by Eleanor Stacey, incoming Executive Director of the GVPTA
I officially join the GVPTA as Executive Director on Thursday, November 3rd, just in time for Making a Scene 2011: Engaged and Empowered. While it will be my first GVPTA conference in this role, it will be my third time attending MAS, and let me tell you: I am really looking forward to it. I am eager to hear the many conversations that will take place over the course of this two-day session, all offering questions, ideas, and solutions for various interests and issues that our community faces.
Building upon Devoted and Disgruntled in November 2010, Engaged and Empowered will be the GVPTA’s second conference using Open Space Technology – a meeting style borne out of the energy of a good coffee break at a traditional conference, harnessed by intentional self-organization, a little chaos, and a lot of creativity. Open Space style conferences offer a unique opportunity for participants to create their own agenda of working sessions, and because the program is set by the attendees, it is always current, always pertinent, and always pointed towards creating extraordinary results.
If you were at the conference last year, I’m sure you’ll recollect the general sense of common purpose, communal vision, and potential for future success by the end of the conference. In fact, MAS2010 laid the groundwork for a number of meetings that took place over the course of the last year throughout the Vancouver theatre community to continue to discuss and solve issues that were articulated that weekend. Unquestionably it sparked something new and very exciting.
My personal experience at MAS2010 was a powerful reminder that I am part of an intelligent and passionate community of gifted artists and dedicated administrators, and that in both our own companies and processes, as well as in collaboration on myriad fronts throughout the season, we achieve great and meaningful things. I left MAS2010 with feelings of enthusiasm and empowerment; very proud to be a part of Vancouver’s professional theatre community.
MAS2011 endeavours to build upon these sentiments. On Friday morning, a wide array of theatre artists, managers, and even a few impassioned patrons will delve into what is important for us as a community, what problems we need to solve, and what unique lessons we can learn from each other. All the most important issues will be raised, and there will be the time and space to discuss them. Over the course of the weekend, it may even be possible to accomplish things that under normal circumstances could take months or years of meetings to do. At the end of the two-day meeting, we will have a written report of everything that has transpired, so that we can build on our work.
If you have not yet had the opportunity to register, there is still time, and I hope that you will also encourage your colleagues, your most enthusiastic patrons, and your board members to come to MAS2011 as well. Let’s use this single annual opportunity to take the pulse of our community and position ourselves for prosperity in the coming year!
