November 10, 2014
Overview
Ontario Presents operates within the province of Ontario as a network of peers who convene periodically to do business, learn, and share best practices. Its mission is to lead and develop leadership and foster networking within the province’s presenting ecology.
In 2013/14, the network undertook a number of key initiatives to advance arts presentation and support its practitioners with services and tools.
Specifically, the network hosted Ontario Contact 2013; co-led a young audience presenter delegation; stewarded OAC’s Ontario Dances program in its 7th year; delivered a four-part webinar series; supported contemporary dance presentation in four volunteer presenter communities; delivered a workshop on governance; piloted a new, two-year, OAC initiative called Theatre Connects; conducted two member surveys– one on well-being and another on municipal presenting support; laid the foundation for its member-led Community Engagement Learning Project; organized adult and young audience tours across the province; and identified four, key, priorities for moving forward: a dedicated focus on volunteer and small venue presenters, research into successful, municipal arts presentation governance models; learning about community engagement practice, and developing an embedded culture of program-based professional development.
Additionally, the network’s board and management team collaborated with other networks and service organizations to support a leadership development retreat for presenting network executive directors, conducted a national compensation survey, and participated in the province’s first, Arts Day at Queen’s Park.
This report is designed to provide highlights of each of these activities and their outcomes, as well as how we have invested stakeholder and member contributions that came from organizations and people who care about improving and evolving the arts presentation practice in Ontario.
