Get to know your CADA/BC
February 2013 Member's Newsletter
This edition features CADA Cafés; the 2013 Member's Unconference; Board Member Jason Dubois; & our monthly dance citizenship challenge.
CADA Cafés—Why We Dance
Beginning with the premise that if we understand what our Membership cares about, we will be relevant...we want to hear what you think about the role of the professional dance artist...especially as the landscape of dance, and the space dance exists within, changes.
Café 1: What does it mean to be a professional dance artist in the 21st Century?
"I am curious...who is practicing or was practicing the art that I am inspired by."
Read more + add your thoughts on our website til Feb 27
Café 2: Training & Maintaining the Form—What Training is Important to Dance?
"Anything that opens the mind and body up to new ideas and experience."
"There’s a lot of knowledge in this body. A skill in deciphering what to use, when, must be honed. Where do you get this?"
Read more + add your thoughts on our website til Feb 27
Café 3: Why CADA/BC? What are the possibilities, necessities & values of professional dance?
"I think digital media (on stage in performance and off in marketing) is the future, but I want artists to lead the revolution."
Read more + add your thoughts on our website til Feb 27
Member's Unconference
Mark your calendars | Collect your ideas | Join your peers
The 2013 Member's Unconference is March 24, 2013 in the Historic Courtrooms at the Vancouver Art Gallery; starting at 10am.
How will we work and live as professional dance artists in 10 years?
Many ideas and subsequent activities arose out of the 2012 Member’s Unconference and this 2nd annual event is to seed ideas and connections to take forward into our next Membership year. You get to decide.
Member Profile: Jason Dubois
production & business manager Dance Victoria
treasurer, cada/bc board of directors
What is your connection to CADA/BC?
I'm a volunteer on the board of directors.
What is your connection to dance?
I've worked as a lighting designer, technical director, stage manager and production manager with a number of dance artists and organizations in both BC and Saskatchewan—including touring both internationally and within Canada.
Why do you care about dance?
My attraction to contemporary dance was first as a lighting designer. Dance doesn't necessarily live within the types of constraints you find in much theatre. Artistic collaborators in dance are truly integrated into the the creative process and are expected to contribute in a significant way.
Being a colleague among dancers and choreographers provides a natural motivation to care about the sector. Artists can only create interesting, exciting and challenging work if they have a supportive environment in which to work.
My experience working in arts management has allowed me to see the sector in a broader context and to know that we all have a role to play in making it a vibrant and healthy place to create art.
What is good dance citizenship?
I think it's caring about the entire dance community and taking an active role in promoting it. It's talking about what we do and why it's important.
Speak With Your Feet
This month's dance citizenship challenge...
Thank a politician.
Next month BC heads into provincial elections. We encourage you to take a few minutes to handwrite a thank you card to our politicians. Let them know how government funding means jobs, creative expression and community. Be specific. Keep it positive.
These sorts of activities make a difference. In BC's new budget, arts funding was increased to $24 million in granting programs, the largest allocation of funds ever to the BC Arts Council. Keep the arts on our politician's minds.
We recommend sending cards to the following individuals:
Christy Clark
Premier and President of the Executive Council
West Annex, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
Bill Bennett
Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
Room 301, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
Or, write your MLA: find out who that is here
Alberta Members: find your MLA here
Postage a problem? Bring the card to the CADA office and we'll mail it for you.
