Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Generator is excited to introduce our new Annual Resident Companies and this year’s class in the Artist Producer Training Program (APT).
Generator offers office space, equipment, and rehearsal time to project-based, independent theatre companies over one year of growth or change as Annual Resident Companies. This year Generator is introducing a two-tier residency system accepting two new resident companies as First Generation Resident Companies, and allowing companies from the previous year a repeat residency with more individualized focus (Second Generation Resident Companies).
UNSPUN THEATRE is a creation-based theatre company that focuses on a collaborative, artist-driven approach to performance-making, known for such shows as The Tin Drum (5 Dora Nominations), The Speedy (commissioned through Harbourfront Centre’s fresh ground New Works) and opening this week All the Things I've Lost (Gardiner Museum). www.unspuntheatre.com
AHURI THEATRE is an award-winning international collective of artists with inclusion at the core of their work. Ahuri is known for such shows as Ralph + Lina (Riser Project, National Tour, 4 Dora Nominations), A Fool's Life (Dora winner of Outstanding Sound Design, plus 6 other nominations) and upcoming in November This is the Point (co-production with Theatre Centre). www.ahuritheatre.com
Each first generation company receives one week of rehearsal space at Artscape Youngplace, and 24-hour access to Generator including wifi, photocopier and printing, meeting spaces, mentorship, and classes in the Artist Producer Training Program. In the spring, Annual Resident Companies work collaboratively on a project to solve or address a mutual issue that Generator can share with the community. Their residency promotes capacity building, peer-mentorship and knowledge-sharing among companies and with other artists the organization supports.
We are using ‘one size fits one’ as a guiding principle for our residencies: what one company needs is not the same as what another company needs but we can find ways to specifically tailor how we support artistic creation. Returning residents Outside the March and Shakespeare in the Ruff as Second Generation Resident Companies increases the knowledge-sharing and peer mentorship capabilities for our new First Generation Companies. Additionally, Litmus Theatre’s residency has been extended to the end of their Brave New World production in mid-October.
ARTIST PRODUCER TRAINING (APT)
Introducing this year’s class of the Artist Producer Training Program: Maddie Bautista (SummerWorks 2016 Spotlight Award for My Nightmares Wear White), Ishai Buchbinder (Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play, Outside The March), Mamito Kukwikila (Orpheus & Eurydice, Canadian Stage), Michelle Langille (Water Wonders, Toronto Fringe Festival), Ruthie Luff (General Manager with Gingerline in London UK), Christopher Manousos (The Factory Mechanicals), Brian Postalian (There Was and There Was Not, Rhubarb Festival/Buddies YCU), Chiamaka Ugwu (Blood Wedding, Modern Times/Aluna Theatre - Dora nomination: Outstanding Performance, Ensemble) and Emma Westray (creator/host, Sorry I Missed Your Show podcast).
The Artist Producer Training program is a one-year entrepreneurial training program for artists and producers. The program pays each participant $1000 to complete three semesters of coursework led by prominent seasoned independent artists and companies, followed by a one practicum project with a mentor company. Participants learn effective producing strategies to create and implement projects and budgets that have the goal of paying a better wage to artists, gain skills to sustain a career in the arts, and improve the overall health of the theatre ecology.
“It was noticeable in this year’s applicants that we are attracting artists focused on becoming future leaders who recognize that APT will give them those skills to succeed,” says Executive Director Michael Wheeler. “Not only do they want to create work, many had identified something that is missing or under-served in Toronto’s arts ecology - a technique, form, space or perspective - that is their calling to create. In ten to fifteen years, we’re going to look at theatre in Canada and see a lot of our graduates still out there creating and innovating, generating career opportunities for themselves and many others.”
Our first APT class graduates at the end of this month and already we are getting weekly phone calls from companies wanting to hire them, recognizing the value they can add to productions. APT grads have full schedules into the new year. Thank you to last year's practicum partners: Luminato, Canadian Stage, Why Not Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille and Theatre Centre.
Photo: Katie Leamen, Michael Wheeler, Tova Epp and another.
2016-08-17
Toronto: UnSpun Theatre and Ahuri Theatre are the new annual resident companies at Generator