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- Please note that this panel discussion has been assigned a new title -

Collaborative Strategies
How the theatre industry in Canada will ride out the labour shortage, inflation and the unpredictable supply chain in our efforts to successfully rebuild and reopen

(Previous title: Strategizing design and execution amidst inflation and supply chain complication Panel Discussion)

Sponsored by
National Theatre School of Canada

Complimentary online registration to attend virtually is available for this session via this link: Register here

This panel aims to discuss how difficult it is to rebuild/reopen given the labour shortage and the cost and availability of materials.

Questions posed for discussion:

• How will designs need to change to reflect the rising cost of material and the potential material availability issues?
• Should design deadlines move earlier in the process to allow for longer delivery and execution time?
• How are TDs, PMs, carpenters, and other practitioners approaching the costing of set and costume materials and labour, prop elements and technical gear when the costs can potentially change drastically from prelim to final?
• What are the hidden, or not so hidden, impacts for all design elements, including costumes and props, lighting, sound, and video?
• Will the workflow and ability to fully realize designs change with these complications?
• How will the current labour shortage impact these issues? What will the current lack of PMs and TDs mean for the coming season?
• What is the broader, long-term impact of these issues?
• Do we scale down for the interim to ride out inflation and the supply chain and staff shortage complications?
• In all the above questions, what have learned from the last 2 years that can be actively initiated and acted up to improve and sustain our industry?
• Are we succeeding in implementing these lessons or have we simply returned to the way it was but with massive labour shortages and an increased stress on those who remain?
• How do we bring these issues to producing companies and respectfully expect these issues to be considered when choosing seasons and discussing production complexity?
• What can we do down to rebuild/ refresh the pool of skilled labour both casual and full time.
  o Education institutions and ways that CITT can support training
  o Funds like the CITT pool
  o Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund - CITT/ICTS Group Mentorship Program and In-House Assistantships
  o Trades equivalent apprenticeships and accreditation for TD’s PM?

After this discussion, participants will be able to find common ground on how to produce work this coming year. The industry needs strategies and ways of working that will help us ride out the labour shortage, materials shortage, and rising costs of doing business. This discussion is ideally a continuation of the efforts made to collaborate and share information across the country, from company to company, professional to professional. We will seek actionable ideas and sustainable strategies. We seek to continue the cross-country collaboration fostered during the pandemic.

Moderators : Andrea Lundy, National Theatre School of Canada and Russell Martin, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre

Andrea Lundy has been a Production Manager and Lighting Designer for the past 34 years across Canada and internationally. As a Lighting Designer, Andrea has had a long and distinguished career and worked with many of Canada's preeminent Directors. She has received 9 Dora Mavor Moore Awards and 2 META Awards and has been nominated 26 times for outstanding design. She was the Production Manager at The Poor Alex Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Tarragon Theatre and Necessary Angel Theatre and has also been a freelance PM for many Toronto theatre companies. Additionally she has been the Production Manager and Production Designer for the Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the last 20 years. Andrea is currently living in Montreal and has been the Director of the Production Design and Technical Arts Program at the National Theatre School of Canada for 10 years.

Russell Martin has 30 years’ experience as a Producer, Production Manager, and Stage Manager. He has worked and lived across Canada (BC, Manitoba, and Ontario). In Theatre – Sunshine Theatre, Roseneath Theatre, NAC, Rainbow Stage, Prairie Theatre Exchange, MTC and many others. In Dance Russell was the SM/PM at Dancemakers for five years touring across North and South America, and Europe and freelanced for a variety of Dance Companies in the Toronto area.  For ten years he was a producer for TBA events out of Vancouver working on corporate events throughout North America and Europe.  Currently Russell is the Director of Production at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Vice President on the CITT/ICTS Board

Contributors

Participants will be professionals who are currently strategizing design and execution to see us through this difficult period.

Hybrid participation from Technical Directors, Production Managers, Designers, Head Carpenters and those who are developing strategies for the coming season is highly encouraged and welcomed.