June 5, 2015
Ontario Presents (OP) and the Atlantic Presenters Association (APA) are looking for knowledgeable, experienced practitioners to facilitate webinars covering various topics specific to arts presenting sector.
What is the series?
OP and the APA launched their “Webinar Series for Arts Presenters” in November 2014, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage. The series was designed to provide performing arts presenters with quality professional development. In total, just over 400 participants registered and around 270 people participated in the series (many of them multiple times) and more joined in by phone. A range of 40 - 60 arts professionals from across the country participated in each webinar.
The topics were chosen based on responses collected from the networks’ past professional development workshops and webinars. As we develop the 2015-2016 edition, we are looking for different experts to help us design and facilitate webinar sessions covering a variety of topics relevant to arts presenting field.
Designing 2015-2016 Series: two streams, seven subjects, and endless learning possibilities!
Audience Streams
To better reflect the diverse levels of experience of those participating, this year we’re looking to incorporate a two-tier approach – a stream for emergent presenters and another for more practised presenters.
Webinar Subjects
Below is a list of themes and topics generated from a recent survey to past webinar series participants and presenters across the country. To address the varied audiences taking part, we expect that each subject will include 1 - 2 webinars on proposed topics for each stream of audiences, from introductory to more advanced levels of training. Note, these suggested topics are merely a guide; it is not necessary for facilitators to cover all topics listed within each theme in their presentations. We would prefer the sessions be thorough and specific rather than broad reaching.
Marketing & Communications:
Data-driven marketing; direct marketing; online marketing (social media); print marketing
Financial Management:
Sponsorship; fundraising; budgeting for shows; financial statements and reporting; cash flow planning; grant writing
Leadership and Governance:
Board education; governance; board recruitment; succession planning; incorporation; policy creation; advanced volunteer management; strategic planning
Facility Management:
Tech training for facility managers; front of house management; sound; capital reserve planning; facility energy efficiency
Programming:
Contract negotiation between agent and presenter; attracting artists to small venues; developing strong seasons with a mix of broad appeal and challenging work; targeting different demographics); contracting international artists
Community Engagement:
Programming into the community; attracting community partners; youth involvement; engaging diverse communities (e.g. First Nations); developing outreach programs
Festival specific topics:
Emergency planning; environmental responsibility; insurance; keeping your brand alive year round; festival sustainability (when to grow and how)
Deliverables
The successful candidates will:
- Design one or more 45-minute webinars, complete with slide deck and any relevant appendices or links, and be prepared to answer questions for 15 minutes following the webinar
- Work with APA/OP to coordinate a suitable date for delivery of said webinar/s
- Provide content for webinar/s promotion (session description, presenter bio and photo)
- Provide the webinar/s slideshow (and any additional materials, such as files or questions for a quick polls) one week in advance of the live broadcast to be uploaded onto the webinar platform.
- If applicable, work with APA/OP on tailoring proposed webinar to specific audience (using pre-webinar survey, interviews, focus groups, case studies, search for co-presenters)
- Present the webinar/s on the scheduled time/date.
- Allow the archived webinar/s and related materials to be shared through email and on the websites of the Atlantic Presenters Association and Ontario Presents, so the learnings can be shared with non-participants, and referred to after the fact by webinar participants. (Intellectual Property: we propose that you, as developer of the content, own the content, but that APA and OP and its fellow partners may use it under the following Creative Commons license guidelines: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs CC BY-NC-ND This license allows others to download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially)
APA/OP will:
- Promote the webinar/s to their constituencies
- Provide webinar software (Adobe Connect) and co-ordinate webinar logistics
- If applicable, work with facilitator on tailoring the webinar/s to specific audience (using pre-webinar survey, focus groups, case studies, search for co-presenters)
- Arrange a time for the facilitator to “test run” the software and presentation in advance of the live broadcast.
- Assist in webinar delivery and feedback survey
Timeframe
The proposals must be received no later than June 30, 2015. We are aiming to start the series in late October 2015, ending in May 2016.
Budget
We have a budget for webinar leaders. Session facilitators will receive a stipend/honorarium relevant to the preparation and delivery of a series.
Submission of Proposal
Please submit a 1-2 page description of your proposed webinar/s, including preferred subject/topic, principal points to address and your fee. Please also include information about yourself, your experience in the arts and culture and how you can make your webinar/s relevant to arts presenting.
Email to Mila and Jennifer with the subject heading: APA/OP Webinar submission.
Your proposal must be received no later than June 30, 2015.