strategies. Participants will share ideas and learn what has been successful at other arts organizations and cultural institutions, engage in an open dialogue with representatives from the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice, learn about best practices and how to develop sound policies and participate in stimulating and enriching discussions with leaders in the field.
Action: Visit the L.E.A.D. website for registration materials and more information.
DEVELOPMENT
Entries Invited for Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation
The Drucker Institute invites applications for the 2008 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation. The award, administered annually since 1991, is granted to a social sector organization that demonstrates Peter F. Drucker’s definition of innovation, “change that creates a new dimension of performance.” The program submitted must have specific and measurable outcomes; exemplify innovation by demonstrating a new dimension or standard of performance; have made a difference in the lives of people it serves; and serve as a model that can be replicated or adopted by other organizations. The winner will receive the $35,000 first prize, with $7,500 awarded for second place and $5,000 for third place.
Action: The deadline for applications is July 15. Visit the Drucker Institute website for more information and application materials.
Source: The Foundation Center RFP Bulletin
Back to TopThe Lodestar Foundation Announces the Inaugural Collaboration Prize
The Lodestar Foundation recently announced the Collaboration Prize, which is intended to recognize not-for-profit collaborations that achieve exceptional impact and significantly reduce duplication efforts. Designed to inspire cooperation, the Collaboration Prize will award $250,000 to one collaboration that demonstrates, through quantifiable evidence, that it has achieved exceptional impact and significantly eliminated the duplication of efforts through programmatic collaborations, administrative consolidation or other joint activities. The collaboration must be composed of two or more organizations that would otherwise compete for clients, financial resources and staff.
Action: The deadline for nominations is July 21. Visit the Collaboration Prize website for more information and nomination materials.
Back to TopChildren's Theatre Company and School Receives $200,000 Grant
The Children’s Theatre Company and School in Minneapolis, MN, received a $200,000 grant from the Bush Foundation to plan and start a preschool program.
Action: None
Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy, June 12, 2008
Back to TopYale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre Receive $2.85 Million Grant
The Yale School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre received a $2.85 million grant from the Robina Foundation to create the Yale Center for New Theatre. The Yale Center for New Theatre will allow for increased commissions of new plays and musicals through residencies, readings, workshops and full productions.
Action: Visit the Yale Repertory Theatre website for more information.
Source: Playbill.com, May 15, 2008
INTERNATIONAL NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES
Performers' Village 2008, August 1—28, Malpils, Latvia
Performers Village 2008 is an opportunity for professional performers to find new ways to realize creative ideas in collaboration with colleagues from different parts of the world. The four-week course is open to professional actors, dancers, singers, musicians, choreographers, playwrights and designers. The training builds on the collaboration of each participating artist, resulting in a co-authored performance. Accommodation and meals are provided in the tuition.
Action: Tuition is 1500 Euros, due before July 15. Applicants should send a letter of intent, detailed CV and a headshot to globtheatre@gmail.com. More information is available on the International Performers Village website.
MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
Report: Corporate Philanthropy Increased in 2007
A new report by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) finds that large multinational companies increased their charitable giving by 5.6 percent in 2007. Most surveyed companies cited continued strong profits; improved measurement of pre-existing giving; corporate growth by mergers; the launch of multi-year funding initiatives; and more accurate valuations of pro bono services as reasons for the increase in giving. CECP projects that despite a probable earnings slowdown in 2008, companies are likely to maintain 2007’s level of giving and even increase in-kind product donations and employee pro-bono services in the coming year.
Action: Download a free copy of the report at the CECP website.
NEW TCG MEMBERS & AFFILIATES
Soho Repertory Theatre
86 Franklin St, 4th Fl
New York, NY 10013
tel (212) 941-8632
fax (212) 941-7148
sohorep@sohorep.org
www.sohorep.org
Sarah Benson, Artistic Director
Tania Camargo, Executive Director
Jon Dembrow, Board Chair
Raritan Valley Community College
Visual & Performing Arts Dept
PO Box 3300
Somerville, NJ 08876
Tel (908) 526-1200
Dennis Russo, Assistant Professor
drusso@raritanval.edu
www.raritanval.edu
Sarah Lawrence College
1 Mead Way
Bronxville, NY 10708
Tel (914) 395-2566
Fax (914) 395-2698
Angela Cherubini, Director of Career Counseling
acherubini@sarahlawrence.edu
www.slc.edu
TCG DEADLINES
| July 1: | (noon EST) ArtSEARCH deadline for July 15 issue |
| July 9: | Reservation deadline for September issue of American Theatre |
| July 10: | Survey deadline for NPAC and TCG National Conference attendees |
| July 15: | (noon EST) ArtSEARCH deadline for August 1 issue |
| TCG Member deadline for discounted registration for Arts Reach National Arts Marketing & Arts Development Conferences | |
| July 18: | Deadline for new managing organizations and theatres to contact TCG about participating in Free Night of Theater. |
| August 1: | (noon EST) ArtSEARCH deadline for August 15 issue |
| August 8: | Reservation deadline for October issue of American Theatre |
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