TCG Bulletin

May 2010, Volume 33, Issue 5

Editor:
Christopher Shuff

Associate Editor:
Claire Mazur

Contributors:
Laurie Baskin
Sarah McLellan
Alissa Moore
Jason Tseng

Also online this month:

FIELD LETTER

In this month's Field Letter, Mark Cuddy, TCG board member and artistic director of Geva Theatre Center, describes his experience as part of the TCG delegation at Arts Advocacy Day. Mark's own representative, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, co-chairs the congressional arts committee and happens to be a personal fan of Geva. Mark writes, "As Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chair, Louise has been a tireless supporter of national arts policy, but I've known her for 15 years as a warm and irreverent champion of her district's artists." You'll want to read on to find out about her choice of apparel in celebration of the day.

• Click here to view the May 2010 Field Letter.

Monthly Mental Health Moment

Something we keep hearing, particularly in the arts community, is “never let a good crisis go to waste”. No doubt the financial crisis has wreaked havoc on our arts institutions, but there are a few bright spots: some artists are finding exhibition and performance spaces in abandoned retail establishments, and others are using the crisis as inspiration for creation. The latest and greatest comes from Robert Lopez, one of the writers behind hit musical Avenue Q. It’s a song from a musical about a hedge fund, and it’s called “Bet Against the American Dream”.

Staff Picks

The newest feature in the TCG Bulletin reveals TCG staff favorites.

Katie Barry, Web Associate	Heather Gallagher, Advertising Associate
I love our TCG and American Theatre Facebook pages. The discussion aspect is wonderful—it’s a great experience to post a question or link and read what our friends are thinking about it. It almost reminds me of being at a cocktail party—we get to hear stories about the first play they ever saw, find out what people think of the Colorado stage smoking ban…one discussion even yielded several recipes for stage blood! I am most eager to try the ones involving chocolate. It’s been wonderful!	My staff pick is the brand new Conference 2.0 site that's being used for this year's TCG National Conference. It has so many features, allowing users to search for other attendees and to tag themselves, not only by job, but by interest as well. You can upload a picture and create conversations both within the site and on other sites like Twitter. It has the very practical ability to create a schedule and get information about all the Conference events. It is extremely useful, but is also a creative way to interact with the people and events at the Conference. You can even find me in the Attendees section! I'm the person with the hat—the one that isn't a bird. Conference attendees will be receiving invitations to Conference 2.0–keep an eye on your inbox!

TCG NEWS

Nonprofit Finance Fund Workshop, Programmatic Modeling for Artistic and Financial Strength, Boston, MA, Friday, May 21

This free half-day workshop at the Nonprofit Finance Fund in Boston, MA is open only to TCG member theatres—limit three participants per theatre. It is designed for executive directors, senior staff and trustees and will engage participants in a discussion about how to incorporate financial goals into planning for a vibrant and viable future. Using real-life case studies, NFF will offer interactive exercises to help staff develop financial plans that consider current financial dynamics, underlying business models and the full cost of providing healthy artistic programming. This practical symposium offers not-for-profit leaders the insight, tools and guidance they need to better understand the revenue and expense drivers of their annual operating results. The workshop runs from 12:30pm to 4:00pm and lunch will be provided.

Action: The registration deadline is May 7. Visit the NFF Professional Development section of the website for more information and to register. Registration is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

TCG Accepting Applications for MetLife/TCG Aha! Program: Think It, Do It

TCG is now accepting applications for MetLife/TCG Aha! Program: Think It, Do It, a program for TCG member theatres that supports creative thinking and action in two ways: Think It grants (up to $25,000) give theatre professionals the time and space for research and development and Do It grants (up to $50,000) support the implementation and testing of new ideas.

Action: The deadline is May 3. Visit the Grants section of the website for application guidelines and materials.

2010 Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowships

Fox Fellowships are awarded in two categories: Extraordinary Potential and Distinguished Achievement. The Fellowships are intended to further an actor's artistic and professional development; to deepen and enrich his/her relationship with a not-for-profit theatre and to ensure his/her continued professional commitment to live theatre and to encourage actors to work outside their comfort zone.

Action: The application deadline is June 11. Visit the Grants section of the website for more information.

TCG National Conference 2010-Pre-Conference on Arts Education

This story was originally published in the January 2010 issue of the Bulletin.
TCG will focus on arts education and assessment at a Pre-Conference to the June 2010 TCG National Conference. We will follow up on the Building a National TEAM: Theatre Education Assessment Models Pre-Conference from 2007. Education directors will be trained in adapting the national models for use in their education programs as well as aligning the evaluation and assessment work with federal and state standards.

Action: Visit the Pre-Conferences section of the website for more information and to register.

2010 TCG National Conference: Ideas into Action, June 17-19 in Chicago at the Palmer House

UPDATED! This story was originally published in the January 2010 issue of the Bulletin.
A successful urban planner, an innovation guru, a new NEA program director, an Obie Award winning Puerto Rican playwright and a 27 year-old “important new thinker” shake up assumptions at TCG National Conference. They keynote address will be given by Jonah Lehrer, best-selling author of Proust was a Neuroscientist and How we Decide.
TCG has programmed a variety of experts from across professional disciplines to address and engage with the unique and dedicated gathering of theatre professionals at TCG’s 20th National Conference: Ideas Into Action. Guest speakers include best-selling author, Jonah Lehrer; the president and CEO of CEOs for Cities, Carol Coletta; the president of the Doblin Group, Larry Keeley; Director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration and author of “The Artful Manager” a blog on the business of arts and culture, Andrew Taylor; director of theater and musical theater at the NEA Ralph Remington and playwrights Jose Rivera, Rebecca Gilman, Tracy Letts and Will Power.

Action: Space at the 2010 TCG National Conference is extremely limited and going fast. Register today before we’re SOLD OUT! Visit the Conference section of the website for more information and to register. Visit the Lodging page to reserve your rooms at the Palmer House Hilton, the conference location.

TCG Brain Bank: Where Knowledge Earns Interest

The Brain Bank is a peer network of theatre professionals volunteering their time and expertise to offer guidance and support to their colleagues. The eligibility requirements for participation in the Brain Bank have been expanded to include senior level staff members at TCG member theatres, in addition to executive leaders at TCG member theatres. Sign up in time to join us at the TCG Brain Bank: Live at the Conference.

Action: Visit the Brain Bank section of the website to register as a Knowledge Donor or a Peer today. Please remember that you must be executive or senior leadership at a TCG member theatre to register.

ADVOCACY NEWS FROM THE PERFORMING ARTS ALLIANCE AND TCG

Colorado Smoking Ban Update

UPDATED! This story was originally published in the January 2010 issue of the Bulletin.
As previously reported, three Colorado theatres have engaged in an ongoing legal battle to win exemption from their state’s smoking ban for theatrical smoking. TCG has supported the original petitioning theatres since their first appeal. To continue our support, TCG filed an Amicus Brief on April 16, with the U. S. Supreme Court, again expertly written by Bruce E.H. Johnson, trustee of Seattle Repertory Theatre and member of TCG’s National Council for the American Theatre

Action: Visit the Advocacy section of the site to learn the full details and history of this case and to read the Amicus Brief in full.

Health Care Legislation-What Does it Mean for Not-for-Profit Arts Organizations?

UPDATED! This story was originally published in the April 2010 issue of the Bulletin.
The April 2010 TCG Bulletin included an early analysis of the newly enacted Health Care Legislation. We have one correction to that story: we reported that the legislation does not require employers to offer insurance coverage to their employees, but employers with more than 50 full-time employees that do not offer health coverage must pay a fee per employee to the federal government. We reported that fee to be $750, but the final legislation stated the fee would be $2,000. The first 30 employees would be exempted from the fee payment calculation

Action: Visit the Advocacy section of the site for more information. Visit the Independent Sector website and the IRS website for additional information.
Source: Independent Sector

Cuts to State Arts Councils

The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs announced grants of more than $1.5 million to 161 organizations on April 1. The money represents the bulk of the Arts Council's $2.3 million in grants for 2010. This year's total fell by $6 million to its lowest level since 1974 and is 90 percent less than the $25.5 million granted in 2001.
On April 15, the Georgia House of Representatives eliminated Georgia Council for the Arts from the state budget. On April 20, The State Senate Appropriations Committee restored the funding, which would allow GCA to match its federal grant. On April 21, The State Senate voted to restore Georgia Council for the Arts to the State budget. At the time of publication, the only hurdle that remains is for the Conference Committee, which is made up of an equal number of Representatives and Senators, to reconcile the differences between their budgets.

Action: Visit the Georgia Council for the Arts website for more information.

Net Neutrality Ruling

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit recently ruled on Net Neutrality. The case involves a suit brought by Comcast in which the court ruled that the FCC lacks the authority to require broadband providers to give equal treatment to all internet traffic flowing over their networks. TCG believes that the preservation of an open internet will best serve the arts community. Arts Advocacy Day materials included a Statement of Concern on Net Neutrality. In addition, the Performing Arts Alliance will soon be filing Reply Comments to the FCC. In both arenas, TCG is on record in support of an open internet.

Action: Visit the Advocacy section of the site to read the Statement of Concern. Visit the New York Times website for more details on this story.

On April 12-13, TCG and Other Arts Advocates Converged in Washington, D.C., for Arts Advocacy Day

UPDATED! This story was originally published in the December 2009 issue of the Bulletin.
Every year, TCG staffers and a group of member theatre leaders attend Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. This year marked the 23rd annual gathering presented by American for the Arts, co-sponsored by TCG and 85 other arts organizations, and more than 500 arts advocates from across the nation met with their representatives on Capitol Hill, calling on them to support arts-friendly legislation and policies.
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; 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 and increase funding for cultural exchange through the State Department; and support increased tax incentives for charitable giving. Lastly, Congress was informed about the ongoing concerns regarding protection of wireless microphones used in the performing arts and the need for the FCC to make performing arts organizations eligible to apply for Part 74 licenses and therefore eligible for interference protections.
Joining TCG staff for Hill visits were TCG board members: Mark Cuddy of Geva Theatre Center, Morgan Jenness of Abrams Artists, Molly Smith of Arena Stage, Mark Shugoll of Shugoll Research, along with TCG National Council members: Lynn Deering of Baltimore’s CENTERSTAGE, Heather Randall of New York Theatre Workshop and Liz Morten of Westport Country Playhouse.
The TCG delegation met with Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY-28), Congressman James Moran (D-VA-8), and arts staffers in the offices of Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT-4), Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD-3), Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY-8), Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA-7) and Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY).

Action: Visit the Americans for the Arts to read more about it and download the Nancy Hanks Lecture.

NEA Announces Research on Informal Arts Participation in Rural and Urban Areas

The NEA has conducted previous research around arts participation, and is now introducing a new piece of research focused on where the arts activity takes place. Come as You Are: Informal Arts Participation in Urban and Rural Communities is the NEA's first research publication in several years to examine the "informal arts”—such as playing a musical instrument, attending an art event at a place of worship or visiting a craft fair. This finding is part of new research from the NEA as part of their Art Works Tour. The publication provides an analysis of arts participation in rural and urban areas.

Action: Visit the NEA website to read the full publication.

ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Leeway Foundation Accepting Applications for the Transformation Award

This award provides unrestricted annual awards of $15,000 to women and trans artists who create art for social change and have done so for the past five years or more, demonstrated a commitment to social change work.

Action: The deadline is May 15. Visit the Leeway Foundation website for application guidelines and materials.

Save America's Treasures Funding for Cultural and Historical Artifact Preservation

The Federal Save America’s Treasures program offers grants for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts and historic structures and sites.

Action: The application deadline is May 21. Visit the National Park Service website for more information and application materials.

Ford Foundation Launches Funding Initiative to Develop Arts Spaces

The Ford Foundation has announced a ten-year, $100 million initiative to support a new generation of arts spaces nationwide. The new initiative, Supporting Diverse Arts Spaces, will provide funding for projects that incubate and produce creative work across all disciplines. Grant funds will support both new projects and the revitalization and expansion of existing arts spaces.

Action: The deadline is May 28. Visit the LINC website for full application guidelines and materials.

Kurt Weill Foundation University/College Grants

These grants are awarded to colleges and universities in support of general production expenses for performances of Kurt Weill's stage works and concert works that will be taking place in the upcoming fall semester.

Action: The deadline is June 1. Visit the Kurt Weill Foundation website for application guidelines and materials.

ARTS EDUCATION

TCG National Conference 2010 - Pre-Conference on Arts Education

Action: See story in TCG News section.

MetLife Foundation and National Guild Announce Support for Arts Education Partnerships

The National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts has received a grant from MetLife Foundation to continue the MetLife Foundation Partners in Arts Education Program, which aims to improve teaching and learning in the arts by supporting and promoting sustainable partnerships between community arts education organizations and public schools. Grants of up to $20,000 will be distributed to support arts education partnerships during the 2010-11 school year.
Action:

Action: The deadline is May 26. Visit the National Guild website for application guidelines and materials.

NEA Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth Grant Opportunity

The goal of this program is to advance arts education for children and youth in school-based or community-based settings. This category supports in-depth, curriculum-based arts education experiences that occur over an extended period.

Action: The deadline is June 10. Visit the NEA website for application guidelines and materials.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's Remarks at the Arts Education Partnership National Forum Available Online

Titled the “Well Rounded Curriculum,” the full transcript of Secretary Duncan’s speech is now available online.

Action: Visit the Department of Education website to read the full transcript.

NEA Announces Upcoming Education Leaders Institute, Chicago, IL, July 25-28

The NEA Education Leaders Institutes convene state teams to discuss a shared arts education challenge, and create strategies to strengthen their state's arts education policies. Decision makers from several states will develop coordinated state arts education strategies to design public education with arts at the core. The five state teams are led by the Oregon Arts Commission, Washington State Arts Commission, New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, Arts Alliance Illinois and Ohio Arts Council.

Action: Visit the NEA website for more information.

CONFERENCES & SEMINARS

National Arts Strategies Presents Creative Alliances Seminar, Detroit, MI, July 22-23

Two professors from Northwestern and Stanford will be leading this two-day working session, which will engage teams in case studies, class discussions and team exercises as they give participants the tools to strategically analyze and pursue alliances and collaborations. All participating teams will attend with a 2010 Organization Fellowship covering the full cost of tuition.

Action: The deadline is May 21. Visit the National Arts Strategies website for application guidelines and materials.

Arts Leadership Symposium, Goucher College, June 24

In association with the Americans for the Arts' Half-Century Summit, Goucher College’s Masters of Arts Administration Program is hosting a half-day of professional development and learning for arts leaders. The Symposium will be followed by a reception, networking and dinner with keynote speaker.

Action: Visit the Goucher College website for more information and to register.

DEVELOPMENT

New Website Glasspockets.com Encourages Transparency in Foundations

The Foundation Center has launched a new website to showcase the online transparency and accountability of practices of the largest foundations.

Action: Visit the GlassPockets website.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES

11th Annual International Symposium for Directors, Umbria, Italy

This is a three week training program for professional directors, choreographers and actors sponsored by La MaMa Umbria. Internationally renowned theatre artists will conduct workshops, lectures and demonstrations.

Action: The registration deadline is May 15. Visit the La MaMa website for more information and application materials.

The Jordan Theater Festival, November 1-14, Accepting Submissions

The Jordan Theater Festival is seeking performances of high quality, new visions and visual plays with little dialogue. Submissions should include a technical file, DVD, photos and stage plans as well as all requirements.

Action: The deadline for submissions is September 5. Email funoonj@yahoo.com for more information.

ITI Japanese Center Traditional Workshop in Gagaku, August 3-12, Tokyo, Japan

Gagaku is the oldest traditional Japanese music and the amalgamation of traditional Japanese songs and dances. This workshop, designed for performing arts professionals and conducted in English, offers participants the opportunity to experience the timeless art form of traditional dance and chanting.

Action: The application deadline is July 20. Visit the ITI Japanese Centre for more information.

TCG DEADLINES