Download Evaluation of the KSCS Drama Project COMMUNITY SUMMARY

 Evaluation of the KSCS Drama Project COMMUNITY SUMMARY REPORT May 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Report ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4 1.2 Background ………………………………………………………………………………………. 4 1.3 Purpose of the Evaluation ………………………………………………………………… 6 1.4 Evaluation Work Team …………………………………………………………………….. 7 1.5 Evaluation Steering Committee ……………………………………………………….. 8 1.6 Evaluation Project Context ………………………………………………………………. 8 2: METHODOLOGY 2.1 Evaluation Scope & Approach ………………………………………………………….. 11 2.2 Evaluation Questions ………………………………………………………………………. 12 2.3 Data Collection Methods …………………………………………………………………. 13 2.3.1 Moveable Assets Inventory ………………………………………………. 13 2.3.2 File Audit ………………………………………………………………………….. 14 2.3.3 Literature/Document Review ……………………………………………. 14 2.3.4 Focus Groups & Interviews ……………………………………………….. 15 2.3.5 Limitations ………………………………………………………………………... 19 3: EVALUATION FINDINGS 3.1 KSCS Drama Project Profile ……………………………………………………………… 22 3.1.1 KSCS Drama Project Historical Evolution ………………………………. 22 3.1.2 Current Context & Objectives ………………………………………………. 23 3.1.3 Supervision, Location, Activities & Clients …………………………….. 24 3.1.4 Project Framework ……………………………………………………………….. 28 3.1.5 Stakeholders ………………………………………………………………………… 28 3.1.6 Partnerships …………………………………………………………………………. 30 3.2 Moveable Assets Inventory ………………………………………………………………. 32 3.2.1 Inventory of Kateri Hall …………………………………………………………. 32 3.2.2 Inventory of Storage Unit ……………………………………………………… 34 3.2.3 Outstanding Inventory Items ................................................... 35 3.3 Literature Review: Research ……………………………………………………………... 35 3.3.1 Usual Practices for Community Theatres ………………………………. 35 3.3.2 Unique Aspects of & Mental Health Benefits ………………………... 36 3.4 Document Review ……………………………………………………………………………… 36 3.4.1 File Audit ………………………………………………………………………………… 36 3.4.2 Operations ……………………………………………………………………………… 38 3.4.3 Needs & Resources ………………………………………………………………… 50 3.4.4 Impact & Effectiveness …………………………………………………………… 58 3.5Focus Group & Interview Analysis ………………………………………………………. 60 3.5.1 Involvement with & Understanding of KSCS Drama ………………. 60 1
3.5.2 Operations …………………………………………………………………………….. 62 3.5.3 Needs & Resources ………………………………………………………………… 74 3.5.4 Impact & Effectiveness ………………………………………………………….. 76 3.5.5 Finding Solutions ……………………………………………………………………. 78 4: DISCUSSION ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 83 4.1 Mandate, Expansion of Services & Resources ……………………………………. 83 4.2 Grey Areas …………………………………………………………………………………………. 85 4.3 Us and Them Mentality ……………………………………………………………………… 87 4.4 Future of Drama Programming for KSCS ……………………………………………. 89 5: CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 92 6: RECOMMENDATIONS …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 95 7: APPENDICES Appendix A: Evaluation Framework ………………………………………………………… 100 Appendix B: List of Materials Reviewed ………………………………………………….. 101 Appendix C: Evaluation Tools …………………………………………………………………. 102 Appendix D: List of Production Titles ……………………………………………………... 108 Appendix E: Usual Practices for Community Theatre Report…………………… 112 Appendix F: Unique Aspects of Community Theatre and Mental Health Benefits for Community Theatre Participants Report ……………………………………… 152 Appendix under Separate Cover: Moveable Assets Inventory Data 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Organizational Development Services (ODS) would like to thank KSCS for providing us the opportunity to take on this evaluation and learn more about the many aspects involved with the KSCS Drama Project and the stakeholders involved with performing arts in Kahnawake. The team would also like to thank all of the people who participated in this evaluation. ODS has made every effort to honor all that was shared with us throughout this process. It is also important to acknowledge the contribution of all the people who have been involved with KSCS Drama over its history for their tireless effort and commitment toward bettering the programming, the productions and ultimately the community through keeping performing arts alive. 3
1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 REPORT This report presents the results of the evaluation of the KSCS Drama Project. This evaluation was undertaken by Organizational Development Services between October 2013 and April 2014. For the purposes of this report, an effort has been made to be consistent in the use of two terms throughout the document:  ‘Project’ to refer to the KSCS Drama Project as this is what has historically been used on the funding agreements and most documentation.  ‘Primary employee’ to refer to the individual who was originally hired by KSCS as the Drama Life Skills Coordinator and eventually became known as the Artistic Director. For the purpose of brevity, three acronyms are used throughout this document:  KSCS: Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services  TITC: Turtle Island Theatre Company  TITVFC: Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee This evaluation report is organized into four main sections:  Section 1 presents the profile of the research team, the program being evaluated and the larger context of the evaluation;  Section 2 presents the methodology and some limitations to the evaluation;  Section 3 presents the findings organized by 4 evaluation issues; and  Section 4 presents the conclusion and recommendations 1.2 BACKGROUND In April 2012 KSCS came under a new Executive Director and KSCS Drama was located under a new manager that September; in February 2013 KSCS hired a new Director of Family Services. Under this new management regime KSCS began to further align accountability and policy practices for all its services and programs. Early in the life of the KSCS Drama Project, KSCS began receiving indicators of challenges in complying with the policies and procedures of KSCS. It was identified some of the contributing factors may be unclear roles and responsibilities and that additional human resources might be required. Several attempts had been made to address these issues through exploratory meetings with stakeholders; however, these meetings did not yield the desired results. Although the KSCS Drama Project seemed to be meeting a need in the community, there had been no formal evaluation in the life of the project to support any enhancement. In the spring of 2013, KSCS determined an evaluation was in order to address these recurring issues. 4
The primary employee of the KSCS Drama Project went on a leave of absence before the need for evaluation could be explored with him; he was slated to return to work at the end of September. A decision was taken to hire an interim replacement to proceed with summer programming until his return to work, at which time the evaluation would go forward. In August due to further policy and procedure breaches by KSCS Drama Project regarding box office proceeds, KSCS felt it would be irresponsible not to go forward with the evaluation and met with the primary employee to inform him. Given his return was scheduled for the end of September; KSCS was intending to suspend the operations of KSCS drama with the expectation the primary employee could devote full attention in assisting with the evaluation. These decisions were not accepted by the primary employee and he resigned his position. The relationship between KSCS and the Turtle Island Theatre Company became further strained. A steering committee was established and a framework for the evaluation was developed. A seat was reserved on the steering committee for representation from the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee; however the group elected not to participate. In mid September 2013, the KSCS Director of Family Services asked ODS to submit a proposal to conduct the evaluation. ODS was provided with a Draft Evaluation Framework outlining a 12 step process for carrying out the work. A major component of the Evaluation would be the completion of a moveable asset inventory for the theatre/KSCS Drama, housed within the Kateri Hall. The inventory process was deemed essential to gain a sense of the amount and variety of items housed within the Kateri Hall as KSCS maintains the rental of the building and would be responsible to ensure a contingency plan in the event of a future need to move (if the agreement for the use of Kateri Hall becomes no longer viable). KSCS as the lessee would be responsible to vacate the premises and to assist the KSCS Drama Project and the Turtle Island Theatre Company in relocating and storing equipment. 5
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION The purpose of this evaluation was to provide KSCS with information on how to improve the KSCS Drama Project. The evaluation was intended to determine how effective the KSCS Drama Project has been (considering its ties to health), the impact its services had within the community and to help clarify some areas of operation. There were eight primary research questions to guide the evaluation (from the Evaluation Framework), they are as follows: 1. Is KSCS Drama aligned to the Community Health Plan? 2. Is there financial accountability within the project? 3. What are the project’s service delivery successes? 4. What are the community’s service delivery needs in this area? 5. Is the resourcing adequate for the project? 6. Are the project operations aligned to KSCS policy? 7. Is there a need to establish project specific practices/policies? 8. What are the current assets? In addition, KSCS had shared the following information publicly about their recent decisions regarding the KSCS Drama Project. These excerpted statements also served to help guide the early course of the evaluation:  KSCS suspended the operations of the drama project with the intent to resume programming within 120 days.  KSCS will be clarifying the roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability between the KSCS Drama Project and the Turtle Island Volunteer Fundraising Committee (TIVFC).  KSCS will conduct an evaluation to determine how effective the KSCS Drama project is in addressing mental health in Kahnawake.  KSCS wants to enhance the Drama Project and align it to the community health plan (CHP) mental health priority.  An evaluation of the project would best serve to help all those involved as past operational and partnership issues could not be resolved through other efforts and processes.  The natural course of action would be to evaluate the program to sort through all the issues and come up with a strong plan for the future.  This project has never been evaluated (since its inception in 1993)  It is a good business practice to know what your inventory is; it is a requirement of insurance, it eliminates duplicate purchasing, it allows for replacement/maintenance planning & will assist in plans if there had to be a move from Kateri Hall (current location for theatre). The scope of the evaluation included all areas that have been funded by KSCS (including Box Office Revenue) and Brighter Futures as administered by KSCS with a focus on the operations, resources, impact and effectiveness (tied to mental health and community health priorities). KSCS drama had originally focused on children’s programming, but had evolved to include four parts (which had been united under the name Turtle Island Theatre): 6
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the children’s Drama club (afterschool) the teen/young adult drama program (Drama Club II/Turtle Island Players) the summer theatre program (Summer Drama Camp I & II) the Musical Entertainers The evaluation project included two major components with the following activities: Moveable Asset Inventory Evaluation - Research on external theatre inventory systems -
Research/literature review to include all relevant/available internal sources of data - Develop an inventory tool/database system -
Record and document review - Review financial records (at least last 7 years) to help identify/determine what was purchased by KSCS -
Determine groups of informants and gain contact information -
Develop all research tools - Conduct inventory -
Conduct file audit - Create inventory report -
Conduct interviews and focus groups with key groups that have knowledge of the KSCS Drama Project over its 20 year history -
Analyse data - Develop final evaluation report The deliverable for this project was this final evaluation report including the moveable assets inventory. 1.4 EVALUATION WORK TEAM Organizational Development Services (ODS) is a First Nations Consulting & Training business, operating within Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS). The ODS team is comprised of professionals from diverse backgrounds in health and social services, education and business. Each team member brings different professional disciplines and experiences to the work. ODS works as both internal consultants (to KSCS) and external consultants providing services to other organizations in Kahnawake and other First Nations communities. ODS is currently in its 21st year of operation. In order to carry out an evaluation project of this size, considering a 20 year history, a large evaluation team was required. The chart below identified the various project team members and their general responsibilities. 7
Project Coordinator: Associate Consultants: Manage project activities, design project materials, train and supervise field researchers, data collection, conduct focus groups & interviews, data analysis, report writing. Christine Loft Winifred Taylor Dale Jacobs Administrative Assistant ODS: Provides administrative support to ODS & assists in all project activities. Bonnie Jacobs Field Researchers: Conduct interviews with key informants and community members, data entry, input for final report. Technical Advisor: Provides support and input as a “subject matter expert” on technical aspects of community theatre. Valerie Styres Coreen Delormier Shotehra Rice Kim Delormier Angela Loft 1.5 EVALUATION STEERING COMMITTEE A Steering Committee was established for the evaluation to: confirm the research scope and direction, identify/verify what aspects of programs/services to review, identify relevant documentation and resources, identify informant groups and targets, and review the evaluation report. ODS consulted the Steering Committee at intervals to ensure the project was proceeding within the terms of reference, to gain insight on any issues /concerns arising during the project and to update on the status of the evaluation tasks. The Steering Committee members for the evaluation of the KSCS Drama Project were:  Lou Ann Stacey, Director of Family Services, KSCS  Terry Young, Manager of Prevention Services, KSCS  Joe Styres, Executive Assistant, KSCS 1.6 EVALUATION PROJECT CONTEXT As KSCS is the parent organization for the KSCS Drama Project and Brighter Futures is the source of some of the funding, we include information relevant to understanding the organizational environment that KSCS Drama project was situated within. KSCS began informally in 1983 when Kahnawake Social Services became responsible to administer the Community Health Representative (CHR) Program and in the following year responsibility expanded to include the Kahnawake Referral Service. In 1986, these health and 8
social service programs formally united under the official name of Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) and an enhanced mandate from the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. There were approximately 17 employees at that time. Since then the organization has grown to 190 employees in order to respond to community needs. This has been done in partnership with other community organizations and within requirements of funding sources and the constraints that accompany them. KSCS’s current Vision and Mission guide the staff and services in the work they do. KSCS Vision: Tekaienawa:kon ‐ To continue to strengthen our participation by working hand in hand with our community in renewal of Mohawk cultural values. Community has responsibility for its well‐being and our role is to assist. KSCS Mission Statement: Our goal, with the assistance of a team of caring people, is to encourage a healthier lifestyle through promotion, prevention and wellness activities that strengthen pride, respect and responsibilities of self, family and the community as Mohawks of Kahnawake. KSCS also shares responsibility with other health organizations in the community under Onkwata’karitáhtshera (Kahnawake’s one health agency responsible for overseeing global health and social service issues for Kahnawake) to provide services and programs under a Community Health Plan (CHP) which spans a five year time period. The CHP applies to some services under KSCS and some within the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC), but ultimately incorporates all health related programming within the community. The plan is based on the community’s health priorities and needs. Under the current health plan, seven (7) health priorities were identified. These health priorities (not in order of priority) are: 1. Substance Abuse /Addictions 2. Mental Health Issues 3. Learning/ Development Disabilities 4. Cardiovascular Disease (hypertension) 5. Cancer 6. Diabetes 7. Obesity All Health Canada funded KSCS programs have been placed within a respective health priority however it is with the understanding that programs and services attempt to address a number of health issues. The KSCS Drama project’s staff was initially placed under the Substance Abuse/Addictions health priority but this priority was joined with mental health issues to form a new category called “mental wellness”. By nature of the Brighter Futures funding source, KSCS Drama is also expected to address multiple health priorities in the services offered. KSCS is expected to conduct evaluative activities on its services from time to time as a manner of good practice to improve services and as a requirement of the funding agencies providing resources to KSCS. KSCS has, in the course of its existence, carried out evaluations on services, programs and projects. 9
It is important to note that in KSCS’ early years (like many other community organizations) the need for documentation and formal relationships was not seen as necessary; many verbal “gentlemen’s” agreements were used to start up programs and services. As the organization and services grew so did the need to document and formalize these agreements. Brighter Futures Initiative and Funding Brighter Futures was announced in May 1992 by the Canadian Government (Health Canada) as an initiative directed to improving the health and well being of Canadian children, youth, families and their communities. The initiative evolved over the years to fund community‐based health promotion and prevention programs for First Nations and Inuit communities. Brighter Futures currently funds activities that focus on: community mental health, child development, injury prevention, parenting skills and healthy babies. Health Canada agreed that, for Kahnawake, the community would establish its own ways to determine the use of Kahnawake’s portion of Brighter Futures funding. The Brighter Futures funding for Kahnawake falls under the mandate of KSCS (as a health and social service organization). How the Brighter Futures funding is utilized is at the discretion of KSCS. Kahnawake Brighter Futures puts out an annual call package and application for community members/groups and organizations that wish to apply for funding of projects on an annual basis. Projects must benefit Kahnawake’s children, youth and their families. They must also demonstrate how they will address three or more of Kahnawake’s health priorities noted in the Community Health Plan. The Brighter Futures selection committee is the authorized body which reviews, selects and oversees the progress of the projects selected. The selection committee is comprised of representatives from the KSCS Board of Directors and Onkwata’karitáhtshera. Following an evaluation of the Brighter Futures Initiative in Kahnawake, in 2000, KSCS Board of Directors predetermined selected projects that demonstrated merit and would be exempted from the annual selection process but still expected to submit annual proposals/workplans and reports. Since that time, Brighter Futures funding has been incorporated into the community’s consolidated Health Agreement. Since 2000, KSCS Drama has had status as a pre‐approved Brighter Futures project. 10
2. METHODOLOGY 2.1 EVALUATION SCOPE & APPROACH Summative/Impact Evaluation Summative or impact evaluation is an overall assessment of a given project’s effectiveness and achievements (it looks at the total impact of a program and reveals whether the project did what it was designed to do). It provides information for future planning and decisions and usually is completed when the project is over. Ideally, the summative evaluation represents the interests of the sponsor and the broader community and should not try to interfere with the program. The summative evaluators’ function is to collect data and write a summary report showing what the program looks like and what has been achieved. Ideally, the summative evaluator does not get involved with the program beyond taking measurements. If a summative evaluation is to be credible, the summative evaluator must be free to report negative findings. Evaluation Methods The methodology for the evaluation project was based loosely on the Participatory Action Research (PAR) model. The PAR approach:  uses qualitative methods to describe situations;  focuses on learning how people actually experience the specific issue or problem;  incorporates native values of inclusion and consultation in exploratory research in order to build support and long‐term commitment to the action that will come about as a result of the research A Draft Evaluation Framework was prepared by KSCS outlining a process with 12 major activities. This is attached as Appendix A. The framework identifies that methodology will be dependant on scope and range of evaluation and research questions. Eight guiding research questions were provided and are noted within the purpose of the evaluation section. ODS used a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to carry out the overall evaluation project. One of the primary preparatory activities for the overall evaluation project was the development of a research data matrix which identified the scope, key questions, information required, data collection methods/sources, analysis methods and controls that would govern the research process. A significant literature review was necessary. Review was to include all relevant and available internal organizational data, reports, records and other documents since KSCS Drama inception (1993). Some preliminary sources included applications and reports for Brighter Futures funding, Community Health Plan logic models, KSCS annual reports, financials/general ledgers, KSCS Board minutes, Human Resource files, etc. 11
The data collection methods for consultation on this project included:  Inventory of KSCS drama project’s moveable assets housed within the theatre/Kateri Hall  One on one interviews (“snowball sampling” to gain names/outreach to 120 participant target)  Focus Groups (8‐10 targeting 80 total participants)  Audit of KSCS drama files for the purposes of ascertaining clarification of key areas: o activities actually carried out o if annual plans were made and achieved o number of clients served o financial accountability practices In addition, the team did several interviews with the same key informants to verify information or research items requiring more elaboration. A number of project tools were developed including:  Inventory tool and database set up  Audit tool  Interview questions for categories/groups of informants  Focus Group questions  Consent forms (for interview and focus group participation)  Interview tracking tools (logs)  Orientation Kits for Field Researchers  Other tools as indicated 2.2 EVALUATION QUESTIONS This evaluation was originally designed to address three broad themes:  Operations of KSCS Drama  Needs & Resources of KSCS Drama  Impact & Effectiveness of KSCS Drama An additional theme that evolved within the course of the evaluation was the need to address ways to improve KSCS Drama for the future. For this reason, the theme of Finding Solutions was added to the interview and focus group questions. The evaluation framework provided to ODS at the outset of the project included eight primary guiding questions. As the preliminary literature and documentation for KSCS Drama Project was collected, a number of other questions were raised. The full set of questions that needed to be addressed was organized within the three data collection tools which were:  Focus Group questions  Participant questions  Key Informant questions 12
2.3 DATA COLLECTION METHODS 2.3.1 MOVEABLE ASSETS INVENTORY A major component of the KSCS Drama Evaluation process was the completion of a moveable asset inventory for the entire contents of the theatre (home of KSCS Drama) housed within the Kateri Hall. The need to conduct an inventory was determined by the guiding research question “what are the current assets” of KSCS Drama from the evaluation framework. A significant amount of time was spent in planning and then conducting an inventory of this scale. Research was carried out on the systems used by other theatres to maintain their inventory. It was noted that a number of inventory specific software programs were used in other places. The recommendation was to create an inventory with a simple excel spreadsheet. An inventory is an itemized list of all the objects that a theatre has acquired (either through purchases or through donations). A complete inventory should be carried out and maintained to ensure any theatre is operating under best practices and also for insurance purposes. All theatres need to determine what is being kept, is there adequate space, is there duplication of items, are there any security issues, are there storage costs and how is inventory kept to find things in a timely manner. At the beginning of the inventory process for Kateri Hall, an Access/Visitor Log Form was kept to keep track of individuals when they entered the building, and when they exited. This log was maintained from the first time that any project team members entered the building on November 6th until the physical inventory was completed on December 18, 2013. A member of the KSCS maintenance team unlocked the doors and stayed in the Hall while the inventory work was being carried out. Photographs were taken of the entire hall, area by area. The initial walk through of each area of Kateri Hall was videotaped before anything was touched or moved for the physical inventory process. All photos and video recordings were stored on a CD‐ROM for reference. Besides the ODS team members, there were some additional support persons who assisted in aspects of the inventory including a member of the KSCS communications team (photographs), a member of the KSCS maintenance team (assisting with videotaping and inventory) as well as two former members of the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee. A request was made by this group of former members to have two volunteers assist with the inventory process and their help was welcomed. These individuals invested several hours of their time. The project team was very grateful for their assistance and input. The volunteers requested that a traditional cleansing ceremony be conducted at Kateri Hall before proceeding with the inventory process. On November 25th, 2013 the ceremony was conducted by a community member. 13
Over a four week period the physical inventory was conducted by team who worked together to determine the best names/descriptions for items. The inventory was recorded by hand on paper and later transferred to an Excel database that was designed for the inventory. A separate log was detailed with information on the areas inventoried, by whom and on what day. The physical inventory process involved seventeen inventory sessions carried out for a total of 35 hours with an average of 4 people working during each session. Data entry into the excel spreadsheet and editing of the database took significantly longer, this aspect was completed by February 2014. It is important to note that a process for retrieval of personal items from the Kateri Hall or marking/identifying personal items was put in place by KSCS in November 2013 as the inventory was beginning. A log for removal of items was maintained by the Director of Family Services at KSCS. The handling of this process was completely separate from the inventory work that was being carried out by ODS. The project team was made aware of this process so that any items that were removed could be accounted for first within the inventory database. It was ascertained that a separate exterior storage unit was kept at Storage Solutions, unit #5B in Kahnawake. Keys for the unit were provided by the Turtle Island Theatre Company. The storage unit was inventoried by ODS in January 2014. Photographs and video recording was again carried out prior to beginning the physical inventory process. An itemized list of contents of the storage unit is also included in the inventory. 2.3.2 FILE AUDIT The research team conducted a file audit of hard copy (paper) files located within Kateri Hall and at KSCS. A request was made for any KSCS Drama relevant files maintained at KSCS. The file audit did not include the review of any electronic files maintained on computers. 2.3.3 LITERATURE/DOCUMENT REVIEW A Subject Matter Expert on community theatre was hired to assist the evaluation project and carry out some relevant research. Deeper knowledge of the following items were required:  Usual practices for community theatre (i.e. average number and titles of paid staff, space and resources required, accountability practices).  Community theatre culture (compared to other sectors, considering fit within a social service organization).  Implicit vs. explicit mental health benefit for theatre participants (differences in prevention approach). A request was made within KSCS to key individuals to provide access to historical documentation on KSCS Drama. A large volume of documents was gathered throughout the evaluation timeframe such as program reports, internal program documents, past supervisor’s program files, limited board minutes, various plans, reviews, articles, financial documentation, etc. 14
A review of over 40 relevant program documents and files was conducted to provide background and context to inform the evaluative work. See the Appendix B for a partial list of materials reviewed. 2.3.4 FOCUS GROUPS & INTERVIEWS The primary ways to participate in the evaluation were by interviews or focus groups. The basic criteria for participation in the evaluation were having any knowledge or experience with KSCS Drama in any way. In addition to selection from lists of select groups, an effort was made to gain participation from community members at large. Open calls for participants were made via press releases, newspaper articles, as well as notices posted within the community and on the KSCS website. Any community member interested in participating was welcome to contact the evaluation project coordinator. See Appendix C for the set of evaluation tools including the consent form, focus group and interview questions. Focus Groups One of the ways that the research team planned to gather data was to bring groups of people together in focus groups to discuss some guiding questions. The plan for focus groups was to prepare a schedule of predetermined dates for groups and invite participants to join. It was acknowledged that there could be different types of focus groups depending on participants’ comfort. A series of dates for “open” focus groups (anyone with knowledge/experience with the KSCS Drama Project in any way could attend) was set and notice sent out via organizational e‐mail info lines/grapevines. Some later open focus group dates were also published in an advertisement within the Eastern Door newspaper and on flyers posted within the community. A total of 8 open focus group dates (to be held in meeting rooms at the KSCS main building) were arranged by ODS. Only 1 open focus group took place, the remainder of the dates were cancelled due to lack of participation (in each case only 1 or 2 people signed up which were not enough to hold a group so they opted to do individual interviews instead). Another option that was offered for focus groups was to hold a “closed” session at the request of a group (meaning only those invited attended). Two such groups were requested. Two closed focus groups were carried out with the dates and locations chosen by the group. 15
Interviews The plan for selecting informants for interviews was to make a distinction between those groups that would be randomly selected and those where an attempt would be made to contact all members to gain participation. Research was carried out to find complete names and contact information for the following groups:  all past full time/part time employees of KSCS Drama Project  all past supervisors of the KSCS Drama Project  all past and present KSCS Executive Directors  all current KSCS Board members  all past and current members of the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee An attempt was made to gain participation from all of these individuals. A random selection was determined for those groups with any available names and contact information such as:  past KSCS Board members (from each 5 year cohort)  past summer theatre registrations lists  past Musical Entertainers  Summer students/drama counselors  Turtle Island Players  Past Drama Club members  Volunteers Key Informants and Participants were two categories of interview respondents that were created. The following is a breakdown of which groups/targets fill within each category and was the basis for which interview tool to use: Participants Category Key Informants Category  KSCS Drama Staff (full time & part  Turtle Island Players time)  Summer Theatre/Drama Camp  KSCS Management Registrants  KSCS Board of Directors  Drama Club Members  Summer Student Staff  Musical Entertainers  Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer  Patrons of Drama Productions Fundraising Committee (TITVFC)  Volunteers  Turtle Island Theatre Players  Concerned Community Members A random number generator was used to select random names from available lists of participant groups. The program generated a random number between two numbers of your choice. A lower limit and upper limit were entered (i.e. 1 and 45 for a list of 45 names). The 16
random number generator used can be found at http://www.mathgoodies.com/calculators/random_no_custom.html. In the case of recent summer drama registrations, some of the names selected were children age 6‐12 years. When parents of these children were contacted, a choice was given to answer the participant questions themselves or to have the child answer a special set of questions. In the case of any minor participants, the parent/legal guardian signed the consent form and was present for the interview. A team of 8 interviewers worked to carry out the data collection phase. Three of the team members were ODS staff, 1 was a short term contract position with ODS during this evaluation and four were field researchers hired under independent service contracts. All of the interviewers were provided with an orientation session in which they received:  Background information on KSCS Drama Project and the need for evaluation  Training on interviewing responsibilities (consistency, confidentiality, minimizing bias, handling challenges, etc.  Procedures to follow re: handling data  Training on all tools they were to use (call log/tracking tool, consent forms, interview questions)  Responses to frequently asked questions regarding the evaluation The procedure for all focus groups and interviews was to first have the individual read the consent form and ask any questions they may have about the research and then sign the consent form. All responses to questions were recorded or in the case of surveys returned to the research team. When the interviews or focus groups were complete the raw data was stored separately from the consent forms to ensure confidentiality. Code numbers were assigned to each of the individuals who participated. These individual code numbers were the only identifier used when the data was entered into the database. All data was stored in a secure location. Statistics for Interviews & Focus Groups  The data collection phase ran for a total of 7 weeks from January 13th to February 28th, 2014.  A total of 95 individuals participated in the evaluation: o Key Informants (employees, supervisors, Executive Directors, Board Members) o Participants (drama project clients, patrons, volunteers) o Children o Participants in 3 Focus Groups 17
Focus Group
14%
Children
5%
Key Informants
27%
Participants
54%
 Participants were given the option to do the interview face to face, over the phone or fill out on their own (as a survey) with the agreement that the researchers may contact them for more information to understand their responses better.  Two hundred twenty five (225) names were selected from lists that were accessed from various sources. Individuals on these lists were then placed in either Key Informants or Participants category and assigned to team members to attempt to contact.  A significant amount of cross referencing of names was needed as people often appeared on multiple lists. It was a challenge to select names and assign to one given category because of the many roles one person may have had throughout the twenty year existence of the KSCS Drama Project.  An attempt was made to contact 75% (169) of the selected names. Twenty five percent (56) were not contacted due to lack of time.  Forty one percent (70 individuals) agreed to participate when contacted. Fifty nine percent (99 individuals) could not be reached or declined: o left messages with no return call o contact information outdated or could not get a contact number o “agreed” to an interview but did not show up, cancelled and did not reschedule or did not return questionnaire o no answer o interested but no time o declined to participate (various reasons, a few noted in protest of the evaluation)  Twelve (12) individuals wanted to participate in a focus group however due to timing or inadequate numbers to host a focus group opted do an interview. 18
 Thirteen (13) individuals signed up to be part of a focus group. A total of 3 focus groups were held. 2.3.6 LIMITATIONS Every research project faces its own unique set of challenges and limitations which have the ability to impact the process. The evaluation of the KSCS Drama Project was no different. Some of the limitations experienced by the research team in the course of carrying out the work are discussed below. The primary limitation of this evaluation was the lack of involvement of the primary employee of the KSCS Drama Project as well as the current Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee members. As a result, certain perspectives could not be explored, and some particulars could not be validated. The primary employee resigned his position when he was advised that KSCS intended to evaluate KSCS Drama and suspend the programming during this time. The reason given by KSCS for this decision, was that in the past the primary employee could not make himself available to address operational issues, often citing production needs as paramount. KSCS supervisors felt it was critical for the primary employee to be available to the evaluation. Upon the resignation of the primary employee, KSCS as the leaseholder for the current rental agreement, made the decision to limit access to the Kateri Hall to ensure assets in the Kateri Hall were secured. KSCS decided to proceed with the evaluation. These decisions and resignation seemed to be the catalyst that set a storm of ensuing press releases, media articles and social media commentary that further escalated the strained relationship. KSCS was not able to respond to all questions as some information is governed by labour standards. It is the opinion of the research team that many assumptions were made all around and that a large amount of misinformation was spread within the community, particularly via social media. The community was left to form opinions on limited and sometimes questionable information. This evaluation was not by any means meant to dissect the arguments on either side or to determine “who was right”. It was meant to look at the way things have been done over 20 years and paint a picture of where the program has come from, influencing factors on its evolution, where it could be improved and ultimately what impact it has had on the community. Unfortunately, within a small community, conflict can undermine best intentions. There is no way to evaluate and discuss a program without an understanding of the larger environmental context. In this case, the evaluation was not carried out under ideal circumstances. 19
Other key limitations noted:  A limitation raised by some at the outset of this evaluation was the possible loss of objectivity due to ODS’ ties to the larger organization (KSCS). As part of ODS’ practice within any evaluation, the biases that may exist within the team toward the project are flagged and documented, and the project team is expanded to include ‘outside eyes’. This is to ensure that conclusions are dictated by the data and not by any established beliefs. The challenge in this type of project is hold up a mirror and help the service or program take a critical look at itself as a step in the process of improving its operations, services and use of its resources.  There were delays in start up at the beginning of the evaluation. The project team had to wait on some administrative procedures.  There was a delay in beginning the moveable assets inventory as the Kateri Hall was temporarily inaccessible while under police investigation due to an alarm system incident.  Access to some documents from within KSCS and HR were delayed by other KSCS priority activities.  Information for the literature/document review was not easy to access. It was located in two locations‐ at KSCS (main building) and within the Kateri Hall/theatre. There is no centralized master file and historical project documentation maintained at KSCS for the KSCS drama project. KSCS had just gone under a purge to make room in storage and archives. It is also KSCS practice to destroy financial records after a 7 year time frame. There are gaps in the paper trails which made it very difficult to determine actual dates, time line of decisions and changes over time. It is unclear where and how KSCS Drama files were maintained at the Kateri Hall. There was no “inside person” made available who could help to access information kept there.  Additional analysis and validation of facts was required since some critical internal documentation such as records of historical decisions were only located near the end of the evaluation.  ODS was asked to conduct an evaluation of the KSCS Drama Project and not the Turtle Island Theatre Company. The biggest challenge in doing so was determining exactly what the two entities were comprised of and where the line was drawn between the two.  Evaluation team had to manage organized resistance to the evaluation and invest more effort towards stakeholder participation from all levels.  The misinformation circulated by media and social media polarized some community members who felt they were put in a position to have to “take sides.” The research team had to overcome increased resistance and suspicion when trying to engage participation.  Two public protests were organized by the Turtle Island Theatre Company against the shut down of the theatre and the ongoing evaluation work by ODS. One protest was scheduled concurrently to a focus group and the protesters had situated themselves in between the lobby doors of the services complex. This may have influenced possible 20


participants in deciding whether to show up to the focus group being held on the second floor. KSCS Board of directors made a decision to announce on October 29, 2013 that it would be confirming its commitment to youth drama, securing a new primary employee, and honoring its lease agreement with the Catholic Church by maintaining the KSCS Drama program at the Kateri Hall location. It was felt by the evaluation team that this decision did not consider the impact it would have to stakeholder participation in the evaluation of the program. The decision to hire was being made irrespective of evaluation outcome and was interpreted by some of the Turtle Island Theatre community as part of an already existing agenda. It caused a lot of added animosity within the group and unease within the community at large. It was a challenge to write the evaluation report in such as way that it would accurately reflect the findings but within general terms (avoiding singling out any individuals). The difficulty was that the one key position within the KSCS Drama project was occupied by one individual for the 20 year life of the KSCS Drama Project. When reporting on some findings it was not possible to generalize. As a result of these limitations, the evaluation took longer to complete than anticipated. 21
3: EVALUATION FINDINGS 3.1 KSCS DRAMA PROJECT PROFILE Our findings begin with a mapping of the life of the KSCS Drama Project as it:  was overseen by eight supervisors,  operated under three executive directors,  was under the direction of a board of directors whose membership has changed regularly,  located in three different facilities,  expanded the services it offered,  acquired partnerships in the course of its existence. The evaluation team had to first locate and then consolidate this information, in order to present as clear a profile as possible for the purpose of evaluation. Timeline An effort was made to create an overall timeline of major KSCS drama “events.” This posed a challenge as much of the documentation was hard to come by so exact dates could not be found for a number of areas (such as the accountability structure/transition of supervisors of KSCS Drama within KSCS). Many aspects of a time line had to be displayed separately in other areas of this report such as the overview of activities and number of participants over the years (presented below) as well as the change in job titles of the one KSCS paid position and the times when other staff positions were paid within the document review section of the findings. 3.1.1 KSCS DRAMA PROJECT HISTORICAL EVOLUTION Formalized drama programming has been in existence in Kahnawake since 1993 under various names. It is important to note that the individual, prior to being hired by KSCS to coordinate drama programming, had already established and been involved with other entities in the community involving theatre and performing arts. The KSCS Drama Project began in August 1993 when KSCS hired an interim prevention worker to deliver after‐school drama programming to complement a “Life Skills Curriculum” at Kateri School. The long range goals of the life skills project was to reduce self‐defeating behaviours (fighting, vandalism, truancy, name calling, etc.) and to promote social and emotional growth of the students. The two major goals of life skills were: 1) to promote an atmosphere of mutual respect and acceptance among students while providing learning opportunities for students; 2) to prevent the start of alcohol and other drug use which can lead to abuse.” 22
The project was initially located under the management of the Addictions program of KSCS and financially supported by the Kahnawake Social Services program. Activities included school plays, a choral group, and life skills lessons through creative drama. It expanded by June 1994 to include the Summer Drama Camp and was then supervised by the Manager of Social Services and the staffing position was renamed Drama Life Skills Coordinator. The Summer Drama Camp began as a simple day camp to carry through drama and music between school years. For two academic years (1994‐1996) both Kateri and Karonhianónhnha schools were incorporated into the drama activities (after school and summer camp) with two children’s productions per year. In September 1996, a Teen/Young Adult Drama Club was formed out of the Summer Drama Camp. At the same time the after school component grew to include students of different age levels who attended several elementary and high schools; the project also moved out of the schools. By 1997 there were three groups for children/youth including the Drama Club I (ages 6‐
11), Drama Club II (Ages 12‐adult) and the Summer Drama Camp. Supervision of the Drama Project was moved under the Manager of Healing the Family Circle. The Musical Entertainers, an adult choral group/vocal ensemble, began in the Fall of 1993, as the Kahnawake Glee Club (an offshoot of Our Children’s Future, Everyone’s Responsibility Community Conference in the early 1990’s). The Musical Entertainers “officially” became the fourth component of the KSCS Drama Project in September 1998 because it was included on the accepted work plan; however, some operational documents note that they were already part of the programming in 1997 while others note that the KSCS Drama Projects primary employee was doing work with them in a volunteer capacity. Their first performance was at a “Gong Show” and they have since grown into a song and dance troupe that performs at various community events, and puts on an annual Christmas Concert and June Variety Show. 3.1.2. CURRENT CONTEXT & OBJECTIVES The following Rationale, Goal and Strategy for KSCS Children’s/Teen Drama Project was excerpted from the logic model included in the Kahnawake Community Health Plan (CHP) 2011‐
2012. Rationale: The full development of the human being must include an arts education. Training in the arts is vital to the full development of the person, whether the individual becomes an artist or not. Training in the performing arts helps students to participate in group productivity where all contributions are equally important. It builds self‐
confidence, teaches life skills in public speaking, working together, memorization, exposure to other cultures, conflict resolution, knowledge of others and knowledge of self. The Drama Project is a healthy recreational alternative for all yet more important to those not sports‐oriented. The goal of the KSCS Drama Project is specific to promoting the performing arts and, through the process of rehearsing and presenting Theatre and Music events, provide a venue where children, teens and adults practice and experience the basic human values of responsibility, caring, pride, trust, acceptance, sharing and self‐esteem. 23
The strategy is to include children, teens and adults who work together on various theatrical productions and musical concerts. Through this cooperative work, each age group helps the other and learns from each other: actors/mentor‐actors/mentor singers, apprentice technical crew/mentor technical crew, etc. Elders offer positive role models to teens and children. All the ages working together inspire each other. All this together creates a safe, non‐judgmental environment for creative exploration and personal development. 3.1.3. SUPERVISION, LOCATION, ACTIVITIES AND CLIENTS Since its beginning in 1993, the KSCS Drama Project resided in 4 facilities. In its first year, while still a life skills project, it was conducted within the schools, and the performances were held at the Knights of Columbus Hall. In 1994, it moved to the United Church Hall. In 1999, the project outgrew the United Church Hall and had to vacate to a bigger location. In December 1999, the KSCS Drama Project presented its first show at Kateri Hall. All productions from 1999‐ 2013 were held at the Kateri Hall also known as the Kateri Performing Arts Center. The location of the KSCS Drama Project has always been an issue. A continuous effort has been made over its history to find a permanent home for drama/theatre in Kahnawake. The idea of building a Community Auditorium/Performing Arts Center has been a long time vision for many community members. A number of proposed plans have been made for this new facility. Fundraising efforts towards a new theatre have been sustained for nearly as long as the drama project has been in existence. The following Table is a breakdown of the titles of KSCS Drama Project supervisors and client groups listed within the work plans of KSCS Drama which were submitted as an appendix to the Brighter Futures funding agreements between KSCS and the KSCS Drama Project (some title differences as indicated in early years). SUPERVISOR YEARS LOCATION AGREEMENT PROJECT TITLE CLIENT GROUPS Manager, Kahnawake Alcohol Drug Abuse Prevention Program (KADAPP) Manager, Kahnawake Social Services Manager, Kahnawake Social Services Manager, Healing the Family Circle 1993‐1994 Kateri School & Knights of Columbus Hall Funded via Social Services (no agreement) 1.
Kateri School Students ‐ After School 1995‐1996 United Church Hall Funded via Social Services (no agreement) 1.
2.
Kateri & Karonhianónha School Students – After School Summer Camp 1996‐1997 United Church Hall Funded via Social Services (no agreement) 1.
2.
Students – After School Summer Camp Sept. 1997 – Sept. 1998 United Church Hall Kahnawake Children/Drama Lifeskills Project (under Healing the Family Circle) 1.
2.
3.
Summer Drama Camp Children’s Drama Club Youth Drama Club 24
Manager, Healing the Family Circle June 1998 – June 1999 United Church Hall KSCS Drama Project (under Healing the Family Circle) Manager, Healing the Family Circle Sept. 1999 – Aug. 2000 Kateri Hall KSCS Drama Project (under Healing the Family Circle) Manager, Healing the Family Circle Sept. 2000 – Aug. 2001 Kateri Hall KSCS Drama Project (under Healing the Family Circle) Manager, Auxiliary Services Sept. 2001 – Aug. 2002 Kateri Hall KSCS Drama Project Manager, Auxiliary Services Sept. 2002 – Aug. 2003 Kateri Hall KSCS Drama Project Manager, Auxiliary Services Sept. 2003 – Aug. 2004 Kateri Hall Data not available‐ agreements shredded. *Groups obtained from Project reports. Manager, Auxiliary Services Sept. 2004 – Aug. 2005 Kateri Hall Director, Policy Unit Apr.2005 – Mar. 2006 Kateri Hall Data not available‐ agreements shredded. *Groups obtained from Project reports. KSCS Drama (mentions Turtle Island Theatre Company on work plan) Director, Policy Unit Apr. 2006 – Mar. 2007 Kateri Hall KSCS Drama (mentions Turtle Island Theatre Company on work plan) Director, Policy Unit Director, Policy Unit Apr. 2007 – Mar. 2008 Apr. 2008 – Mar. 2009 Kateri Hall Data not available Kateri Hall Data not available *Groups obtained from Project reports. 1.
2.
3.
Drama Club I, Ages 7‐11 Drama Club II, Ages 12‐Adult Musical Entertainers, Ages 16‐
Adult 4. Summer Drama Camp, Ages 7‐11 & 12‐17 1. Drama Club 1, Ages 7‐11 2. Drama Club 2, Ages 12‐Adult 3. Musical Entertainers, Ages 16‐
Adult 4. Summer Drama Camp, Ages 7‐11 & 12‐17 1. Drama Club I, Ages 7‐11 2. Drama Club II, Ages 12‐Adult 3. Musical Entertainers, Ages 16‐
Adult 4. Summer Drama Camp, Ages 7‐11 & 12 ‐17 1. Drama I 2. Drama II 3. Musical Entertainers 4. Summer Drama Camp 1. Drama I, Ages 7‐11 2. Drama II, Ages 12‐Adult 3. Musical Entertainers, Ages 16‐
Adult 4. Summer Theatre, Ages 7‐11/12‐
Adult 1. Drama Club, Ages 12 to Adult 2. Summer Theatre, Ages 7‐11 & 12‐
Adult 3. Musical Entertainers, Ages 16‐
Adult 1. Drama Club, Ages 12 – Adult 2. Summer Theatre, Ages 7‐10 & 11‐
17 3. Musical Entertainers, Ages 16‐Adult 1. Drama Club, Ages 13‐Adult 2. Summer Theatre, Ages 7‐17 3. Theatre Workshop, Ages 10 Adult 4. Musical Entertainers, Ages 16‐
Adult 1. Summer Theatre, Ages 7 ‐17 2. Drama Club, Ages 13‐Adult 3. Theatre Workshop, Ages 10‐Adult 4. Musical Entertainers, Ages 16‐
Adult Data not available 1.
2.
3.
4.
Summer Theatre program, Ages 7‐
11 & 12‐18 After School Drama program, Ages 7‐12 Turtle Island Players, Ages 15‐
Adult Musical Entertainers, Ages 15‐
Adult 25
Team Leader, Community Based Programs Apr. 2009 – Mar. 2010 Kateri Hall KSCS Drama Project (mentions Turtle Island Theatre Company on work plan) 1.
2.
3.
4.
Team Leader, Community Based Programs Apr. 2010 – Mar. 2011 Kateri Hall KSCS Drama Project (mentions Turtle Island Theatre Company on work plan) 1.
2.
3.
4.
Team Leader, Community Based Programs Apr. 2011 – Mar. 2012 Kateri Hall KSCS Drama Project (mentions Turtle Island Theatre Company on work plan) Team Leader, Community Based Programs Apr. 2012 – Mar. 2013 Kateri Hall KSCS Drama Project (mentions Turtle Island Theatre Company on work plan) 1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Manager, Prevention Services Apr. 2013 – Mar. 2014 Kateri Hall KSCS Drama Project (mentions Turtle Island Theatre Company on work plan) 1.
2.
3.
4.
Children’s Summer Theatre program, Ages 7‐18 Children’s Drama Club, Ages 7‐13 Turtle Island Players, Ages 14‐
Adult Musical Entertainers, Ages 15‐
Adult Summer Theatre, ages 7‐17 Drama Club Ages, 7‐13 Turtle Island Players, Ages 14‐
Adult Musical Entertainers, Ages 15‐
Adult Summer Theatre, ages 7‐17 Drama Club, Ages 7 – 13 Turtle Island Players, Ages 14‐
Adult Musical Entertainers Ages 15‐Adult Summer Theatre, ages 7‐17 Drama Club, Ages 7‐12 Turtle Island Players, Ages 13‐
Adult Musical Entertainers, Ages 15‐
Adult Summer Theatre, Ages 7‐17 Drama Club, Ages 7‐12 Turtle Island Players, Ages 13‐
Adult Musical Entertainers, Ages 15‐
Adult As seen in the above table, there was some variance over the years in the names of the groups included as well as the composition of the groups based on age. Total Number of Participants by Year An attempt was made to determine the total number of drama participants each year. The available information was derived from multiple sources including annual Brighter Futures project reporting and KSCS Annual Report Statistics. In the case when a number was not available for a given year, a rough count was made based on monthly numbers provided within Brighter Futures activity reports and reviewing the playbills located in annual binders. TOTAL NUMBER OF KSCS DRAMA PROJECT PARTICIPANTS BY YEAR* 95‐
96 96‐
97 97‐
98 98‐
99 99‐
00 00‐
01 01‐
02 02‐
03 03‐
04 04‐
05 05‐
06 06‐
07 07‐
08 08‐
09 09‐
10 10‐
11 110 206 136 221 243 224 201 129 144 128 237 135 170 87 270 159 *Note that the numbers may not be accurate as the methods used to gather the annual data could be different and individuals may be taken into account more than once depending on their participation in productions that year. 26
The average number of participants over the 16 year period above is 175. These numbers take into account all participants (all age components) across all productions. Number of Participants per Year by Component The following tables illustrate the number of participants in sample years (when figures were available within KSCS annual report or if other labeled lists were available) for the different components of the KSCS Drama Project. DRAMA CLUB (AFTER SCHOOL OR WEEKEND) Group I (Ages 6‐12) and Group II (Ages 12‐Adult) NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS 1996/ 1997 1997/ 1998 1998/ 1999 1999/ 2000 2001/ 2002 69 55 60 70 54 DRAMA CAMP/SUMMER THEATRE Ages 7 ‐17 NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS 1997 1998 2012 2013 102 90 58 56 TURTLE ISLAND PLAYERS NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS 2008 Ages 14 ‐ Adult 28 MUSICAL ENTERTAINERS Ages 15 ‐ Adult NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS 2000 2004 2006 2008 2012 16 25 31 39 20 Productions/Shows The KSCS Drama Project has produced a wide variety of plays (classic theatre), concerts and musicals over the years. There had been an average of 7 productions per year; however, as can be seen in the list of production titles in Appendix D, there were fewer productions per year after 2009. Although the name “After School Drama/Drama Club” targeting ages 7‐12, still appears in the work plan appendix for nearly every year’s funding agreements (from 1997 to 2013), it was unclear when the last Children’s Drama Club was actually carried out. Documentation from 2008 showed that an after school drama program (for grades 2 to 6) ran for both fall and winter sessions in 2008. Two Children’s Drama Club productions were held that year including the end of year Christmas Pageant. A 2009 production of “A Christmas Carol” seems to be the culmination of the last children’s after school programming. Since 2009, no evidence could be located indicating that children’s after school programming (specific to ages 7 to 12) took place. 27
3.1.4 PROJECT FRAMEWORK At the onset of any new organization, program or project, the stakeholders make an effort to provide a framework to guide those involved. In the beginning, operations were less structured however as growth occurred the need to formalize and organize became more critical. The framework components that initially guided the KSCS Drama Project were: 
pilot project outline 
employment contract 
job description 
KSCS policies and procedures When Brighter Futures funding resourced the project, it had to submit annual proposals for the funding and so the framework expanded to include what is noted in these proposals. These proposals were written and submitted by the employee and/or his supervisors; it is within these proposals the expansion of the KSCS Drama Project is best documented. 3.1.5 STAKEHOLDERS As the project was allowed to extend services, other stakeholders became involved with KSCS Drama Project. Depending on who you speak to, there were different understandings of the roles and relationships. In order to sort through what is contained in this report, we provide the different names of partners or stakeholders associated with the KSCS Drama Project as names and titles have changed through the years. As of 2013, these were: 
Turtle Island Theatre Company (formerly Kahnawake Performing Arts Company)  Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee (formerly K‐STARS ~ Kanien’keha:ka Steering Towards A Real Stage) 
Kateri Performing Arts Center (Kateri Hall) Turtle Island Theatre Company (TITC) In 2004, the KSCS Drama Project, as supported by KSCS and funded through Brighter Futures became known under the new name Turtle Island Theatre Company (TITC). Public announcements and advertisements were made that “Kahnawake Drama is now the Turtle Island Theatre Company”. A newsletter produced in March 2004 explained that Kahnawake Drama was now the Turtle Island Theatre Company, and now had full use of Kateri Hall. All productions would be headed by “Turtle Island Theatre Company” and be considered collaborative affairs between the Kanien’keha:ka Steering Towards a Real Stage (K‐STARS) and KSCS. An open house was held in March 2004 inviting community members to take a tour of the Turtle Island Theatre as well as the newly acquired backstage area. A review of the Brighter Futures annual reporting shows the change in March 2004, with the first production advertised as “Turtle Island Theatre Company presents” rather than “Kahnawake Drama presents.” The logo (Turtle) of the Turtle Island Theatre Company first 28
appeared on public advertisements in March 2004 with the production of “The Real Inspector Hound”. No documentation of approval process from KSCS or agreement to the above changes could be found. It appears that the name change to Turtle Island Theatre Company and creation of a logo without affiliation to KSCS attempted to make official a separate identity from KSCS Drama; although it remained to be a consolidation of all the same performing arts group activities that the KSCS Drama Project was involved with. It is known that for the purposes of fundraising, an effort was made by the K‐STARS to register the name Turtle Island Theatre Company as a non‐
profit organization. It is also known that the name Turtle Island Theatre Company was also registered as a business within Quebec since 2004 (and KSCS is not named within the registration). The details of responsibility for the Turtle Island Theatre Company as a “collaborative affair” between KSCS and K‐STARS had not been formalized. There is further elaboration on the implication of this name change within the discussion section of this report (Section 4). Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee (TITVFC) In the early to mid 1990’s, a group of parents/performers formalized into K‐STARS (Kanien’keha:ka Steering Towards A Real Stage) who were “committed to the establishment and preservation of a Performing Arts Center to promote and nurture the creativity and talent of children, youth and adults of Kahnawake by providing positive activity such as drama productions, music concerts and art presentation.” The ultimate goal was to raise funds for a community auditorium. At this time there was no relationship with KSCS but a link existed as the primary employee for the KSCS Drama Project was also a member of the K‐STARS, which evolved into the fundraising committee. The actual date of formation of this group is unclear as documentation states different years, either 1991, 1993 or 1996. Note: At the time of this writing there was a split in the constituency of the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee with a group of past members (6) and a group of current members (9). The following information is taken from a communication piece provided to the evaluation project team in January 2014 by the past members. Who we are: The Volunteer Fundraising Committee is a group of performers, parents and patrons who have volunteered and supported the Turtle Island Theatre Company since 1993, while raising funds for a Kahnawake Community Theatre Building. We are a registered, non‐profit organization under the name “Turtle Island Theatre Company.” Mandate: The Turtle Island Theatre Company Volunteer Fundraising Committee is dedicated to protecting, supporting, and fundraising for the Turtle Island Theatre Company in all ways necessary. Vision: Our vision is to have a home for the performing arts where all Kahnawakehró:non feel welcomed to explore and develop their talent; a dynamic place built through community partnerships and is well supported and enjoyed by patrons. 29
Goal: Our objective is to raise and administer funds for a Kahnawake Community Theatre Building. The materials and equipment purchased throughout our fundraising efforts and activities are the property of the community of Kahnawake. These assets are not the property of one individual, or group, and should find a home in the Kahnawake Community Theatre Building we are working towards. The volunteer committee fundraised for specific needs of the theatre such as refurbishing the lobby of the theatre, special equipment purchases –a baby grand piano, curtains, lighting, stage equipment, microphones, control board, etc., in addition to the constant drive to fundraise for a new building/theatre. It is clear that the Fundraising Committee is a separate entity from KSCS and had set up their own mechanism for managing their fundraising resources. It is not entirely clear what the relationship is between the TITVFC and KSCS; historically no written agreements were made outlining responsibilities except for one memorandum of understanding for human resource issues. Historically it is clear that one individual has played a fundamental role as the primary employee of the KSCS Drama Project, the Artistic Director of Turtle Island Theatre and also as a member of the Volunteer Fundraising Committee. Kateri Performing Arts Center The Kateri Hall has been given the name Kateri Performing Arts Center while the KSCS Drama Project and the TITC has been housed there. The hall is a rented space that is owned by the Catholic Church. It was unclear if this name change was approved by the Catholic Church. 3.1.6 PARTNERSHIPS KSCS’s relationship with the TITVFC was intended, at the very least, as a co‐manager of the box office proceeds. The relationship with the TITC was that KSCS had agreed to help in the establishment of a governing board of directors for the purpose of overseeing a theatre facility. The TITC and TITVFRC worked together for the purpose of building a community theatre. Although there are some basic KSCS framework documents that provided guidance to the KSCS Drama Project, the lack of clear partnership agreements that outline roles, responsibilities, accountability and dispute mechanisms were not put in place. This resulted in blurred lines of authority and accountability and contributed to the misunderstanding of such, leading to resentment and mistrust. The focus group and interview analysis section of this report bear this out. To illustrate further; the primary employee was an employee of KSCS responsible to deliver the KSCS Drama Project services. Conversely, the primary employee also served as the Artistic Director for the TITC and as its President under its business registration with the Quebec Government. Further, the primary employee was a member of the TITCVFC, whose goal was fund raising. These roles created several conflicts of interest. 30
Although there has been much debate about whether KSCS Drama Project and TITC are one and the same, a Record of Approval (ROA dated July 2005) submitted by the primary employee clearly indicates a distinction between his work with KSCS and his intent to establish the Turtle Island Theatre as a Community Theatre Company. The evaluation needed to consider that:  each of these entities is viewed as having an identity and history of its own.  each of these entities has a vested interest in and contribution to drama/theatre.  there are commonalities including shared resources and shared people.  there are many areas of overlap that exist between the entities.  there are more questions than answers regarding the details of the overlaps.  the partnership arrangement between KSCS and the other entities has never been defined.  the shared responsibilities for KSCS Drama Project and by consequence the authority appear to be at the crux of the conflicting points of view (the biggest grey area) The Venn diagram below attempts to illustrate the key stakeholders attached to the KSCS Drama Project, the relationships between the entities and some areas where they intersect and overlap. Support to
develop a
Governing
KSCS Turtle Island Board of
Theatre Company Directors for
TITC
KSCS
Drama Project
New
Box Office
Theatre
CoBuilding
management
. Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee 31
The closure of the Kateri Hall by the Kahnawake Fire Brigade in 2010 seems to be the catalyst that brought these parties together to address a shared challenge of getting the hall re‐opened. During these meetings it became evident that there had been a lot of misunderstanding of the KSCS Drama Project and associated accountability. It is at this point when documentation shows KSCS begins to sort through and address the issues with the TITVFC and tries to define the partnerships in a collaborative manner. 3.2 MOVEABLE ASSETS INVENTORY An Excel spreadsheet of the Moveable Assets Inventory was created. It is a very large document in itself. For this reason the inventory document is not an appendix attached to this report but rather a separate component under different cover. 3.2.1. INVENTORY OF KATERI HALL A previously compiled 2 page inventory was done by the Technical Director of the KSCS Drama Project, and the last revised inventory done in 2007 was found. It outlines the quantity, description, manufacturer, model, serial, supplier, purchase date and cost for select items under the categories of: sound and lighting equipment, stage and hall equipment, office equipment and tools and storage equipment. This was used as a starting point in understanding how the many other items within Kateri Hall could be best inventoried. There were no updated inventory procedures evident. The process to inventory the contents of the Kateri Hall were as follows: 1) the Hall was categorized initially into 38 separate areas and then similar areas (such as bathrooms or offices) were grouped for a total of 20 tabs within the inventory database. 2) each area was labeled according to its function using pre‐identified labels identified on the evacuation maps 3) contents in each area were categorized as Number of items, Description, Category (accessories, appliances, costume, electronic equipment, furnishing, office equipment, other or theatre equipment), Location, Model Number, and Serial Number. The 20 areas inventoried include: 1. Attic Prop storage 2. Auditorium 3. Bathrooms (Men’s Rooms #1 and 2 and Women’s Rooms #1 and 2) 4. Box Office (#1 and 2) 5. Costume Storage (A, B, C, D) 6. Dressing Rooms (A, B, C, D) 7. Electrical Room 8. Front Foyer & Lobby 9. Hair‐Makeup‐Jewelry 10. Hallways (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) 32
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Kitchens (Back & Front) Laundry Lighting & Sound Loft Lounge Offices (Administration, Library/Main Office/Dressing, Stationery Closet) Rehearsal Room Stage Storage Space under Old Stage Workshop Exterior Storage (Storage Solutions, Kahnawake) Kateri Hall is a concrete block building with an interior dimension of approximately 52.5ft x 120ft with raised seating and a raised stage space of approximately 13ft 6in high x 50.5 ft x 25 deep. It has a maximum seating capacity of 114. The lobby area is approximately 12ft x 40 ft. There are six (6) dressing rooms for 3‐4 people per room. The rehearsal/green room is 22ft x 22 ft. Other areas include scene shop, costume storage, prop storage, hair & make‐up rooms, offices and library. There is also an exterior storage unit. In the opinion of the Inventory Team, the first impression of Kateri Hall as you enter is the amount of effort that has gone into turning the space into a theatre. There is a lot of decorative detail and furnishings for the front lobby and lounge which make it an inviting space. There is tiered auditorium seating and a large and open curtained stage area. The public area of the Kateri hall goes from the front doors up to the visible portion of the stage (the middle of the building). There is a large wall behind the stage which separates the back half of the building. Because of the various occupants of the building, there are many small offices and hallways in the back of the building. Items from previous tenants such as the Church bingo, Meals on Wheels, Feast in the Forest, Kahnawake Jobs Education Training (KJETA) and the Caisse Populaire were left behind. Within the back areas there isn’t much natural light and it feels somewhat cold and enclosed. The Drama assets contained within Kateri Hall were acquired over a 20 year period through many sources including purchases, donations, grants, fundraising, memorials and recycling, and also include privately owned items on long‐term loan to the Theatre. Every room is filled with items. There is an abundance of clutter and various items scattered throughout the theatre but primarily in the back areas. There is some semblance of organization and order, however there is definite room for improvement. It was evident that no donation was ever turned down. Even the hallways were used as storage space. Hundreds of shoes on shelves lined some hallway walls. High shelves full of boxes of curtains, fabric, bedspreads, and pillows lined an entire wall in one of the main hallways. 33
The attic prop storage area is filled with every imaginable article that could be used for the productions. There was an attempt to organize props by nature of its use i.e. suitcases were kept together, Christmas items were in one section, as well as dishes, lamps, children’s articles, office equipment, home furnishings. Some of the workspaces/office areas and dressing rooms were fairly well organized. Other workspaces were overflowing with items, paraphernalia and paper to the point it would have been difficult to locate specific items or to work on a clear surface. The costume storage rooms were fairly organized by gender, era, fashion, etc. Jewelry, purses, hats, make‐up were grouped together. There was an attempt to organize but a difficult task to keep up over time. The workshop in the center of the building is somewhat overwhelming. This area is filled from floor to ceiling with various larger articles. Shelving units have been built to store many pieces of furniture, very large pieces of sets and building equipment. There are also many smaller pieces of theatre equipment such as power tools, hardware, wood, wood pieces, metal, light bulbs, paint supplies, etc. The actual working area is tight because of the amount of items that take up most of the space. The state of the Kateri Hall at the time of inventory indicated a need for general maintenance, particularly in the back areas. Some areas were clean and some areas were quite dirty. There is dirt accumulation on the floors, cobweb accumulation in many corners and dust accumulation on surfaces around the many articles. Conducting the inventory was difficult for team members with allergies due to the dust and face masks were required. There is evidence of problems with both spiders and mice. There were also some safety concerns (further discussed under Document Review in section 3.4.2) noted by the inventory team. The lighting and sound loft at the back of the auditorium can be reached by makeshift stairs; as well there are holes in the floor which can be a safety hazard. There were safety concerns for the electric box (that turns on the heavy duty sound and lighting equipment) sitting on the floor surrounded by wood particles. Finally, by nature of the numerous articles in the space, the central workshop has potential to be a hazardous area without adequate safety equipment. It is clear that if any relocation of the entire contents of the hall should ever be needed, this would require a large amount of manpower to move and a massive alternate storage space. 3.2.2. INVENTORY OF STORAGE UNIT An offsite storage locker is maintained in the name of the KSCS Drama Project’s primary employees’ name, c/o Turtle Island Theatre, Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services with KSCS address. It was noted in documentation that the unit had been paid for by the theatre Box Office account since the Kahnawake Fire Brigade (KFB) closed down Kateri Hall and items had to be moved from the building. The contents of the storage unit were described 34
as items “cluttering” the corridors at Kateri Hall that had to be removed as per the directive in the KFB report. It was reported that once Kateri Hall was re‐opened, the storage unit was kept to house mainly donations that came into the theatre until they could be sorted. 3.2.3 OUTSTANDING INVENTORY ITEMS It is important to note that while the inventory process was being carried out there were a number of inquiries regarding whether specific items were found within the Kateri Hall. Most of the items were accounted for; however, there were a few large purchases that were outstanding. The items that could not be located within the inventory of the Kateri Hall (were not on the premises during the inventory activity) or storage unit were:  A black lacquer baby grand piano (reported to be a purchase of the TITVFC)  A “green screen” that was once located in the stage area (reported to be a purchase of the TITVFC)  A laptop computer (purchased through KSCS with Brighter Futures resources) Further discussion with the TITVFC and/or the TITC regarding these items should be attempted. 3.3 LITERATURE REVIEW: RESEARCH As part of this evaluation, research was carried out by ODS and a Subject Matter Expert/Technical Advisor (for community theatre) on select topics. It was important to the research team to have a greater understanding of the usual practices for community theatre, community theatre culture, drama fit within a social service organization, and the mental health benefit for theatre participants (differences in prevention approach). The purpose of this evaluation was not focused on community theatre, but rather on the KSCS Drama Project, however given the informal partnership with TITC, it would be important to understand what could be expected of such a partner if KSCS is to use a partnership to deliver future programming. 3.3.1 USUAL PRACTICES FOR COMMUNITY THEATRES An attempt was made to outline local theatre companies that operate similarly to the KSCS Drama Project. The intent was to do a few site visits if time allowed. What was found is that there is no other model for community theatre that partners with a health and social service organization to provide drama programming. While time did not permit site visits, this may be a worthwhile endeavor for the future. The following is a summary of the research report produced for usual practices for community theatre (including staffing/personnel, volunteer practices, space and resources, accountability practices, funding sources and some comparable programming) is included in Appendix E. 35
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All of the theatre companies who offered drama programming did charge fees for their programming services and these costs ranged from $15.00 per child per session to $425.00 per child per session (sessions lasted on average 2 hours) and occurred at different times of year, sometimes offered as camps. Further theatre company members pay annual dues. Most require a minimum of three full time staff working with other part time staff and volunteers. They provide their own administrative and bookkeeping services. These operations are covered through a variety of fundraising efforts (grants, donations, ticket sales, etc.). Not all community theatres have their own venue but may rent space such as school auditoriums, so their overhead is lower. As a manner of best practice they forecast and detail all costs in advance of a production in as specific detail as possible and are as conservative as possible in estimating ticket sales. This is to ensure productions do not exceed the resources available. Community theatres can register as nonprofit or as a business, this is a decision their board has to make. Theatre companies must register with their city, in some cases as a business. This is also required if they are to open a bank account to do business as a theatre. Accountability is a core element to community theatre as it seen as a way to build and nurture support from the community at large. The mission statement is also noted as key as it helps others to know what they are about. There are clear decision making and responsibility structures. There is a governance structure with constitution and bylaws for the board and policies and procedures for the operations; this includes bookkeeping and audit procedures. 3.3.2 UNIQUE ASPECTS OF COMMUNITY THEATRE AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS Participation in the arts is known to have health benefits. Community theatre has definite links to improved mental health. The KSCS Drama Project does not take a direct or explicit approach in addressing mental health or other health issues but definitely contributes to the general wellness of the individual participant. Further discussion of some unique aspects of community theatre and the mental health benefits for community theatre participants is included within a research report in Appendix F. 3.4 DOCUMENT REVIEW Findings from the document review (all the available documentation) are presented under the broad categories of File Audit, Operations, Needs & Resources and Impact & Effectiveness. 3.4.1. FILE AUDIT File Audit ‐ Kateri Hall Site Based on the inventory of the contents within the Kateri Hall building, three separate locations were found where files were maintained. The following identifies what was noted: 36
Location of files:  Electronic: There are 3 computers located in the front section off the lobby, the library (main office) and in the back box office section.  The electronic files maintained on these computers were not reviewed.  Hardcopy files were found in several areas; the library (main office) and in the back box office section seemed to be the place where most of them were stored; we did find files in boxes throughout the facility. File Folder Contents from Main Office/Library  In the main office /library there were no file cabinets but rather some files could be found in banker boxes, loose or in binder format on open shelving with other resources and materials.  The types of documents found in the main office were binders which contained financial information, agenda, meeting minutes, correspondence etc.  No apparent system of organization. File Folder Contents from Back Box Office  The filing drawers reviewed had files dating from 2001 to 2010.  Files contents were correspondence, rental agreements, financial receipts for purchases & payments, donation letters, employment contracts, promotional file, funding agreements etc.  In an alternative storage container (wood dresser) stacks of files and other miscellaneous items were stored yet four feet away there were empty filing cabinets.  Archived or files earlier than 2001 were not located by the research team.  No apparent system of organization. General Observations:  Files are not located in a central secure location.  Files folders viewed were labeled with topic identification.  Policies and procedures for archives were not evident. File Audit‐ KSCS Site There was no master files maintained at KSCS for the KSCS Drama Project. Requests were made within KSCS for the historical and operational documents for the KSCS Drama Project. Slowly over the course of the evaluation, more documents were located and brought to the attention of the evaluation team. Location of files:  There are a range of different project files created and maintained in different areas of the organization. Hard copy files are located in central archives, with the finance department, with the Human Resources department and with the individual supervisors and Directors that were responsible for KSCS Drama. 37
General Observations  A significant amount of time was spent sifting through documentation available within KSCS to piece together the historical decisions and try to decipher what happened when there were gaps in information.  There were clear gaps in documentation at the KSCS Drama Project, KSCS management and board levels  Project files are not located in a central secure location  Policies and procedures for historical project archives were not evident  Some historical files were condensed and certain documents were purged (such as funding agreements for certain years) Human Resources at KSCS maintained separate personnel files for each employee of the KSCS Drama Project. Employment contracts were signed and clearly note that all employees are subject to all KSCS policy and procedures. 3.4.2 OPERATIONS KSCS Drama Project The KSCS Drama project is in a unique situation whereby it is a project of KSCS but it also shares a significant amount of overlap with the functioning of the Turtle Island Theatre Company. There is only 1 staff position and it is an indeterminate ( permanent ) position. All of the remaining employees were funded:  under temporary KSCS contracts supported by Brighter Futures dollars  Independently through Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee or other sources (and sometimes administered 3rd party by KSCS)  independently through Tewatohni’saktha or other sources as summer student employees The project operates out of a facility that is rented by KSCS (not a KSCS satellite building) and Turtle Island Theatre Company does not (at the time of writing this report) have a legal Board of Directors mandated by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. The Turtle Island Theatre has maintained a Volunteer Fundraising Committee since it’s inception but it is unclear if this body also serves as the Board of Directors with an accountability function aside from financial. Evolution of Services and Impact to Operations The following diagram provides a visual of the significant evolution of services within the KSCS Drama Project (there have been changes to names of groups and ages included): Drama Club 6‐12 Drama Club 7‐12 After School 6‐12
After School 6‐12 Summer Drama Camp Summer Theatre 7‐17 Summer Drama Camp
Teen Drama Club
Turtle Island Players 13+ Musical Entertainers 15+
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A July 1995 briefing note reflects an expanded mandate to include additional work with the development of a summer drama camp for 8 weeks during the summer and a recommendation to redevelop part of the primary employee’s work with the after school programming to allow all youth access to services rather than just the children of one school. No documentation could be found that reflects any further change of mandate to include the Turtle Island Players or the Musical Entertainers. This growth was not well communicated or understood within KSCS so as new supervisors took on responsibility for KSCS drama; they were under the impression that the services were still directed primarily to children. This resulted in a poor understanding of actual workload. Management & Supervision The KSCS Drama Project has moved a number of times within the organizational tree of KSCS. The reasons and logic behind the placement of KSCS Drama under different directors, managers and supervisors at KSCS is not well explained or documented. Notably, there is a lack of documented workload analysis around these decisions to determine whether the supervisors inheriting the Drama Project could accommodate the workload given their other responsibilities. A chart indicating the titles of the supervisors of KSCS Drama is presented within the project profile in section 3.1.3. KSCS Management did flag issues they experienced with KSCS Drama; an example of this is noted within a Memo to KSCS Directors from the Director of Policy and Non Insured Health Services (NIHS) from July 2005 (where the Drama project had just been moved under). A number of past issues with the Drama Project and its inconsistencies with existing KSCS policy and procedure were highlighted. Some of the key points of this memo are as follows (verbatim):  There needs to be a clear differentiation between Turtle Island Theatre activities and the KSCS Drama project activities.  The relationship with Turtle island Theatre and the Brighter Futures project needs to be clarified in regards to funding of purchases.  The job description for an ‘Artistic Director’ rather than a coordinator (which is the title used for every other Brighter Futures project) raises the question ‘Is KSCS responsible for covering the cost of all work activities conducted to both Drama and Turtle Island Theatre?”  In light of Turtle Island Theater seeking non‐profit designation (charitable tax number), there needs to be a clarification about the Brighter Futures Drama Project and the Turtle Island Theatre in a transparent accountable process. There must be a clear outline of what is legitimately chargeable to the Drama Project and the Turtle Island Theatre. The potential to seek funding becomes the responsibility of the Turtle Island Theatre.  Drama is a very confusing project as it fits halfway between a project and a regular KSCS activity. The issue to be addressed is clarifying work activities between the Drama and Turtle Island Theatre. 39
A later memo of August 2005 from the Director of Policy (KSCS Drama supervisor) to the KSCS Executive Director highlighted several key issues such as:  It was suggested that the workload issue be clearly documented and an accountability framework specific for KSCS Drama developed. There appears to be no difference between KSCS activities and Turtle Island Theatre activities. There is presently no documentation that distinguishes between the two activities.  In the future, a Memorandum of Understanding with Turtle Island Theatre (T.I.T.C.) would be appropriate. KSCS contributes $65,000 towards Drama. However, Turtle Island Theatre is generating its own revenue. Clarity of this issue will create a better working relationship between both parties.” Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) A number of attempts have been made by KSCS Management over the years to clarify the grey areas within operations and the inconsistencies that were allowed to develop over time. Throughout the 20 year history of KSCS Drama there have been a number of references by KSCS management of the need for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would outline exactly who/what the KSCS Drama Project is as well as the Turtle Island Theatre Company and the Volunteer Fundraising Committee. This appears as a recommendation in a handful of internal KSCS reports regarding the future of KSCS Drama. Files reference attempts to begin formal clarification and documentation of the partnership and what is expected from each party along with the various areas of responsibility. The evaluation team could not find any documented meetings between stakeholders/partners from 1993 to 2010. In 2010 to 2013 there are documented meetings between the KSCS Executive Directors, supervisors of KSCS Drama, the Artistic Director and representatives of the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee. As noted earlier in this report, the catalyst for these meetings seems to result from the closure of the Kateri Hall. In 2009, KSCS Human Resources flagged recurring issues with grey areas for KSCS Drama that would lead to problems down the road if not clarified. A set of correspondence highlighted the need for clarification for HR and Finance whether KSCS is providing “third party administration” for Turtle Island Theatre Company employees or if these employees are under KSCS. The need for an MOU was raised again on September 6, 2013 at a meeting between KSCS management and the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee. To the knowledge of the evaluation team, there is only one MOU ever signed to clarify any of the grey areas that exist between KSCS and the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee. The MOU that exists addresses one issue only‐ in regards to the handling of employment agreements from different funding agencies for employees and/or summer students for the KSCS Drama Program and Turtle Island Theatre. The MOU outlines guidelines in order to provide payroll services for employees considered “third party”. It outlines the planned procedures and dispute resolution procedure. It was signed in June 2010 by the 40
Executive Director of KSCS and a representative of the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee and remained in effect to September 30, 2013. Decision Making Major decisions occurred regarding the KSCS Drama Project, but it is not clear who had the authority for these decisions and who was involved in decision making, again there is a lack of documentation on the collaboration, research, rationale and approval process for key decisions. Some examples of such decisions made are:  Expanding services to include teens and adults (around 1998)  Name change to Turtle Island Theatre. In the primary employee’s Activity Report dated April‐August 2006, it states “As of February 2004, the KSCS Drama Program has been calling itself the Turtle Island Theatre Company. The primary purpose of the name change is to give Drama a neutral heading as it is now a combined effort between not only KSCS but also the K‐STARS fundraising committee; also, acronyms are fairly useless when trying to be clear to both the community and the outside as to exactly who we are and what we do. KSCS is responsible for the rental of the front portion of Kateri Hall as well as the staffing of the Artistic Director and Technical Director; the K‐STARS are responsible for the rental of the back portion of Kateri Hall as well as the extensive volunteer base out of which Drama is produced. Together these efforts combine to give us the Turtle Island Theatre Company – one could not exist without the other”. The statement seems to simplify the partnership; however there is no mention of the responsibility associated with the funding or the accountability required.  Changes to Children’s Drama programming. The only documentation that could be found regarding changes to the Children’s Drama programming is after the fact and was found within the new developments section of the Kahnawake Drama Annual Report 2002‐2003 binder produced by the primary employee. A notation was made that: “Some future plans for Kahnawake Drama will include a re‐structuring of activities in order to better plan and simplify what is sometimes an overburdened production season. As there is currently only one permanent full‐time employee, a revision of what is asked of him must be acknowledged. For the current season (Sept. 2003‐Aug. 2004) activities for teens will be increased so that they will have programming throughout the year, but because of this, the Children’s Drama (age 6‐11) will take place only in the summer months with a day camp ending with a play production in August.” The date of the last Children’s Drama Club production was reported to be in December 2009. A show was planned for December 2010 but had to be cancelled at the last moment due to the shut down of the Kateri Hall for safety concerns. A review of the historical collection of video recordings of productions maintained at KSCS confirms that the last children’s Christmas Show was held in 2009.  Change in job title from Drama Life Skills Coordinator to Artistic Director  Inclusion of certain items within the Drama logic model for the Community Health Plan (CHP). One of the seven objectives of the Drama Project within the CHP 2012 was “to have the community take responsibility/ownership for Drama and develop it into a true community theatre that will have a lasting place in Kahnawake.” One of the 41
indicators was the “creation of a board of directors (10 members), registration of the Theatre Company as a non‐profit organization and ongoing fundraising to keep the theatre operational.” This objective seems to speak directly of the TITVFC. KSCS allowed the primary employee to incorporate this aspect within the component he was responsible for within the CHP. Job Descriptions A review was carried out on the job descriptions that exist in KSCS records for any KSCS Drama project positions. During the course of the drama project there were several employees but only one job position consistently funded by KSCS. Since first hired, the job titles and associate descriptions for this position changed. The titles associated with this position are: 
Interim Prevention Worker (1993) 
Drama/Life Skills Instructor (1994) 
Drama Life Skills Coordinator (1995) 
Artistic Director/Coordinator (1998) 
Drama Project Coordinator/Artistic Director (2011) The bolded titles are those that are noted in employment agreements (employee and employer signed) accompanied by job descriptions. There is no employment agreement amendment or revised signed job description supporting the change to or use of the Artistic Director title in the personnel file. The core job responsibilities identified activities for the “Kahnawake Children’s Drama/Lifeskills Project” in the mid 1990’s and included maintaining, planning and/or developing of projects and programming. This was specific to the children’s after school program. A 2007 job description reviewed by the evaluation team is titled “Artistic Director” and the core duties identify: create programs for the various groups based on their age, experience and interest. Other responsibilities identified are co‐ordinate/train staff (Assistant Director, Production Assistants, Lighting & Sound Technicians, Musicians, and Summer Students etc.) It also states accountable for the research into funding options. An April 2011 job description is titled Drama Project Coordinator/Artistic Director. Core responsibility identified is to create programs for the various groups based on his/her age, experiences and interests. In terms of accountability it is identified to coordinate a Drama Program that respond to the social and cultural values of the community. As well as to develop a work plan that makes the program known and accessible to the different constituencies of the community. Revised job descriptions were found for the following other job positions associated with KSCS Drama (funded by Brighter Futures surpluses for certain years):  Technical Director  Production Assistant 42
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Assistant Artistic Director Administrative Assistant Summer students were secured annually as assistants to help with summer programming under the TITC not the KSCS Drama Project. Summer student job descriptions were not found. Hiring Practices During the life of the KSCS Drama Project many persons were hired to work there, at times it is unclear who the actual employer was ‐KSCS or TITC. What is evident is that recruitment and hiring policies and procedure were not always followed. In some instance, people were contacting KSCS Finance for pay cheques yet there were no employment contracts in place. In other instances people were paid directly from the box office without any formal documentation on the hiring or deductions as required by law. Rental Agreements for Kateri Hall A review was conducted of all available rental agreements (for the time period of October 2005 to September 2013) between St. Francis Xavier Mission (Catholic church) and KSCS for the use of Kateri Hall. The earlier agreements signed between KSCS and Turtle Island Theatre (split in the rent) was not available for review. Some key findings were:  KSCS (via Brighter Futures funding) paid for the rent of the entire Kateri hall beginning in 2005. The rental cost from 2005 to 2014 remained the same at $12,000 per annum, to be paid in four quarterly installments.  The first agreement covered a five year period from 2005 to 2010.  Subsequent agreements for the years 2011 to 2014 were renewed and signed on an annual basis. In summary, the Rental Agreements are relatively similar with several changes and additions over the years for items including signatories, use of kitchen facilities, fundraising for Mission, dissolution of TITC, termination of agreement dependent on canonization of Kateri Tekakwitha, termination or non‐renewal of agreement, removal of all alterations, cleanliness of building, removal of garbage, safety code violations, prohibition of pyrotechnic material, and snow removal. Facility Challenges The saying “out of sight, out of mind” best represents this situation. KSCS has several satellite facilities, these buildings belong to KSCS and by consequence they are responsible for their upkeep and enhancement. Kateri Hall is not considered a satellite building of KSCS. As a consequence, the KSCS Drama project did not have the benefit of the same resources afforded to the rest of the organization such as, access to:  KSCS computer network  Intra‐organizational e‐mail  Electronic organizational forms and templates 43
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Replacement of equipment and furniture Maintenance of the facility including snow removal and supplies provided Costs covered for major repairs to the facility *No documentation could be found that ever clarifies the status of the Kateri Hall. It is a rented facility that houses the KSCS Drama Project along with other drama/performing arts activities. The facility belongs to the Catholic Church and KSCS currently holds the lease in its name. The Kateri Hall is insured as a rented facility under an umbrella liability insurance held by KSCS under the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. Brighter Futures funding is used to cover some but not all operating costs for the facility. The primary utilities for the use of Kateri Hall were paid by Brighter Futures funding through KSCS; however, The Turtle Island Theatre also independently contributed to utilities, maintenance, upgrades and required renovations to the Kateri Hall as per fire code requirements. A review of the project files paints a confusing picture for services rendered to Kateri Hall. For example some invoices and bills are under the name of KSCS Drama, P.O. Box 1440, some are under Turtle Island Theatre Company, P.O. Box 343, others are under Turtle Island Theatre, P.O. Box 1440. Others are listed as Turtle Island Theatre/KSCS, P.O. Box 1440. There is no consistency in the names used. There was a significant amount of resources put into the Kateri Hall, as a rented facility. Approximately $75,000 was spent on facility upgrades such as heating and air‐conditioning systems, alarm system, camera system, required renovations (fire wall) and beautification. There was no documentation found that indicated whether the facility owners (Catholic Church) were consulted on these renovations as per the rental agreement. Maintenance Issue There are different opinions on the evolution of responsibility for the cleaning and maintenance of the Kateri Hall. It was a common understanding that the Kateri Hall was historically cleaned and maintained by employees on site and many volunteers (TITC). The exact time frame could not be determined when KSCS maintenance staff began to take on some tasks within Kateri Hall limited documentation indicates it did not happen before 2005. KSCS maintenance staff noted that they were responsible to clean only from the front doors up to the stage (including all public areas such as the front bathrooms) but it was unclear who determined this arrangement as there are no records/memos found to substantiate this agreement. There are anecdotal reports that KSCS maintenance are not to go beyond the stage area to clean. It was indicated that an agreement was likely documented within e‐mails but those specific emails were deleted in time as the standard practice is to purge unnecessary e‐
mails on an annual basis. Some points to consider: 44
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It is probable that the boundary of where KSCS is responsible to clean began when both KSCS and the Turtle Island Theatre Company were paying for the rental of Kateri Hall. There was a time when the rent costs were split in half by the two entities‐ KSCS paid for the front and TITC paid for the back. Once KSCS became responsible for paying all of the rent for use of the entire building, there was no re‐negotiation and/or documentation of the division of responsibilities between KSCS and the TITC. The cleaning and maintenance of all other satellite facilities of KSCS is the complete responsibility of KSCS maintenance staff. It is reasonable to expect summer students counsellors involved with KSCS Drama to do some cleaning up and organizing before and after performances. Summer student staff were assigned rotations for responsibility of common area maintenance in different areas of the hall such as cleaning toilets, sweeping and washing floors as well as garbage and recycling duty. Having the summer students attend to these duties took away from the time that is meant to be planning for, and working directly, with children. Safety concerns In November of 2010, the Kahnawake Fire Brigade inspected and outlined many areas of the building to be brought up to code. The Kateri Hall was temporarily closed for numerous safety violations. Based on their observations, it was determined that the level of hazard of the building’s contents to be classified as High. Following the closure, the KSCS Drama Project and the Turtle Island Theatre Company worked tirelessly to correct the noted hazards. Reports from 2011 indicated that the major offences of the code had been addressed and renovations had been carried out. Although the Kateri Hall was retrofitted to resemble a true theatre, and there were upgrades as per the fire code regulations; there are still facility weaknesses that present safety hazards. Emergency exit maps with the evacuation plan are posted throughout the hall and summer employees are briefed on handling an emergency exit when children are present; however there was no other safety and security policy or procedures evident for the Kateri Hall. An annual follow up inspection was intended to be carried out to ensure that the Kateri hall continued to meet safety standards. Consultation with the Kahnawake Fire Brigade shows that the Kateri Hall is overdue for an inspection. On November 8, 2013, Environmental Health Services of KSCS performed a public health inspection at the Kateri Hall. A public health inspection consists of random air quality sampling and a sanitation assessment. An air quality inspection is comprised of monitoring for carbon monoxide and dioxide, relative humidity, temperatures and the presence of any mold. The sanitary and safety conditions of washrooms and working environments were also checked. The outcome of their assessment is included in the recommendation section of this report. 45
Community Resources & Accountability All services, program and projects resourced by community funds are subject to scrutiny and required to provide clear accountability around how those resources are used. Brighter Futures resources are community funds administered by KSCS, services provided under Brighter Futures and by extension any monies raised by those services come under the responsibility of KSCS as per its mandate from the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. KSCS had the responsibility to ensure all resources whether through regular programming and/or associated fundraising activities were accounted for. KSCS Financial Practices Standard financial accountability practices are applied to all KSCS programs. The KSCS Finance department maintains general ledgers for the KSCS Drama Project, outlining the revenue (such as summer camp registration fees), and expenses such as salary, benefits, honorariums, operating costs, program costs and travel for each year. KSCS conducts an independent financial audit annually as part of its funding arrangement requirements. TITVFC Practices The fundraising committee maintains responsibility for all of the monies raised for a new building and funds spent on operating costs, production equipment, and building repairs. All of the amounts collected and amounts paid through the fundraising account had been maintained by the fundraising committee using basic bookkeeping reconciliation practices. The past fundraising committee provided a spreadsheet with the accounting of the Turtle Island Theatre Fundraising account to the evaluation team and KSCS in January 2014. This document gives an itemized list of the amounts collected and paid (1996 to 2013), the balances and totals. The sources of income include:  Musical Entertainers fundraising shows  Miscellaneous funding (MCK, Caisse Populaire, external fundraising events dedicated to TITC)  Miscellaneous donations (monetary)  Half and half draws  Loonie/Toonie jars  Dividends  Interest 46
Box Office Practices There has been historical disagreement over certain financial practices and accounting procedures between KSCS and the KSCS Drama Project. In November 2004, the primary employee was given the ability to maintain a separate box office account. These box office proceeds were to be deposited in a KSCS Drama bank account; and used at his discretion for the next project/production needs not covered by the Brighter Futures allocation. As noted earlier in the report, Brighter Futures funding covered most of the costs of KSCS Drama and the box office was expected to cover off the balance. Formal documentation on the initial set up of the “box office fund management” could not be located. Anecdotal evidence from previous KSCS supervisors of the drama project confirms there was a mutual understanding that the box office proceeds (from children and youth productions) were to be managed to supplement the needs of future shows. For the majority of the Drama Project’s history, this responsibility was entrusted to the primary employee‐ no questions asked. Based on the limited records available for the total box office proceeds for one production (some records from 2005, 2006, 2012 and 2013), it appears that the average amount raised varied based on cost per ticket, number of seats sold and number of days run. It is estimated from existing records that the average amount collected per production from box office ticket sales was around $4,500 to $5,000. There were between 5 to 7 productions per year. One of the items that the evaluation team tried to ascertain was an approximate cost for an average production. This figure was difficult to obtain as documentation was limited. Production budgets were available only for production years 2005 and 2006. These production budgets itemized the generated revenues (including actual box office ticket sales), production costs and the balance. The file audit did not reveal whether detailed production budgets were produced historically for each production. From the limited information that could be found, it is safe to say that the total direct production cost of a show varied significantly from $700 to $2,800. Within a memo on the subject of: Box Office Account, and Summer Camp Registration Revenue dated, November 10, 2004 to the primary employee from his supervisor (Manager of Auxiliary Services), it is stated KSCS agreed to transfer the Box Office and Summer Camp Registration revenues of $3,400.37 to the Turtle Island Theatre Company on the condition that (1) these revenues be used for all future production expenses (sets, costumes, equipment rentals, lighting and sound, etc.) and (2) that the Turtle Island Theatre Company treasurer submits quarterly financial reports of box office and registration revenues with a summary of the type of production expenses for the quarter. This indicates that the Primary Employee was responsible to ensure these reports were submitted to KSCS. The Brighter Future records for the KSCS Drama Project contained a few reports but the number of reports submitted is not consistent with the number of years this directive was in place. Further, if reports were not submitted, there should have been documentation reporting why, including any accountability interventions. The personnel files do not contain such records. 47
In April 2013, KSCS management implemented the decision to close all independent bank accounts of KSCS programs. The Manager of Prevention Services directed three programs he supervised, one of which was the KSCS Drama Project, to forward the amount of the old accounts to KSCS which would then be set up in new individual accounts that would be processed through the KSCS finance department and subject to the annual independent audit. For KSCS Drama, this directive meant closing the box office account (proceeds from child and youth productions) and reverting back to KSCS accounting. The new process according to e‐mail correspondence was to put in for monthly cash disbursements to be used throughout the month with receipts submitted at the end of each month. The reason for this change was cited as a need to ensure “generally accepted accounting procedures” for funds that were generated as a result of KSCS Drama Project productions. The funds would remain wholly for the use of KSCS Drama. The major change would be the practices associated with accessing the funds‐i.e. planning for needs in advance, a detailed accounting of box office and registration proceeds, and complying with standard KSCS policy and procedure already in place and applied to all other KSCS programs (i.e. purchase orders and cash disbursements filled out along with receipts submitted for everything). As documented by previous supervisors, the primary source of resistance from the KSCS Drama Project to processing the Box Office account through KSCS has been the argument that theatre needs are unique from other programs within KSCS and the procedures to access funds for immediate production needs cause inconveniences to operations. A review of the summary of transaction for the box office account maintained through KSCS In 2011‐2012 shows that:  Deposits included summer registration fees and box office/canteen proceeds.  Withdrawals included various purchases such as canteen stock, set building equipment & materials, craft supplies, costumes, maintenance supplies, props, and cast parties/ volunteer lunches. The largest withdrawals were honorariums for administrative assistance. It is also unclear of the accountability practices in place for the box office account held by the primary employee for the years that it was not processed through KSCS. The file audit of Kateri Hall shows that a collection of records and receipts designated as box office does exist; however, the records are inconsistent. In some years, there was clear reporting and for other years, they could not be found. It is known that box office proceeds from all Musical Entertainers shows from 1998 to 2012 have been accounted for by the TITVFC and dedicated to savings towards a new theatre building. It is unknown, exactly how the remaining box office proceeds were utilized for the other KSCS Drama Project Productions. 48
Communication As KSCS Drama operated from a separate location with minimal interpersonal connection to the larger organization; this created conditions and presented challenges that resulted in huge communication gaps. KSCS Drama Project was not on the computer network, the set up for any critical information was communicated via the immediate supervisor. KSCS communications policy was that for those satellite buildings that did not have access to info line, supervisors were always asked to pass the information along. Files reveal that the KSCS Drama Project did not always keep the parent organization informed and the parent organization did not always keep KSCS Drama Project informed on developments. Minutes from the last few years indicate that there were attempts to communicate and establish a better understanding of the partners but there seems to be a lack of follow up. Production Cycle The amount of effort required to produces seven shows per year meant a continuous cycle of pre‐production to production to post production work with only short breaks in between. The coordination of volunteers and the teams of people involved with the shows were hectic. This would require a constant drive in order to realize productions. The positive side to this cycle was that there was always something going on, always a new production to look forward to. The negative side is that this left little time to reflect, evaluate and plan for the processes used to accomplish the work. Volunteer Practices Volunteers have been a vital part of the KSCS Drama Project without which KSCS Drama could not function. Volunteer support to KSCS Drama has historically been taken care of by the TITVFC. The needs for physical help were coordinated with the primary employee and a volunteer coordinator. Community members who were not members of the TITVFC also volunteered. Documentation and interviews revealed the following volunteer duties and responsibilities maintained by Turtle Island Theatre volunteers/community member volunteers:  Building sets & props  Organizing donations from community  Costumes – sewing, etc.  Show – lighting, sound, head shots, cleaning, program run‐offs  Maintenance of Kateri Hall: Snow shoveling, emptying garbage, cleaning and inspecting the bathrooms, vacuuming rugs, cleaning glass doors  Ushers  Box office duties (show ticket sales)  Raffle ticket sellers 49
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Assisting with dress actors (costumes) Stage hands Cleaning, laundry & takedown/storage after a show Running the canteen (stocking and selling) Accounting for the funds raised (loonie toonie jar, etc.) It was noted that all in all, each production requires approximately 50 volunteers. Given the number of people involved, there were no formalized volunteer manuals for KSCS Drama that would help volunteers understand their roles and responsibilities. 3.4.3 NEEDS & RESOURCES Primary Needs Identified by the KSCS Drama Project A review of the existing documentation highlights two major resource needs that were identified for KSCS Drama and discussed at different levels on numerous occasions. Review of the Kahnawake Drama Annual Report binders produced by the KSCS Drama Project’s primary employee for each year (available for the review from 1995 to 2008) highlighted a consistent theme in regard to needs. The earliest identification of documented needs for KSCS Drama was found in a 1998‐1999 activities report submitted by Drama/Life Skills Coordinator to KSCS. The two main obstacles reported on nearly every year were:  The lack of permanent theatre space/facility or need for specially equipped facility  The lack of permanent staff or need for more staff While part time and temporary staff had been available at different times for technical resources (lighting, sound, set construction), administration, and stage management, there has been only one permanent full time staff member. The lack of other employees was reported in the annual reports by the KSCS Drama Project’s primary employee, resulting in ‘not enough time to carry out some essential functions such as properly research material, properly plan rehearsals, properly document activities and most importantly, to properly know each participant’. A November 2003 Brighter Futures Options Paper titled “Summary Evaluation of Dedicated Projects (2002‐2004)” identified under Project Evaluation of KSCS Drama:  As the sole driving force, the KSCS Drama Project primary employee does need additional skilled and technical workers. Reports are completed on a quarterly basis and are often late because of time constraints. His technical assistant is hired on a contract basis and may leave due to the part‐time position status.  In order for this project to flourish, it should be granted long‐term funding. There is some fundraising but it does not cover many of their needs. An increase in their funding should be considered. Need for a Stable Location/New Theatre In February 2000, KSCS allocated $400,000 towards the building of a theatre (approved by the KSCS Board of Directors in January 2000). A working group was coordinated to pursue partnering and consider a multi‐use facility rather than solely a theatre. Meetings were held 50
throughout a 2 year period to attempt to find a suitable location/piece of land. A piece of community property was designated and paperwork prepared; however no agreement could be reached on this location. KSCS had a time frame in which the money must be expended or returned to the government. The deadline was not met so KSCS had to use the monies elsewhere. There is documentation maintained about this specific opportunity for a new theatre. It was a very public issue as well with significant media attention. It was reported in interviews and focus groups that there were a number of other missed opportunities for the TITC to build a new theatre in partnerships with other entities. These could not be verified as there was no supporting documentation. The future of the Kateri Hall is uncertain. It is known that with the canonization of Kateri the Catholic Church may ask KSCS Drama to vacate the building so it can be used for other purposes. Redirection of Funding In February 2000, KSCS announced a $400,000 surplus that would be earmarked towards a new theatre. Based on review of historical documentation, there was a lot of effort made to move forward with the new theater including an architect hired to draft plans for what it could look like. At that time, people were brought in from many sectors of the community to form a new theatre committee. Unfortunately, there were many difficulties that had to do with securing community owned land and a location for the theatre, and securing the outstanding funding to meet the building estimate. All of these factors caused delays in moving forward. KSCS was under pressure to utilize the funding within a specific time frame and by April 2002, ended up redirecting the $400,000 towards renovations for the Whitehouse (a KSCS satellite building housing other KSCS programs). There was a lot of frustration and anger generated as a result for the staff of the KSCS Drama Project, the K‐STARS and supporters within the community. There was uproar in the community at large and the media over this decision. So, it appears that KSCS attempted to dedicate funds to a new theatre but the group did not utilize the funds allocated within the time constraints and other community needs surfaced requiring KSCS to reallocate these community funds. This decision seemed to begin the decline of the relationship between KSCS, the primary employee, and some of the members of the performing arts community. Staffing Needs A significant difference (everything ran smoother) was noted in the time frames when the project enjoyed the benefit of a dedicated administrative person and a technical director. Unfortunately, KSCS was unable to provide enhanced funding to KSCS Drama. As opportunities presented themselves, KSCS allowed for lapsing Brighter Futures and salary budgets to be redirected to hiring part time/temporary staff. An example of this is when the primary employee went on an educational leave and was only available to the project part time (20 hours /week); a technical director was hired with the balance of the primary employee’s salary. 51
Further, KSCS was able to negotiate a reduction in the rental agreement for the Kateri Hall and the saved rental monies were allowed to be redirected to salaries. It is clear that human resources were an issue for the KSCS Drama Project. Many requests were made under different supervisors and directors, and documented regularly in Brighter Futures reporting. The management of three or four components/groups of programming was a very large endeavour that required a significant amount of volunteer support. The primary employee made numerous pleas over the years to the organization for additional funding for specific items‐ primarily more human resources to run the programming.) Regular notes documenting the resource needs were made in each year’s reporting to Brighter Futures. Since 2000, there was no increase in the allocation for project costs from Brighter Futures. KSCS Drama Project Resources The two primary funding components of the KSCS Drama Project were:  Brighter Futures funding for the project costs, and  KSCS dedicated resources for the salary and benefits of one position (primary employee) Brighter Futures (dedicated) funding began in 2000. The total amount of annual funding provided by KSCS is outlined below. Year Funding Source Amount 1994 Kahnawake Social Services $ 25,000.00 1995 Kahnawake Social Services $ 33,380.00 1996 Kahnawake Social Services $ 33,540.00 1997 Brighter Futures project $ 55,423.00 1998 Brighter Futures project $ 44,727.50 1999 Brighter Futures project $ 57,000.00 2000 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2001 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2002 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2003 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2004 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2005 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2006 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2007 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2008 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2009 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 52
2010 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2011 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2012 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 2013 Brighter Futures (dedicated funding) $ 65,000.00 $ 1,159,070.50 Financial Breakdown of Brighter Futures Funding The following two pie charts have been developed to give the reader a sample of the financial breakdown of how the $65,000 Brighter Future resources were used in programming. The sample years 2002 and 2012 were selected. The chart below depicts the breakdown for Brighter Futures funding for 2002. The expenses were categorized under the following:  Salary which included Technical Director/Building Manager, Assistant Director/Stage Manager, Box Office and Coordinator/Stage Manager  Honorariums were for guest coaches (vocal), musical director, contract musicians and production assistants in that year.  Operating cost which included: rental of Kateri hall, project promotion, publicity, costumes, props, lights, office supplies and set material.  Travel was allocated for field trip transportation for summer camp. 2002 BF Funds Breakdown
34%
Salary
Honorariums
52%
Travel
Operating Costs
3%
11%
The chart below depicts the Brighter Futures funding breakdown for 2012. The expenses were categorized differently from 2002. Funds were spent under the following:  Salaries included for Production Assistant and Administrative Assistant  Benefits included for Production Assistant and Administrative Assistant  Operating cost which included: rental of Kateri hall, Bell Canada for phone lines, Hydro Quebec for electricity, security system and air conditioning.  Program cost which included: stage equipment rental, computer, travel and honorariums. 53
2012 BF Funds Breakdown
18%
26%
2%
Salary
Benefits
Operations
Program Costs
54%
Other Financial Resources The review of documents also noted the following other funding sources that are used to supplement certain aspects of the KSCS Drama Project:  Tewatohnhi’saktha Kahnawake Summer Student Employment project (KSSEP) for the salaries of summer students who help to operate the summer drama camps for children each year.  Volunteer Fundraising Committee (of the TITC) support of specific theatre needs including additional human resources and operating expenses  Box office proceeds (an average of $5,000 per production, with 5‐7 productions a year)  Participant registration fees (summer theatre, etc.)  Rental of theatre to other parties Note: Figures could not be obtained for the amount of financial support that was provided to KSCS Drama from each of these sources over the 20 years. Human Resources At the end of the fiscal year in 2013 a total of $942,301 was allocated to salary and benefits for indeterminate employees within KSCS Drama Project (since 1993). Funding was also provided by Brighter Futures for interim positions when there was a surplus available and to help meet workload when the primary employee was on a reduced work week. The following chart shows the titles and timeframes when Brighter Futures funding was available to cover these positions (as shown in records maintained with KSCS Human Resources): Position Title Time frame funded Technical Director September 2006 to August 2007 June 2008 to March 2009 April 2009 to 2010 April 2010 to March 2011 Production Assistant October 2007 to March 2008 54
Assistant Artistic Director Administrative Assistant October 2007 to March 2008 September 2008‐ March 2009 May 2008 to March 2009 April 2009 to March 2010 April 2010 to March 2011 November 2012 to December 2012 *It is important to note that staffing was also hired under these same titles but funded through the TITVFC. Any parity/bonus exercises conducted within KSCS included KSCS Drama Project employees. Operational Support Behind the scenes operational support that was provided to the KSCS Drama Project during its life, stemmed from these areas:  Supervision  Maintenance  Human Resources  Administration  Communications  KSCS Equipment KSCS Support of the KSCS Drama Project The idea of support offered to the KSCS Drama Project by the larger organization (KSCS) can be looked at in two aspects: there is the continued financial support and also the physical/moral support necessary to carry out the productions. The physical/moral support of the KSCS Drama Project by KSCS seemed to have a history of its own. In the early years, there seemed to be a high level of support provided by KSCS staff for the project. A large number of KSCS staff gave their support to the productions as part of their work and also as volunteers (ushers, box office, videotaping, etc.). Documentation reflects that past supervisors were advocates for the KSCS Drama Project. Over time, this type of visible support diminished. While some KSCS staff members continued to volunteer on an individual basis, make donations to the cause, and attend every show; in the later years (of the 20 year history), KSCS staff and management generally had less and less of a visible role in offering physical/moral support. One of the reasons cited for the notable drop off in participation was a lack of reciprocity from the KSCS Drama Project to assist with other events and activities within KSCS. 55
In review of KSCS financial records for an eight year period of time from 2005 to 2012, the researchers were able to ascertain that KSCS provided financial support over and above the Brighter Futures guaranteed funding. These funds were given to support the project to ensure the continuation of service delivery to the community. They were not deducted from any future funding given to the Drama Project. The table below identifies the years and additional financial support that was provided by KSCS over and above the annual allocated KSCS BF funding. Year Additional Funds Over & Above BF Allocated Budget 2005 12,352.75
2006 1,758.52
2007 1,640.73
2008 12.91
2009 4,988.52
2010 6,402.58
2011 60.86
2012 1,325.28
TOTAL 28,542.15
Other examples of support: the organization provided administrative support for its summer student project, promotional material, photocopying and more recently maintenance support. In 2005, Organizational Development Services (ODS) provided orientation on governing boards to the TITVFC to assist in its evolution to become a board of directors and left the offer to assist with proposals if and when needed. Missed Opportunity for Support A very enlightening set of correspondence and documents were found that outlined a critical decision and missed opportunity in the life of the KSCS Drama Project. A Briefing Note dated October 24, 2003 from Manager, Auxiliary Services to Director of Client Services with the issue of Drama – Staffing Request. Recommendations were made to retain the Technical Director (who was under a term contract) as an indeterminate employee of KSCS or on a long term contract to provide specialized services and consideration be given, in the near future, to the status of Drama (change from a project to a formal KSCS service as it has been in existence and successful for 10 years and has only one indeterminate employee). The brief was supported by both the Director of Client Services and Executive Director. As per policy all new positions within KSCS must be approved by the board of directors. Board of Directors Meeting minutes from November 18, 2003 note two recommendations presented to the Board: 1. Consideration is given to changing the status of Drama (a project for 10 years, with one permanent employee) to a permanent prevention project within KSCS. 2. Retain technical director as an employee of KSCS either as a permanent employee or on a long‐term contract to provide specialized services. 56
Within its discussion, Board members felt that a decision would have to be made on recommendation #1 before even considering hiring another permanent worker. The question was asked, “Does the Drama Project fit within the philosophy of KSCS.” It was felt that it did. The Executive Director asked the KSCS Board during their Strategic Planning to give her a more focused view of where their programs/projects are going. The Board was prepared to change the status of the Drama Project. The board requested an in‐depth proposal to change the project to a program and specified to include the following proposal elements: i.
Rationale why Drama should change its status from project to a permanent service of KSCS. ii.
How does Drama presently address or plan to address the social issues affecting the community. iii.
Operation & Maintenance requirements (office space, hall, administrative, costumes, props, cleaning/cleaning supplies, snow removal etc. etc. etc.) iv.
Budget should be comprehensive…include all costs associated with the entire operations and maintenance of Drama. It was noted by the board that once the project becomes a program they would lose some of their autonomy (in that they would align more within the planning of KSCS). The Board requested that the Executive Director also reassure the primary employee that “we are 100% behind Drama and will work together to have the best possible outcome for the project.” A counter proposal entitled ‘Proposal for the future of Kahnawake Drama’ was prepared and submitted by the primary employee in January 2004. The proposal outlined the resources it required for additional staff and states: “Kahnawake Drama does not need to change its status in its affiliation with KSCS. It works well but does need at least two more employees to meet the needs of the number of people it serves.” In regard to the “Operation & Maintenance Requirements ‐ Status does not need to change as Technical Director & Artistic Director currently take care of Kateri Hall along with community volunteers, and will continue to do so.“ A follow up memo from Manager of Auxiliary Services to Director of Client Services dated January 30, 2004 indicated “the Artistic Director is now stating that Drama does not need to change its status but does need two more employees to meet the needs.” KSCS Board of Directors Meeting minutes dated February 9th, 2004 indicated that “the Artistic Director is saying that he just wants more money for staff – he never meant that the project should be part of KSCS.” Board minutes indicate the decision to resource KSCS Drama was contingent on meeting their proposal requirements, and it did not. As a result the board could not resource as requested and noted: “the project will remain a project and not a program within KSCS. The Artistic Director may submit an additional funding request to Brighter Futures.” This appears to be a missed opportunity for permanency and there was an inability to increase staffing for the project in future years because the larger organization had to contend with many competing demands for resources in response to community needs. Ultimately, no other staff position was made permanent aside from the primary employee. 57
This clearly demonstrates KSCS was at one time prepared to support the KSCS Drama Project to a much larger degree, however in order to do so there were obligations to meet. 3.4.4. IMPACT & EFFECTIVENESS The impact and effectiveness of the KSCS Drama Project had not been formally assessed by any previous large scale evaluations. There is an evaluation component built in as an annual requirement of Brighter Futures funding but it was not clearly spelled out how this is to be done. The majority of documentation of success can be found within the reports produced by the project itself (some potential for positive bias). The most visible indicators of success were the productions themselves and the community response to them. KSCS Drama Project Successes Since 1993 there have been approximately 7 plays/productions per year. It is easy to see how each production became more and more elaborate over the years. Since 1993 there has been an average of approximately 175 persons per year that have been involved in some manner with KSCS Drama. This number fluctuated year to year as new participants joined and some participants moved on. Children that were involved in the beginning came back the following years and as they grew older the project grew with them and offered another age group that would accommodate their participation. Documentation revealed that the perceived success of KSCS Drama became the ability to offer performing arts and the ensuing health benefits for all age groups (the older youth and adults in the community to remain involved). Previous Evaluations There were only two references found regarding any previous evaluation work of KSCS Drama Project as a whole. Both of these were small components within larger documents prepared for Brighter Futures. A Brighter Futures Programming Self Evaluation (completed by the KSCS Drama Project’s primary employee) was carried out in 2008/2009. An eleven question survey asked about various aspects of the programming and outcomes. Key items noted were (verbatim):  The effectiveness of the services remains strong, but on a relatively small scale. There is just not enough personnel to manage all that is being asked from the community, subsequently, many issues are dealt with in a “good enough for now” manner.  The high success is due to the dedication of both participants and volunteers who help to produce each production. In the summer, we are fortunate to acquire summer students from Tewatohnhi’saktha to actually deliver the project to the children and teens. During the academic year, we do not have students and cannot manage a large group of children.  What we are lacking in success is communicating to the community that we exist. Many still do not know that we are here in operation year‐round. Many do not know exactly what we do other than “putting on plays.” It is about the process we go through and the cooperative spirit that it nurtured in putting on a play. 58
Within a Brighter Futures Projects Summary Evaluation Report1 completed in 2003, it was noted that (verbatim):  KSCS Drama has many strengths: o training ground for all aspects of life and future disciplines o allows for development of theatre skills and life skills o helps to train participants in related disciplines o non‐competitive atmosphere; all can excel o develops self esteem, confidence, pride, responsibility and equality o allows children’s talents to grow and flourish o children and families work together to successfully present events to community o holistic approach with physical, mental, spiritual and social well‐being o live theatre and music concerts, professionally accomplished o summer employment for students o volunteers  The main weaknesses were staffing and accommodations.  Drama performs an important service in the areas of life skills and artistic development.  Drama has consistently presented professional productions, beautifully choreographed with dynamic stage sets. All of the actors present themselves in a professional manner and they seem to thoroughly enjoy what they do. There is a great sense of accomplishment and the community benefits from seeing such enormous talent.  Drama has definitely made a dramatic and positive impact on the entire community. Brighter Futures Annual Reporting The KSCS Drama Project’s Annual Report binders produced by the primary employee for each year (available for the review from 1995 to 2008) provided a thorough summary of the events and activities each year along with copies of relevant media articles. The successes and new developments of each year were discussed at the end of each document. An appreciation of the positive impact and effectiveness of the KSCS Drama Project can be found within a review of these documents. It is notable that no mention is made within these binders of any client surveys or other evaluative activities carried out. Review of KSCS Annual Reports A review was carried out of all the available KSCS annual reports for the years 1994/1995 to 2012/2013 (a total of 18 reports). The annual report is the usual place where an organization shares information with the community about its success, impacts and challenges for that year. 1
Brighter Futures Summary Evaluation Report of Pre‐Approved Projects (2002‐2004), By Bonnie Jacobs, November 2003 59
The review identified the following:  The Drama Project was very visible and can see its connection to the organization in earlier years however in later years this was less evident and there was less information provided on the Project making it difficult to understand its tie to the organization.  The Drama Project did move around within the organization however it was never identified why it was shifted to another area within the organization.  There were some instances when the KSCS Drama Project was mentioned twice under different areas for example under a KSCS Program and then as a project under Brighter Futures.  In one instance contact information was provided for all staff and locations (satellite offices); but the primary employees name and the Kateri Hall/drama location were not included in the staff listing. In conclusion, the KSCS annual reports could be said to have contributed to the confusion and misunderstandings surrounding the KSCS Drama Project. 3.5 FOCUS GROUP & INTERVIEWS A very large volume of data was generated from the focus groups and interviews. The evaluation team spent a significant amount of time analyzing the rich information while striving to honour the investment that participants made to the evaluation. The following section presents the findings of the focus groups and interviews organized by the four broad themes of operations, needs and resources, impact and effectiveness, and finding solutions. 3.5.1 INVOLVEMENT WITH & UNDERSTANDING OF KSCS DRAMA At the beginning of interviews, each individual was asked about “what ways/roles they have been involved with KSCS Drama Project”. A summary of the various ways/roles that respondents were involved were as follows:  Patron/attended performances  Participant in a past children’s drama production (drama club or summer drama)  Actor/performer in older group’s productions  Parent of a participant  Aunt/uncle of a participant  Volunteer at the theatre (many capacities)  KSCS staff who worked directly with administering the project  Summer student/summer camp counsellor  Musical Entertainer  Past staff of KSCS Drama Project/part time employee 60
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Past supervisor of the primary employee (including Manager/Director at KSCS under whom the project fell) KSCS Board of Directors Past TITVFC A number of the individuals provided detailed descriptions of the many ways that they were involved over the years including the specific names and years of productions that stood out in their minds. Most reported having more than one of the above roles for example‐ a person who was a patron, parent of participants and volunteer. “As a child, I was in summer drama camp for a few years. As I got older, I was involved in the adult theatre group and as a summer camp counsellor. I also volunteered to help with productions, worked as an usher and painted sets.” ~ Key Informant Child/Youth Participant (6‐12 years) The child/youth participants were asked 5 simple questions (see tool located in Appendix _). The commonalities in their responses were as follows:  They joined the summer drama camp because they enjoyed singing, acting and performing in plays. Others had friends who attended or mothers who encouraged them.  What they liked about drama was the camp leaders, the fun activities such as games, crafts and trips, as well as putting on shows.  They liked everything about drama except that it was stressful sometimes preparing for shows.  What they think can help to make drama better is more camp leaders and having the project run more than just once a year in the summer. “I like how it was hard work, but all worth it in the end” ~ Child participant What does KSCS Drama Project include All people interviewed were asked “what is your understanding of what the KSCS Drama Project includes (groups/activities offered)”? As it turns out, there is a wide variation of understanding and it also depends on the time frame being discussed. It is quite clear from the analysis of this question that there is a conflicting understanding of the groups involved or included under the name KSCS Drama Project:  Nearly all (89%) of the people who answered this question specifically mentioned children, youth, the summer drama camp or the afterschool drama club as being a part. There seems to be a shared understanding that KSCS Drama Project had a focus on children’s programming and activities. Many knew of the different age brackets (younger and older).  The children’s programming was described as prevention activities geared to building a young person’s self‐esteem and sense of achievement where life skills such as team work and cooperation were a natural part. It was viewed as a much needed alternative that provided a creative outlet (acting, singing, dancing, improvisation, drawing, crafts) 61
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as well as a place for fun and to make new friends. There was a lot of discussion of the types of activities carried out, primarily the shows but also the field trips, physical and outdoor activities. About half of the people who answered this question included knowledge of three streams to KSCS Drama 1) Child 2) Teen/Young adult and 3) Adults (Musical Entertainers) with some overlap between the categories. There is a lot of confusion that exists on the involvement of Turtle Island Theatre. This question raised a lot of confusion between the components of Turtle Island Theatre and whether these components were actually still or ever a part of KSCS in any way. Many people expressed being unaware of exactly who is included. Most of the participants who self identified as a Musical Entertainer expressed that they were not a part of KSCS Drama Project and were a separate entity entirely (some equated KSCS Drama Project with children and saw a distinction based on the fact that proceeds from their shows were earmarked for a new theatre). “I understood that Musical Entertainers wasn’t part of it. It’s shocking that the whole time I wasn’t aware we were part of it (KSCS). I always thought we were part of the fundraising arm of the theatre. ” ~Participant  A minority of people could not answer the question because they only knew the term Turtle Island Theatre Company. Individuals in this group felt that the name KSCS Drama Project was no longer relevant as all of the recent work has been carried out by the Turtle Island Theatre, and they did not know of KSCS beyond being a sponsor/funding source of drama (as seen at the bottom of playbills).  The same question was raised several time ‐ what parts were truly recognized as KSCS Drama Project and what parts were solely Turtle Island Theatre? 3.5.2 OPERATIONS Strengths & Weaknesses All participants, key informants and focus group members were asked “What are the strengths (what worked well) and weaknesses (what didn’t work well) of KSCS Drama Project” for 7 pre‐
identified areas and an “other” area. The trends in responses are presented below, beginning with the strengths and then moving on to weaknesses. “Fun! There was a positive impact on the community. Participants loved it. Made a lot of people happy. They want to see it continue.” ~ Focus Group Participant Program/ Activity Strengths Across the board, key informants, participants in one‐on‐one interviews and those that participated in the focus groups were all in agreement that a big strength was drama’s impact. It contributed to building a person’s confidence, self‐esteem, providing an opportunity to socialize and learn new skills. Other strengths mentioned were:  the primary employee application of his experience and knowledge  to see immediate results which were the shows/productions that were put on 62
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that the programming and activities were open to all ages allowed for large numbers to participate summer drama camp an alternate activity offered in community it offered children an introduction to the theatre it offered continuous services (always something going on) “There was never anything like it before in all my years. There were plays and music events years ago (80’s) but it was one‐off every few years but this was all the time.””~ Focus Group Participant Personnel and Staff Strengths It was identified that it “took a village” to run the programming and productions. Many people were involved as volunteers and not necessarily paid personnel. Key points were:  the primary employee experience, skills and knowledge that he brought to the KSCS Drama project  the amount of care, dedication, and devotion that the staff and volunteers had  a key strength was the primary employee who was described as a genius at what he did, an extremely talented individual with a remarkable ability to bring the productions to life.  there was also praise for the part time and summer student staff who directly worked with the children over the years. “I also think that what ended up happening – the natural progression of the children “graduating” into the roles of facilitators – which was probably not planned but just a natural bi‐product of the evolution of the program, speaks volumes about the long term sustainability of the program at least from the perspective of those involved.” ~ Key Informant Management Strengths Although many did not provide a comment in this area what was identified were often in particular to the primary employee management of the program. It was felt by most that he was very good at managing the productions. Communication Strengths What seemed to be working really well and identified as a strength for the KSCS Drama project was how they informed the community about the upcoming productions through their use of the Eastern Door, posters, flyers, face book and the sandwich board outside the theatre. Many of the staff that had worked at the theatre also felt that their staff meetings were very useful and helped better communication between them, the primary employee and those that participated. 63
Financial Practice Strengths Many respondents shared that they did not know enough to provide a comment however those that did provide comments were mostly individuals who were key informants. What was identified as strengths were:  the TITVFC kept good financial records  KSCS also kept good financial records  there always seemed to be enough funds to do the next production Location (facility & space) Strengths The primary strength of the facility was its location. Many shared that it was centrally located in the community and great because of its close proximity to the schools, Our Gang, and Youth Center. The facility also had the luxury of offering the parking spaces available. The space was more than adequate and the amount of seating offered for the audience was very good. Many commented that the work put in to make it like a theatre was done very well. KSCS (larger organization) Support Strengths The strength most identified was KSCS’s financial support. Some individuals knew about the preapproved funding from Brighter Futures and that KSCS also provided the primary employee salary. There were almost an equal number of respondents that shared that they were unsure exactly what support was offered from KSCS and/or they thought very little to none. There were a few that identified the arms length of involvement taken from KSCS was actually a strength. Lastly it was identified that there was a lot of visible support from KSCS initially when the KSCS Drama project began but for whatever reason that dwindled over the years. “Created a lot of talented people who otherwise might not have found their calling if drama wasn’t around.” ~ Key Informant Programming/Activity Weaknesses Of those interviewed approximately 20% identified that they felt that there were no weaknesses in the programming offered. The remainder of respondents commented on the programming/activities identifying what areas they thought could use improvement.  Not fully evaluating or providing enough formal opportunities for feedback with regards to this area.  Because there was so much going on, there was lack of time and evaluation to further develop these areas.  Not using all of the gifts and talents of the volunteers within the programming and activities  Didn’t have a say in which productions were selected or their suggestions for shows; ideas for set design, etc. were not easily accepted.  No clear communication to community with regards to what programming and activities that were subsidized by KSCS and those by TITC (put in communication).  More organization and structure around summer programming.  No orientation to the facility and programming. 64
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Plays and some activities did not always seem age appropriate. No cultural content incorporated. Children’s programming should have been more than just in the summer months rather all year long. Not fully using drama to help provide skills to deal with issues. Missed opportunities to work with other KSCS programs & services. A notable weakness was that some people felt the drama project became somewhat “cliquish” over time. The same people were involved over a long period of time; as a new participant it was reported to feel a bit intimidating to join. Other examples shared were with the selection of people for key roles in productions (perceived favoritism), selection of volunteers, same summer students or part time staff hired multiple years, and in some instances, these were close friends and family members (perceived nepotism). There was also a growing concern over the increase in non‐native people being hired and cast in shows– the question posed was “is Brighter Futures not an initiative that is earmarked for community members?” “Some children were always ‘tree number three’ which could not have been too good for their self confidence”~ Participant Personnel/Staffing Weaknesses In the responses, many shared that they saw the programming and activities offered evolving and expanding through the years so much so that the amount of work involved was becoming a lot more than could be handled by the number of staff, summer students and volunteers. “I guess what I am trying to articulate here is that the program by age 5 needed a second full time paid employee in order to take care of everything properly and keep the program growing.”~ Key Informant Endeavors were very ambitious and there were comments as to how that long could this be realistically sustained. There was a need to clarify what was KSCS drama responsible to cover and what was TITC responsible to cover with regards to personnel and manpower (salary, benefits, insurance, etc.). Regardless of who was responsible, the following areas were noted as areas that needed improvement:  When hiring summer students for Summer Drama Camp, there needs to be a balance of students who are interested in child education and those that are interested in the performing arts.  Summer students need work plans, set schedules and more structure, more guidance and training.  Must respect how jobs are posted and not assign responsibilities that people are not trained for.  Labor standards and practices must be respected.  Fair hiring practices.  Trained staff to work in administration, finance and maintenance. 65
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Perception of favoritism when hiring. Hiring of non‐native staff perceived negatively as there are few jobs in the community and capacity should be built within our own community members. Participants and key informants revealed there was room within KSCS Drama to focus on community capacity building. It was felt that community youth should be trained to learn how to run the technical aspects such as sound & lighting and tech equipment operation. This existed in the past with previous employees but changed in recent years as outside technicians were brought in more frequently. Management Weaknesses Respondents answered this question in several ways, some spoke specifically of the management from the larger organization KSCS, some spoke specifically about the management of the primary employee and lastly there were some that mixed both in their responses. KSCS supervisor(s)  not involved or visible in the day to day operations  lack of supervision/involvement and support  too many supervisors and all with different management styles  mixed messages from KSCS  lack of documentation on agreements made with the primary employee Primary Employee  too much for one person to handle/manage well  there were some blurred lines of personal and professional (was described as more of a friend than a boss)  minimal guidance/supervision for summer staff  did not apply KSCS policies and procedures well i.e. contracts for staff, employee payment, timesheet submissions, use of honorariums, etc.  resisted some direction given by supervisors  late with reports General Comments Management  no long term planning  lack of transparency  lack of clear communication between KSCS, the theatre and the community  when things were flagged, they weren’t fully addressed, things were allowed to continue Communication Weaknesses  communication was poor between primary employee and KSCS in general i.e. KSCS financial department, Communications team, Human Resources 66
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The lack of communication that became worse over time. An example of the disconnection between KSCS and the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee is when similar activities were being planned in isolation for the same date. did not use KSCS Communications, preferred to do their own some misinformation was allowed to be put out theatre not on KSCS computer network system not enough press releases done internally to theatre, need a better system for day to day tracking of a person’s whereabouts a better partnership with KSCS communications team not aware of internal KSCS developments advertisements not done timely or advertised well they were not a part of the KSCS computer network so didn’t have the same access like other staff “I believe there was no communication between the parties. Everyone involved is to blame for that but KSCS, as the employer, should be held more responsible”. ~ Participant Financial Practice Weaknesses  lack of trained personnel at theatre to work with KSCS financial system  lack of transparency regarding where funds came in, who provided these funds and where this money was spent led to confusion and needed clarity  box office system was poorly organized and needed accurate accounting principles in place  concerns about tracking/ accountability  no accountability to the community on fundraising and KSCS Drama Project was a part of this Location (facility & space) Weaknesses Many respondents identified that the Kateri Hall was adequate; however it was a rented space and there was no sense of permanency. It was acknowledged that the hall was not meant to be a theatre and a lot of work was put in to make it as such. Given this there were a few weaknesses identified with the setup and they were:  lighting could have been better, very dark, little natural light  cold building in the winter months  not enough space dedicated to rehearsals  limited office space  larger stage area  more storage space  felt very separate from KSCS “Physical location outside of KSCS main office created corporate memory of its own.” ~ Key Informant 67
In addition to the above there were a few that mentioned that the roof leaked, the spaces did not seem clean; because there was so much stuff that there needed to be more periodic “safety inspections” conducted to ensure it was safe. KSCS Support Weaknesses  a number of respondents identified that support from KSCS in general was lacking  a number of persons also mentioned that they never saw or saw only a few KSCS staff at shows this was taken as a lack of support  it was identified that the primary employee was left on his own and not provided the proper supervision. “I’m not sure that the primary employee or staff of the Drama Project ever felt complimented. I think it would have a gone a long way if more people of KSCS had routinely paid direct compliments or made public acclaim of their work and attended performances.” ~ Key Informant It was also reported that there has been a historical communication issue with a lack of dialogue and lack of an open working relationship between KSCS and the KSCS Drama Project/Turtle Island Theatre. “KSCS has allowed the Drama Project and its volunteers to run the project with little to no oversight for 15 plus years.” ~ Participant Accountability Both focus groups and interviews mention that accountability was a weakness for the program in terms of reporting (financial and activity). This was raised as a concern and recurring issue by both KSCS management and the past members of the Turtle Island Theatre Fundraising Committee. The explanation most often noted was that the project lacked the appropriate resources and mechanisms to ensure accountability, such as a dedicated administrative person. The strength of the primary employee was in carrying out programming and not necessarily administration. The lack of adequate staffing was seen as a key factor in accountability. “Program‐wise no problem. Administration‐wise always problems.” ~ Key Informant Service Satisfaction Only participants (those who have participated in some way) were asked “How do you feel about the general level of services received from the KSCS Drama Project?” The following is a breakdown of responses by percentage (highest to lowest):  31.5% were Satisfied  29.5% were Very Satisfied  14% were Somewhat Satisfied  14% had a different response to the question (didn’t understand the question, the term “service” or felt it was unfair)  8% were Dissatisfied 68
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3% had No Comment The trends from the comments that accompanied this question were:  For those who were satisfied or very satisfied‐ most mentioned that they really enjoyed being a part of it and the shows were excellent, got better and better with time. It was very valuable to participants personally, a great place to go and an incredible asset to the community. These comments were often tied to the efforts of the primary employee and the other people who helped to provide the “services.” “I was very satisfied. I think it was always an incredible asset to the community. It was a project that brought a very positive light to the community and brought people together from all walks of life.” ~ Participant  For those who were somewhat satisfied or dissatisfied‐ some reasons were the experience of difficulties/frustration in trying to work with aspects of the project. It was noted there could have been more input/feedback incorporated for participants, that there were ways to improve functioning of certain aspects. Another issue that caused less satisfaction was the issue of support to the project from KSCS. There were feelings of neglect by the larger organization and belief that KSCS Drama Project could have really benefitted from a better link to supports available, in particular for administration and maintenance. It was noted that there was too much work for one person and that things fell through the cracks as a result.  For those that did not provide a rating, the reasons had to do with the question itself, they did not see drama as a “service” per se of KSCS or did not feel that it was fair to assess satisfaction levels.  The conflict between KSCS and the Turtle Island Theatre as well as the controversy created in the community by the media attention was reported as causing a lot of frustration and further confusion. Feedback/Evaluation Methods Only Key Informants were asked “What were the feedback/evaluation methods used after KSCS Drama Project productions/programming?” The following is a breakdown of responses:  Most people did not know or were not sure about evaluation methods.  Another common response was that no one recalled evaluating in any formal manner (filling out a form) but there were informal methods.  The various informal processes for feedback and evaluation included informal discussions amongst staff, verbal feedback, debriefing after shows and hearing the public word of mouth. Others noted evaluation was based on applause and audience numbers; the success of a show was an indicator.  A small portion stated that there was nothing done to evaluate.  A few identified that the summer students had to fill out evaluations in relation to their summer job experience with KSCS Drama. 69
Concerns or Issues All participants and Key Informants were asked “Have you ever had a concern or issue about any aspect of the KSCS Drama Project?” If yes, how was this handled?  55.5% of respondents said yes, they had a concern  44.5% of respondents said no, they did not have a concern or did not experience anything personally. This question generated diverse commentary and the trends emerging from them are listed below in order of frequency (those most often mentioned to those less mentioned):  Concerns for the future of the KSCS Drama Project considering the current conflict/”public fiasco” between KSCS and the Turtle Island Theatre Company. Many indicated that the issues were not handled well on the part of KSCS. The closing down of the programming to conduct an evaluation caused many people to question the underlying motives and has resulted in a lot of frustration.  Concerns for accountability of the KSCS Drama Project/Turtle Island Theatre especially around financial practices such as the box office practices and maintaining receipts for purchases.  Concerns for the workload of the primary employee. It was felt that the position was overworked, had too many responsibilities.  Concerns for the management of the summer drama camp for children. It was noted that there should be more training and monitoring of summer student counselors who work with children, more support (and spots) for special needs children who could benefit from drama camp, the scheduling of the camp days could be reviewed (i.e. full rather than half days for working parents).  Concerns for the way decisions are made. Some participants wanted more of a say in determining the productions. Opportunities for input were reported to be limited. Some felt that the content of shows chosen was not always age appropriate for the younger children. Another aspect was the way that parts are chosen (for children and adults), it was felt that there should be more rotation of lead roles so others are given a chance. Another aspect was the hiring practices for summer drama counselors; it was felt that many of the same individuals were hired each year.  Concern for safety of the building and the health and safety of participants. The Kateri Hall was not always well maintained, became dirty and disorganized during busy times. The safety of the building was questioned as it was indicated there were some past hazards in the Kateri Hall. This could be a barrier to participation if parents have concerns about whether this was a safe space for children’s programming. “Concerned with how dirty building could get, for example ants everywhere, and disorganization. Concerned with public perception of the mess. If external eyes came in it’s kind of like “if you live in a dirty house it’s OK, but what would others think.” ~ Key Informant  Participants recommended fire drills each year for summer staff and children. Remove the oldest/clutter for fire safety. 70
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Concerns for lack of complaints procedures/recourse. Some isolated incidents were mentioned but never followed up on. Fit Within the Organization A wide variety of opinions exists in regard to the question “How did the KSCS Drama Project fit within the larger organization?” Participants and Key Informants were asked this question. The following are the trends in responses, listed from most to least often mentioned:  About half of the people who answered this question felt that the KSCS Drama Project fit within KSCS by covering broad community health issues for participants. The items included with this theme were:  healthy people  prevention of social issues  psychological/mental health  self‐esteem & confidence  prevention of addictions  life skills  personal wellness  healthy lifestyles “Focusing on repetition, dialoguing on history, experience – all good for holistic health. Fully investing you into a character – so beneficial for your mental health and full personal development. Theatre/performance completely falls in line with the work KSCS is doing to achieve healthy families and communities – self‐actualizing (big issue).~ Key Informant Within this group there was mention that it was a good fit early on when there was more of a children’s life skills and process focus but it became unclear with time and whether all three or four components fit. It was noted that as a “pure” drama program, with primarily a production focus, it would not fit. “Yes, it’s a prevention activity in its purest form. Working with kids early, gives them confidence, self‐esteem, communication skills. This is part of a healthy community – to have arts is a part of a piece of the whole.” ~ Participant  It fit in some ways and not others or not a great fit was a common answer. The details were not clear.  Some felt that drama/theatre/arts does not fit within KSCS (larger organization’s mandate and scope) because they were or should be autonomous. This group did not see the link.  Some felt that KSCS Drama did fit/ was a part but was not treated equally to other KSCS programs and were not given the same resources. Others noted the problems created from the fact that KSCS Drama was always a project and never given program status. “It felt like we were the unwanted step child, on the outskirts, maybe a tiny branch on the tree” ~ Key Informant  A small portion felt that drama fit within KSCS by way of funding or sponsorship only.  A few did not know or had no idea how it fit because of how unclear things had become. 71
Policies & Procedures A series of questions was asked of Key informants only. The questions were specific to Policies and Procedures of the KSCS Drama Project. There were many people who could not answer these questions because they did not know about these areas. “In your opinion, how did the KSCS Drama Project operations align with KSCS policies and procedures?” A little more than half of the people who were able to answer this question identified that the KSCS Drama Project operations did not align with or follow the larger organization’s policies and procedures. Areas of contention often identified were:  finance accounting policies  finance administrative procedures  financial reporting  activity reporting  recruitment and hiring policies All KSCS employees are subject to organizational policies. It was identified that there was resistance to standard procedures enforced by the larger organization because drama/theatre was “different.” There did not seem to be an understanding by the primary employee that this was creating legal liabilities for the organization as per audit and labor standard practices of which KSCS has to respect as per funding requirements. It was mentioned that in the beginning there were few problems; however, over time this changed as the project grew and other parties became involved. “Based on your knowledge, what kind of KSCS Drama Project specific policies or procedures have been established? (If they exist, where can they be found?)” Almost all identified that they were not aware of any Drama Project Specific Policies and only few mentioned that they were aware of some unwritten policies such as access to funds with the volunteer fundraising committee. Some procedures/guidelines were written regarding the tasks and expectations of volunteers and summer students, but it was mainly a verbal understanding of just be nice to one another, and human‐based policies like equality, cooperation and non‐violence. “The motto was: ‘It’s nice to be important, but more important to be nice’. The goal was simple: you know, just work together and make the theatre the best place it can be.” ~ Participant “What KSCS Drama Project specific policies or procedures should be developed?” The general sentiment was that if KSCS Drama is a program of KSCS then it should simply fall in line with the same policies that govern the rest of the organization. There were some basic procedures and practices that would need to be shored up in particular for staffing (contracts, etc.) and internal financial procedures when handling money. The idea of creating a general internal conflict management procedure was also raised by some. If there are policies that are 72
needed for programming they could borrow from those already in place in other areas of KSCS and just adapt them. Financial Accountability & Practices Two financial questions were asked solely of KSCS Finance staff and past member of the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee: A) What is your understanding of the financial accountability practices of the KSCS Drama Project? B) What would be the ideal practices to put in place when handling Drama finances? The following are the main themes that emerged from these questions:  KSCS Finance could not comment on Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee’s bookkeeping or practices, they were unknown.  There was no staff at KSCS Drama with administration and finance training and experience. It was unclear how much training was ever provided to the primary employee. Support was offered (assistance on how to do things step by step according to procedures).  Accountability lapses were seen as being tied to the many changes in supervision of KSCS Drama (the “rules and expectations” changed often) and the lack of  Communication with KSCS finance was very limited. Only when either party needed something (where is a cheque or need a past due invoice).  There seemed to be a lack of understanding and appreciation of the necessity of following standard accounting principles (primary employee had to be chased to comply)  Saw the need for more support from KSCS for finance and administration assistance.  KSCS Drama operated with a lot of freedom. They were not given the same support as other KSCS programs and they also were not held to the same accountability standards as other KSCS programs (were given a lot of leeway and “chances” i.e. no receipts)  There should be a tracking of expenses and revenues with budget forecasts for each production. This would help to spend wisely.  There are some practices that should be put in place to help with cost savings, such as bulk purchases of supplies  The $65,000 from Brighter Futures covers many set expenses that are paid through KSCS  The average box office amount was $5,000 to $8,000 per show.  It was unclear of the box office practices in those years that it was not accounted for at KSCS. Only the Musical Entertainers box office proceeds were ever accounted for by the Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee (went directly into the building account)  An ideal practice would be to audit the financial practices specific to KSCS Drama project.  An ideal practice would be to have all of the money go in one place/pot and then redistributed as needed, with procedures followed.  There should be a procedure for tracking and acknowledging donations.  There should be a procedure for lending out any resources. 73
3.5.3 NEEDS & RESOURCES Current Service Needs All participants and key informants were asked “Kahnawake has had a drama project since 1993. It began as a life skills/performing arts project for children. What are the current service needs for drama programming specific to children and youth in Kahnawake?” The most common response was that the needs are similar between 1993 and now and “programming should remain as is.” “The same needs as in 1993. There is still a true need for drama programming to exist. This is so important to have another venue aside from sports. Kids nowadays are so tuned in‐they expect options. Drama offers an alternative to media and technology saturation. It could also be expanded to include more of the other arts. Most of our children have to leave Kahnawake for dance, music and other lessons.” ~ Participant There were however, other needs identified from the respondents. These are listed below in order of most to least mentioned:  Expand programming to include taking the opportunity to teach more for example costume making, doing make‐up, writing plays and dance, music, singing lessons, set building and art  To ensure the correct ratio of staff for children is in place  To put more emphasis on life skills  Partner more with the local schools  Offer program year round for young children  Reserve space for referrals for KSCS children/clients with special needs  Build in a cultural component, for example our own plays about our history, creation story, traditional music and dance etc. It was reiterated in the response to this question that an after school program is still a need for children and parents within the community. A concern raised by some within the interviews was for the drama programming geared to elementary aged children (after school and/or weekends). The question was asked about what happened to the Children’s Drama Club/After School Drama Project for the youngest children that was once offered by the KSCS Drama Project. It was reported to have changed over time from an after school project to a weekend project to non‐existent in recent years. At some point in time, the teen productions (age 13+ or high school age) were the only youth productions that ran during the year aside from the children’s summer camp. It was noted in the interviews that while the summer drama camp has consistently been carried out for the youngest age group, after school programming for elementary age was patchy. “A piece missing now is the young kids after school, and this is how it all started”~ Participant 74
A common discussion within the data was of how the KSCS Drama Project productions seemed to be lacking incorporation of Kanien’keha:ka language and culture. It was recognized that there are definite benefits to producing pre‐written copyrighted works that originate primarily from the Western tradition. They allowed youth to learn about places and times outside of Kahnawake. Some participants saw this as a wonderful way to broaden the horizons of youth. On the flip side, a number of people felt that there could have been room made for musicals and plays with original content and native content (even native playwrights). These people believed that some local cultural, language and historical components should be incorporated as this would draw in a larger segment of the community to support the arts. “Noticed it didn’t feel very culturally appropriate, it had little to do with our community and culture. This could have been a part of it somehow. There is no native content, it’s a lot of Broadway, which is lovely but I would also like to see something special about it.” ~ Participant Resource Adequacy & Needs All (participants, key informants and focus groups) were asked “Were the resources (ex. Financial, human, facility, equipment) for the KSCS Drama Project adequate? What were the outstanding resource needs?” The chart below provides the initial response to the resource question: Response Yes No Don’t Know Participants 33% 51% 16% Key Informants 36% 56% 8% However, in responding people qualified there yes or no responses in greater detail. “Having ideas but no people or resources to do it, to carry out ideas, felt no one was listening, no one really cared.” ~ Participant The majority of responses did not differentiate between the KSCS Drama Project and the TITC in their identification of needs. Only a handful made the distinction that they are talking solely about the Turtle Island Theatre Company. It was identified that resources were most likely adequate if it were just children’s drama but if it included other aspects of programming (how it currently was operating) then the resources were not adequate. In general, the recurring resources needs were as follows:  more staff; suggestion of at least two to three more  more funding  professional theater equipment  own facility and storage space (not rented and concerns for having to move – a permanent home for Drama. 75
3.5.4 IMPACT & EFFECTIVENESS Link Between Drama Programming and Mental Health Participants and key informants were asked the question “What is your understanding of the link between KSCS Drama programming and mental health, promotion and awareness (or other community health priorities)?” A majority of respondents knew the benefits of being involved in the KSCS Drama Project. They were able to make the connection/link of how the Drama programming contributed to preventing or helping to address mental health issues as well other health priorities. Most provided common descriptors such as: built/enhanced self esteem, built confidence, fostered a positive self image, taught life skills and kept children and youth from negative influences and provided an opportunity to express themselves. These were the by‐products they saw in others or themselves however no one mentioned that this was promoted as such. “Focusing on repetition, dialoguing on history, experience – all good for holistic health. Fully investing yourself into a character – so beneficial for your mental health and full personal development. Theatre/performance completely falls in line with the work KSCS is doing to achieve healthy families and communities – self actualizing (big issue). This program really shows you to step out of your shell. Theatre lets you experience risk in a place that’s safe.” ~ Key Informant “At first glance, the link doesn’t appear to be there. But, as a performer, you know it’s there. You see, drama is an all encompassing exercise. It involves mind, body and soul. For me, it helped overcome a lot of my personal social problems – social anxiety, shyness, and such. Taking part in drama was a positive experience and helped instill in people great confidence and the ability to speak in public.” ~ Participant The chart below provides a snap shot of responses of participants understanding of the link between KSCS Drama programming and mental health, promotion and awareness. Participants Key Informants
1) Yes, they knew there was a link and provided 61% 73% description 2) Didn’t know that there was a link or supposed to be or 37% 12% was not sure 3) No response 2% 15% “I also think it contributed to the mental health of the community in a good way – through performances and seeing family and friends on the stage acting, singing and dancing on the stage – it created a sense of optimism and light heartedness.” ~ Participant 76
Impact of the KSCS Drama Project Participants, key informants and focus group members were asked “What difference did the KSCS Drama Project make (what was the impact) for the participants/you/your child?” Consulting with community members gave the opportunity to ask each individual what they personally gained from being involved as well what they thought others gained (the impact). The chart below show responses in the three categories listed in order of most often cited to least for each. Participants Yourself Child  Ability to socialize‐
 Built confidence, self  Built confidence, become part of a esteem & allowed for self‐esteem and community (social self expression allowed for self‐
therapy)  Ability to socialize‐
expression  Was positive and fun become part of a  Was positive and fun (made people happy) community (social  Learned valuable life  Built confidence, self therapy) skills esteem & allowed for  Learned valuable life  Ability to socialize‐
skills self expression become part of a  Built capacity‐learned  Alternative healthy community (social activity new skills therapy)  Opportunity to  Was positive and fun  Alternative healthy showcase talents and  Sense of pride for my activity child and others build capacity  Family involvement  Generations involved‐
family involvement “I’m so happy I was involved with drama in my youth. It gave me that sense of accomplishment. When I was cast in shows, it made me feel important and special. That stayed with me. It helped me grow into who I am, and how I carry myself. I internalized it all. I grew so much from it.” ~ Participant Past summer student counselors who took part in the evaluation generally had great things to say about their experience as well. As far as the job was concerned, it was reported to be a very valuable work experience; the students were given a lot of responsibility, as well as freedom to carry out their roles. Success and Achievements All participants, key informants and focus groups were asked “What are the KSCS Drama Projects successes (what has been achieved?)” Respondents identified the following as the KSCS Drama Project successes (in order of most to least mentioned)  the growth and quality of the productions  the alumni including those that have gone on to public careers (deemed successful members of the community, some who have gone outside to pursue their dreams within the performing arts or related fields) 77
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raised awareness and benefits of the arts in the community remained in existence for 20 years offered the opportunity for many age groups to work together had a lot of community support able to offer an alternative safe place for youth was known even outside of Kahnawake for the quality of the shows “Success is bringing together a group of strangers to put on a great performance. Success is learning about your own abilities and your own disabilities. It’s being a part of something that is a good thing. Success is bringing art and music to the forefront. Success is giving people with artistic talent a place to go. Success is taking youth off the street. Success is giving kids who are coming from really challenged families to learn that not everybody is bad. Success is not only letting them know their emotions are real, but that they are good. To acknowledge them and open up to address them. Success is bringing people together to make something happen. Success is getting people to take their personal time to contribute to something as volunteers. Success is helping people understand that the burdens they carry can be lifted by being part of the performance or part of the audience. These successes should be valued and promoted by the organization.” ~ Participant 3.5.5 FINDING SOLUTIONS Future of KSCS Drama Project All (participants, key informants and focus groups) were asked as series of questions about their opinions on the future of KSCS Drama. The first question “to improve the KSCS Drama Project: What do you envision for the future?” When analyzing the responses to this question, three visions emerged from what participants wanted to see in the future. The findings are presented below in order of most to least common. 1) In the largest grouping, many identified having difficulty answering. More often than not they did not specify who they envisioned delivering the program. Whomever decides to continue and offer community drama, the following items would need to be considered to get it up and running again:  There is still a need for their own venue (a real theatre)  Services/programs need to be more structured and sustainable  Look into expanding into more areas of the Arts and incorporate more cultural aspects/teachings /language  Be more open to partnerships and working with other organizations  Simplify and go back to the basics , focus on life skills and children/youth  Would like to see the original primary employee involved  Hold off for a while perhaps a year, let waters calm, and let people heal. 2) The second grouping of respondents shared that it would be best to just let Turtle Island Theatre Company separate and to take the following into consideration: 78
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Will need a board of directors in place Need their own mandate and look for stable funding An independent community theater Offer child and teen programming Still access Brighter Futures funding but will have to return to applying for general funds  Can still have KSCS involved but not take the lead  Any future theatre should remain community minded and not a personal endeavor or private enterprise of one individual. Some view it as leaning toward a private entity if it does not have a true board of directors put in place. 3) The last grouping respondents felt that KSCS should be the one to deliver the Drama program. However like the other options, there were things that needed to be considered, they are:  KSCS deliver the Drama project for children and separate from Turtle Island Theater Company who will take the adult population  Offer the program all year round  Include the adults as well but will require more staff and more structure/accountability  Collaboration and constant communication “I envision moving on with some kind of program that will run smoothly where there won’t be any misunderstandings between KSCS and whoever is running the program. That there is cooperation and communication between both sides. Recognition of the downfalls all around that created this. Using it as a valuable lesson to learn from.” ~ Participant “If KSCS were to maintain any drama project, it needs boundaries, supervision and clear accountability. The programming needs to be reviewed‐ what’s best to offer for kids. A small children’s program. There would have to be mental health or other health priorities built in.” ~ Participant The next question was “What should be done differently?” Some ideas were:  Reinstate the after school program, really give it structure and support – have strong activities. The pay off for participants – to be able to graduate into a role in a production. The Musical Entertainers and Adult Players should also be supported but all within a balanced way.  Better time management around productions. Financial accountability – receipts needed. Track well. Limit the cost of a production – seemed like each show was getting bigger to try to outdo the last production. But how much was spent? Not always cost effective. “Focus on young people again!” ~ Key Informant 79
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Need to refocus on the purpose, place under prevention and provide the right resources and work hand in hand with the funding committee Need a coordinator as liaison between KSCS Drama Project and organization (KSCS). Separate administrative tasks from primary employee position who should really concentrate on developing programming. At KSCS, make sure project is accountable. If something not working, make appropriate changes. “Work it out” using effective communication. Consider funding through KSCS to a theatre company that can run the project but needs clear guidelines that are not overly bureaucratic. Needs transparency. Define mutual expectations. “Closing Kateri Hall was a big mistake, I think. I don’t understand why they did it. Why do that now, especially when the program has been running for something like twenty (20) years. There obviously had to be something going right if it was running that long. There had to be something right – numbers don’t lie. A weakness on the part of the theatre was that they were too dependent on a single organization for everything.” ~ Key Informant 
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More fun activities included rather than just being focused on producing a show. Establish procedures around donations, cleaning, food, stock, inventory, volunteer co‐
ordination, website, and contacts revised/updated. Project/production final reporting, continuous "artist notes" after each session. If KSCS remains involved, then regular check‐ins regarding facility management needs. Stronger connections between all involved (Turtle Island theatre, Volunteer committee(s), KSCS, Catholic Church, Parents). Maybe have different people responsible for different parts of programs. I.e. one to coordinate the kids groups and someone else to coordinate the adults. Need totally new approach. Get the trust back. Consider a new person in charge, after 20 years doing the job; it may be time for a change and new ideas. Also more life skills for training staff and children. Should be more capacity building, mentorship. A lot ends up being done by adults; takes away from experience students could get. Hire student counselors who are going into child development at McGill, Concordia, and Dawson; let them use their knowledge and gain skills. It needs traditional aspect i.e. offer more cultural aspects to the performances and incorporate language. Tap into volunteers and manage well. There are many that would like to help. Everyone wants the program to succeed. Everyone could be registered and given a membership card with a small annual fee. If KSCS would like to see the drama project come to life, they need to take ownership of it and offer it the same amount of support as all of their other services or hand it off. Should be a clear delineation between Turtle Island Theatre Company and the KSCS Drama Project. Have regular safety inspections 80
“Like I said before: clear lines of communication, clear direction and expectations of employee(s). I think there has to be mutual respect too for the program, for the primary employee and for KSCS. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you in other words. Instead of complaining, get to the bottom of it and improve the areas that need working out. Like I said, there’s blame to be had on both sides. I just wish it never got to the point of pointing fingers and passing the blame. And, I really don’t like that it went crazy on Facebook and in the papers. Everyone’s an adult, but they’ve all been acting like kids.“ ~ Participant The final question was “What should remain the same?”  The ability to maintain a strong volunteer support component.  Children’s program should remain the core of it, should be about improving lives of our community members, target should still be life skills for children and youth as prevention.  Children’s drama, summer drama camp, young adults (after school) and Musical Entertainers stay the same (geared toward participation and opportunities for all age groups). ”As long as there is a stage, there will be people to step on it.”~ Participant  TITC continues to operate as they did before.  There will be a need for someone passionate and hardworking who knows drama.  The name Turtle Island Theatre Company because it refers to our creation story  The building with upgrades “The opportunities for people to participate in arts and drama in Kahnawake. Other than that, nothing should be the same. It was poorly handled and continues to be. On some level it wasn’t even handled and to me that’s worse.”~ Key Informant Other Comments As part of the interviewing process an offer is always made to participants to add any other comments they had. This allows for participants to express opinions or share information on issues that they may not have otherwise been asked for during the interview. “I think it would be a devastating loss if Turtle Island and KSCS cannot work out their differences…both parties should work out a transition plan so that the expectations and timetable are clear.” ~ Key Informant A total of 48 individuals (key informants and participants) commented further, comments were also made in the focus groups held. In general, most of the other comments were a reiteration or elaboration of some of the individual’s comments and opinions on earlier questions. Much of what was shared validates the earlier findings in the report. There were a few that commented on the evaluation process itself and shared that they did not like the questions and felt that the evaluation was taking too long. 81
A common sentiment was that without a doubt the “the show must go on” and the components that once existed as part of the KSCS Drama Project will continue somehow, some way. There is presently a void that exists for the many people involved with the productions and who enjoy attending. 82
4: DISCUSSION This section presents further discussion of the overall findings from this evaluation and the research team’s interpretation of them. This section is organized into the following discussion pieces: mandate & resources, grey areas, us and them mentality and future of drama programming for KSCS. 4.1 MANDATE, EXPANSION OF SERVICES & RESOURCES The mandate from KSCS for the KSCS Drama Project began with making sure that children’s life skills programming was carried out using drama as a vehicle. Anecdotal evidence (corporate memory within KSCS) and supported by interviews from many sources reveals that there was a point in time when the Executive Director of KSCS allowed KSCS Drama to expand its mandate from only children’s programming to include older teen programming and then adult programming as well. The only documentation found referring to an expanded mandate was specific to the after school and summer camp children’s programming. The details and terms of the agreement for expansion to older age groups could not be found. There is also conflicting documentation; the funding agreements show four components as work of the project since 1998, yet performance reviews note the time given to the arts (Musical Entertainers and K‐
STARS) as completely volunteer as late as 2000. There are many anecdotal reports from interviews (and some personal notes, internal memos that support this) that the organizational stance in the early years seemed to be that as long as the children’s programming is carried out then the rest is OK. However, as later supervisors came on, the same issues with the mandate were repeatedly flagged. “Back in the beginning, for KSCS Management, it was very clear. Artistic Director was hired to do the youth groups. We just accepted that the other groups were the spin‐offs. Can’t really pinpoint when things really changed.” ~Key Informant Some of the key informants argued that the full expanded mandate exists simply because all four components (including the adult programming) were included on the work plans that were submitted annually, attached to the funding agreements and were never questioned. Services were expanded regardless. “His mandate was always in question. The Artistic Director said his mandate was expanded by the Executive Director and Manager at the time. When you ask for that mandate, nobody actually has it. The next Executive Director never wrote him a new mandate.” ~ Key Informant So, what was the actual case? The state of the mandate was not easy to ascertain because of differing opinions and because of the absence of documentation that reflects the agreement to expand the mandate specifically to the older age groups. This evaluation has found no documentation of a formal mandate change. This raises the following questions: 83
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is there a formal process within KSCS to create project mandates and adjust them? who has the actual authority to expand project mandates? what is the practice to expand services within a project? does expanding services in a project automatically result in an expansion of project mandates? who evaluates the proposals and reports that are submitted to ensure expansion of services follows channels of authority? The scope of the mandate for the KSCS Drama Project was tied directly to the initial resources dedicated to it by KSCS. KSCS was prepared at one time to make KSCS Drama a program and enhance the resources. When this opportunity fell through, common sense dictated that the workload should have been decreased. This raises the following questions:  who has responsibility to adjust workload? At what level of management does this take place?  what is the process to adjust workload? When is it usually done? There is a common argument that the resourcing from KSCS has not been adequate to meet the needs of KSCS Drama. This is related to conflicting perceptions of whether expanded services translate directly to an expanded mandate. INITIAL MANDATE EXPANDED SERVICES No, KSCS was responsible for children’s Yes, KSCS was fully responsible for all programming and the rest of the components (including adult components were an “allowable bonus”, programming components), then… then…  Staffing from KSCS was adequate.  Staffing from KSCS was not Administrative support was adequate. The organization should supplied as needed. have dedicated at least another full time position (considering *Cannot determine whether the operations and administration operational funding would be needs). adequate. *Cannot determine whether the operational funding would be adequate. This raises the following questions:  what responsibilities are associated with a mandate for a pilot project?  what responsibilities are associated with an expansion of services?  What responsibilities are associated with an expanded mandate? 84
4.2 GREY AREAS As presented earlier in the findings, section 3.1.6 and illustrated by the Venn diagram representing 3 parties (KSCS, TITC, TITVFC), there are many grey areas that have evolved over 20 years for the KSCS Drama Project. Some of recurring grey areas are discussed below. Multiple roles & involvement of the primary employee may have led to misunderstandings for accountability. The primary employee was hired by KSCS to be responsible for the KSCS Drama Project (which began under different name). He was also considered to be the Artistic Director of the TITC (which began under different name) and had a seat on the K‐STARS (which evolved into the TITVFC). In his role as Artistic Director he was responsible for overseeing ALL aspects of functioning of the KSCS Drama Project, the running of a theatre facility and the efforts to build a new theatre. Many perceptions and different understandings existed about the KSCS Drama Project. These were flagged by supervisors and different departments within KSCS. Attempts were made to begin to clarify things but follow up was lacking and the reasons why were not documented. This raises the following questions:  When an employee is involved voluntarily with other groups/organizations, what is the practice to ensure there is clarity and accountability between volunteerism and the paid position?  When there are several stakeholders involved in a project, what is in place to assist them in understanding their roles, responsibilities, accountabilities and authorities within this partnership?  What mechanisms would be used to communicate the above to all stakeholders and the community?  If a conflict arises, what recourse do the parties have? Use of names/terms A common practice has been the interchangeable use of names/terms over the years. The following are some examples of the confusion that has evolved in the use of names:  KSCS Drama Project, Kahnawake Drama, Turtle Island Theatre Company  Project, program, company  TITC‐ a troupe name, a registered business, a non‐profit organization  TITVFC‐ a fundraising group, a board of directors The findings show that while KSCS noted the name KSCS Drama Project in all of its formal documentation; the proposals and reports provided by the primary employee reflected many different names, yet no documentation of an approval process or agreement to these changes could be found. The KSCS Drama Project was allowed to operate at arm’s length from KSCS for a long period of time and they made their own rules as they grew. This raises the following questions: 85
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Who has the authority to change the name of a KSCS project? What is the process to do this? When is this done and why? Is silence considered consent? “I know that the KSCS Drama Project and the Turtle Island Theatre are two separate entities but many think they are the same because they are both run out of the same building and by the same faces so over time both programs got lumped together.” ~ Key Informant It is known that the Turtle Island Theatre Company was registered as a business in 2004 and KSCS is not noted in this registration. The business mailing address is different from KSCS. The primary employee is noted as the president. This information indicates there was a distinct difference in use of the name TITC. Conflicting Historical Statements It is easy to see how confusion was created concerning the similarities and differences between the KSCS Drama Project, The TITC and the TITVFC. There following are just a few of the historical statements that show inconsistencies:  In a New Developments section in the September 2003 – August 2004 reporting submitted by the primary employee states “The Turtle Island Theatre Company has organized a board of directors who has registered themselves as a not‐for‐profit organization, so that they are not only the fundraising committee, but also the producing body in charge of all tasks for each show.”  On May 31st 2012 the primary employee provided a historical overview of the KSCS Drama Project at a meeting with Brighter Futures staff and The Executive Director of KSCS. It was stated in minutes that “the Turtle Island Theatre Company is just a name like Our Gang, it is not incorporated”.  In November 2012, The Volunteer Fundraising Committee publicly stated that they (the committee and NOT Turtle Island Theatre) wish to remain essentially separate from KSCS. It was explained that “the Volunteer Committee is NOT the Turtle Island Theatre Company, but it’s protectors”.  In January 2014, a communication provided to the research team stated: “It is also the understanding that the current Fundraising Committee will soon be entrusting the monies raised thus far for a Kahnawake Community Theatre Building to a soon‐to‐be formed Turtle Island Theatre Company Board of Directors.” Based on this statement, as of that time it seems that a board of directors had not yet been formalized but there are intentions to transform into a legally recognized board. Poor communication and lack of regular evaluation and alignment caused more confusion among many of the stakeholders and did not allow much opportunity to work through the differences and create a shared vision for the partnership between KSCS Drama Project and Turtle Island Theatre Company. 86
“A lot of volunteers did it for their kids who then grew up. No real long term vision – where it could go and how it could be sustainable for future. Everything focused on now – what was the next play, not long term.” ~ Key Informant Within KSCS, the KSCS Drama Project was viewed by most as a part of the larger organization by virtue of the fact that KSCS hired the primary employee and controlled the Brighter Futures funding for the project’s operation. Conflicting opinions were seen within the interview and focus group data. Some reported viewing KSCS as the parent organization of KSCS Drama/Turtle Island Theatre. Others reported understanding they were not at all a part (“they only fund us”). It was learned from interviews that many adult participants of the Turtle Island Players and the Musical Entertainers believed/were told they were completely separate from KSCS. At some point the working relationship with KSCS changed and the connection to the organization seemed to have become more of a means to an end for those carrying out the programming. What kind of entity is TITVFC? For most of the KSCS Drama Project’s existence, the K‐STARS (eventually the TITVFC) were intrinsically involved with the programming and funding aspects. It was reported in the interviews that summer students and other past employees have been unsure who they were working for and accountable to. This raises the following questions:  Whether TITVFC was simply a fundraising group/committee or whether they were acting in any governing capacity (as a board of directors)?  What sort of authority did the TITVFC believe it had over the employees of KSCS Drama Project and its operations?  Did KSCS understand its legal obligations regarding this shared authority?  Given that some of the employees were hired by TITVFC and others by KSCS, which entity is legally responsible for which employees; KSCS Board or the TITC/TITVFC? 4.3 US AND THEM MENTALITY As discussed in the previous section, the relationship between KSCS and the KSCS Drama Project/TITC became weakened. An “us and them mentality” flourished over the years and was noted by some as a “wall put up”. Key stakeholders did not take responsibility to dismantle the wall; rather they contributed to its growing higher. It is very difficult to work in partnership around this kind of mentality. Some benchmark decisions that contributed to a divided mindset:  the 2002 redirection of $400,000 earmarked for a new theatre to another KSCS facility. This piece of history was referenced by individuals in the consultation as a turning point 87
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when relationships between KSCS, the KSCS Drama Project and the TITVFC really eroded. the rental of Kateri Hall‐ which was originally divided into KSCS Drama paying for the front and the TITC paying for the back. At one point there were separate utility bills. In 2003, there was a renegotiation of the rental of the Kateri Hall with the KSCS Drama Project paying for the rental of the entire hall at a reduced rate and KSCS holding the lease. the name change from KSCS Drama/Kahnawake Drama to TITC in early 2004. This change occurred with no clarification made internally or to the community of exactly what the relationship was with KSCS. It seems from that point (possibly sooner) a belief was perpetuated that the TITC had a distinct identity from KSCS. “I wish there was more clarity with where KSCS is involved in the whole program. I always thought they were just a sponsor. I don’t know who is actually involved or in charge. The disconnection came when the name changed. Funding comes from KSCS but it is Turtle Island Theatre Company.” ~ Participant It was unclear if the primary employee sought input or shared the plans that were created (as an employee of KSCS), such as the annual submission of Brighter Futures proposals and the Community Health Plan logic model with others involved in programming or the TITVFC. There was a lot of confusion and misunderstanding of the role and connection to KSCS at all levels – internal with drama participants, past staff, summer student employees and within KSCS management. There is evidence within the sources analyzed for this evaluation that a wall has been built up between KSCS and the KSCS Drama Project/Turtle Island Theatre Company over 20 years. On one side of the wall was “us” 20 Year Wall and on the other side was “them”. Some of the stones that made up this wall were: 
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Lack of a clear mandate for the project, with defined purpose, responsibilities and expectations Lack of consistent and sustained effort to address the many grey areas Lack of an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the stakeholders involved outlining: governance (policies, procedures), supervision, roles, responsibilities, accountability, cost sharing , asset sharing, reporting (financial & activity), dispute resolution process lack of communication between KSCS (supervisors, then management and board), the primary employee and the TITVFC Lack of mutual understanding of the other’s system, culture and needs Lack of documentation Lack of regular evaluation and feedback High turnover in immediate supervisors resulted in issues falling through the cracks 88
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Lack of regular meaningful dialogue between two distinct systems to build understanding and address issues in constructive ways Poor inclusion of KSCS Drama within the larger organization Resistance of KSCS Drama to being included The physical separation and isolation of the KSCS Drama Project from the rest of the larger organization. Preference to remain arms length and retain control over project rather than become a permanent program with adequate funding and staff Control issues considering the project was allowed to operate fairly autonomously with little “interference” from the parent organization over the years Ignorance, misinformation, allowing people to operate on their assumptions instead of facts Poor compliance with reporting, policy and procedures Poor financial accountability for box office proceeds Waiving of KSCS policy without clear alternative conditions (anniversary date, box office) Poor monitoring and assessment of workload Lack of mutual appreciation Lack of trust and open working relationship
Gossip and bad mouthing Resentment
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Disillusionment Confusion
Jealousy
Fear 4.4 FUTURE OF DRAMA PROGRAMMING FOR KSCS There are various levels of involvement that KSCS may choose from in support of continued drama programming in Kahnawake. There is the programming level and the resource level to consider. KSCS holds resources that it wants to dedicate to children’s drama programming. A decision must be made if the organization can:  Continue to provide programming directly, working within KSCS policy and procedure in all aspects of operation.  Outsource programming to another entity to provide. In the case of outsourcing; the qualifications and suitability for working with children and the accountability structure must be determined. 89
The principle options at the programming level remain: A) Work in partnership with the TITC and the TITVFC. Come to the table and work towards determining responsibilities for future programs. The children’s programs being the primary focus of KSCS. B) Go separate ways: 1‐ TITC runs its own programming 2‐ KSCS runs its own programming The question at the resource level is what will be done with the KSCS Drama Project assets/ resources currently held by KSCS:  Brighter Futures dedicated funding  Salary for one position  Control of the lease for Kateri Hall  Contents of the Kateri Hall (KSCS/Brighter Futures purchased assets)  Intellectual property (any and all ‘work’ produced in whole or in part by a KSCS employee for or on behalf of KSCS, or during the employee’s working hours) Note: While Turtle Island Theatre has expressed an interest in carrying on all aspects of KSCS Drama and has indicated a wish to be completely independent of KSCS (as of September 2013), it is believed that there would need to be serious negotiation between the two (or three) parties as part of any transition, with clearly specified conditions. Some conditions could be;  Determination at the resources level would be dependent on the programming level.  If there are willing parties and a partnership can be forged, then resources and accountability structure could be negotiated.  If there will be a distinct separation, there would be a lot of unknowns and financial instability in this picture. Taking into account all of the sources of information gathered within this evaluation, there are a number of careful considerations that will have to weigh into decision making:  There is support within the community for a group of individuals who have had 20 years of association with drama programming in Kahnawake and the experience to run future programming.  Regardless of who carries it out, any future programming needs a strong accountability structure; supervision of all staff, a process for handling issues and complaints, accountability to the funding source and transparency to the community.  A potential concern is avoiding duplication of service in the community. Setting up two separate children’s drama programs (one run by KSCS and one run by TITC) could mean both competing for participants and resources. There is likely enough of a client base and variety is a good thing within the community, so the question becomes cost effectiveness and efficiency in having two entities offer similar services unless organized with very different approaches.  A question that arises is the definition of youth‐ at what age does a person transition from a child to youth to young adult to adult?  Does KSCS want to get into/remain in the business of running a theatre‐ how does this relate to its mandate? 90
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There are unknown factors that will influence the future such as the status of Kateri Hall and the need for a new community theatre/auditorium. At the time of writing this report the research team has been made aware that KSCS’s financial situation has changed from when the evaluation began. 91
5: CONCLUSION The following section provides the overall conclusions drawn from the information gathered during the course of this evaluation. The performing arts in Kahnawake have been in existence long before the KSCS Drama Project and TITC came on the scene. Kahnawake has generated performing art groups as the talent of interested community members came together. As Kahnawake had no true theatre facility, performances were held in community halls and this seemed to be adequate at the time. KSCS took up an opportunity to tap into this interest and use it as a strategy to reach children via an after school program; with an intent to build life skills and self‐ esteem. The primary employee hired within the project was aware of this original intent; and documentation shows that this intent had not changed in its twenty years, aside from the addition of older age groups. There were two distinct systems trying to work together to deliver both “life skills” services and “drama” productions. One is a health and social services system, the other a performing arts system. Each of these systems has very distinct organizational cultures, mindsets, practices, obligations, personalities and ideas of how to go about delivering a drama project. Aside from their differences, these two systems also have common ground in that they truly care about the children and the community, have a desire to deliver high quality services, share some of the same values, and involve highly creative, dedicated and hard working individuals. Each stakeholder (KSCS, TITC and the TITVFC) had the responsibility for the development, maintenance and organization of their respective system. Where they shared responsibility was to develop and sustain a partnership that would support the continued programming to youth and the ensuing mental health benefits for participants. The goal of an impact evaluation is to answer the question “has the program/program achieved its intended outcomes”? In light of the analysis of all sources of evaluation data, a 20 year history, and community sentiment, the answer is a resounding YES. The KSCS Drama Project has met its goals. Aside from simply putting on plays, it has inspired participants to take on new roles and try their skills in the many areas that are part of the productions. It filled a need and desire for performing arts in the community and provided a unique niche for those involved. It contributed to healthier lifestyles by inherently including prevention and life skills in action for all age groups. This is the fit within the larger organization. There are indisputable benefits of participating in the performing arts for the individual and there has been a positive impact on the community at large. The interviews and focus group consultation revealed that while there was a great general success, there were also a number of ways in which the KSCS Drama Project could have been improved along the way. The findings also revealed missed opportunities to build a facility for the performing arts, to secure permanency as a program, and to secure additional manpower in the form of volunteers and staff. 92
A large portion of the findings and discussion contained within this report involved the many “grey areas” that developed over the history of KSCS Drama. These grey areas were apparent in reviewing the existing documentation and were reiterated in different ways throughout the consultation data. The lack of formalized agreements among the various stakeholders contributed to grey areas; and all stakeholders share in the responsibility for failing to establish this critical framework for a working relationship. Without regular communication and dialogue these grey areas grew. The KSCS Drama Project operations did not consistently meet KSCS’s reporting requirements and little was noted on how this was addressed during the life of the project. Collaborative decision making was not evident as key changes occurred within and for the KSCS Drama Project. Rather, decisions were reflected after the fact, in the reports produced by the project. The disconnection found between KSCS management and the KSCS Drama Project suggests that not all levels of KSCS management were aware of changes and consequently did not have an appreciation of the impacts of these decisions. Misinformation and misunderstandings of the past seemed to feed decisions and actions that were made along the way. The high turnover in supervisors without any formal documented and implemented transition plans created conditions for misalignment of the KSCS Drama Project and allowed more grey areas to occur. In effect, it was these same grey areas that afforded the primary employee a significant amount of control in how he chose to operate the KSCS Drama Project. The lack of project “master files” meant that successive supervisors were not provided with reference documents needed for consistent and effective supervision. A key point to consider is that while the names ‘KSCS Drama Project’ and ‘Turtle Island Theatre Company’ have been historically linked (though unclear in many ways), a clear distinction has already been made within the community and mutually understood that the two are indeed separate entities. KSCS was not responsible for the TITVFC and the vision it had to establish a community theatre. KSCS was and is still supportive of this venture (as it would provide a stable home for performing arts), but ultimately, KSCS’s mandate was never to build or run a theatre. It was reasonable to expect that the $65,000 allotment for Brighter Futures combined with the box office revenue, salary and benefits was adequate to operate the KSCS Drama Project and to produce a given number of productions per year had the programming remained with the original targets of young children, which it did not. KSCS allowed for the growth and incorporation of programming to adults with no enhancement of resources. It was unreasonable to expect the primary employee to operate the entire KSCS Drama Project with the expansion of service that was allowed. As a consequence, programming to children was 93
eventually reduced. KSCS ultimately failed to make the tough decision to reduce programming when it was not able to provide additional resources to the project. There were reasons identified in the interviews as to why this decision was not made. On one hand there were always other competing funding needs within KSCS, and the health and social service needs were paramount. On the other hand KSCS Drama had success and produced positive outcomes with all the components it involved. Finally, there seemed to be some concern for the potential negative relations that could result if the adult groups were no longer funded by KSCS Drama. The KSCS Drama Project was supported by KSCS on a variety of levels and in many meaningful ways; however KSCS failed to provide some critical support in terms of consistent direction and supervision (improving accountability structure), regular evaluation, clear partnership agreements and effective communication. Considering the findings, the KSCS Drama Project cannot go back to operating the way things were. There is a need to improve operations. There is also a need to implement interim programming while the stakeholders explore the future of the KSCS Drama Project. The community expects accountability from it community organizations. There will need to be effort put in to clarifying the outstanding grey areas, defining/deciding on these once and for all and then communicating this clearly to the community. This will go a long way in forging a new common understanding and hopefully new partnerships. 94
6: RECOMMENDATIONS In light of the findings and subsequent conclusions of the evaluation, the following recommendations are put forward: Recommendation #1: Because KSCS has chosen to remain involved in the performing arts by using a drama project as a strategic prevention vehicle and has allowed programming to expand to older participants (clients), the organization has an ethical obligation to ensure that all clients continue to be supported during any transition of services (the programming provided by the KSCS Drama Project). There should be some validation, recognition, or acknowledgement by KSCS made for the time, effort and support of all those people who have been involved with the KSCS Drama Project in some way over its 20 year history. Further, KSCS should keep the door open to exploring with the TITVFC, ways that the organization can assist in developing Turtle Island Theatre infrastructure (i.e. becoming a mandated entity within the community) which would increase their ability to secure additional/alternative resources (i.e. towards a new theatre). KSCS must make a decision on what it can continue to invest in to support performing arts in Kahnawake (in consideration of its new strategic plan in development). KSCS and the TITC must determine whether they can work in some form of partnership or will go their separate ways. In the ideal situation, there would be open minds coming to the table seeking common ground and determining the division of labor and resources. A defined partnership is the best option to pursue but this requires two willing parties. Given the conflict situation that has been created and sustained over many years culminating in the much publicized suspension of KSCS Drama programming, it is clear that there will be many obstacles to reaching common ground and a true partnership. If this is not possible, then the only choice is to move to other options. Ultimately, whether a new partnership can be forged or the TITC/TITVFC wishes to maintain its position to make a clean break from KSCS as a completely independent community group, there are many areas that will need to be ironed out such as division of assets and this requires meeting face‐to‐face. It is recommended that future meetings be set up in an attempt to open communication and determine the transition that will be needed. All stakeholders in the future of drama programming and the use of Kateri Hall as a theatre should be involved such as KSCS management and board, TITVFC (past and present), Turtle Island Theatre community members, and Catholic Church representatives. 95
Recommendation #2 The priority for KSCS should remain with ensuring that children’s programming using performing arts as a strategy be maintained, as it meets a clear need in the community. The KSCS Drama Project has enjoyed a highly successful 20 year run. KSCS as the “parent” organization has expressed an interest to see the good work of Drama continue into the future. While it acknowledges the benefit of all the service components for the community (the older groups such as the Turtle Island Players and the Musical Entertainers), the original intent of the project and the primary concern of the organization is to see that the children and youth programming continues as this has the most direct impact on influencing a new generation to live a healthy lifestyle. Understandably it would be difficult for KSCS to simply walk away from a project that fits within its mandate, works to help achieve its mission and has had a 20 year success story. All of what has become known as the KSCS Drama Project (all components, all age groups) is valuable and can be seen as a fit within the KSCS mission. However, the children’s programming would be the best fit for prevention and life skills focus. The following ideas are presented for what children’s drama programming could look like based on descriptions provided in interviews and focus groups. Most of the ideas are not new, rather they build on what already existed at a point in time. Together they would align (be a better fit) with the KSCS prevention focus (and come full circle tying the program back to its roots). Children’s Drama Life Skills programming  Children 6‐12 year old focus (elementary age) *keep in mind the gap in programming for 4‐5 year olds.  After School and/or summer day time programming  Child focused structure  Child friendly environment  Simple in‐take process to understand/accommodate any special needs  Allow for referrals – save spots for special needs or social needs  Link to KSCS support services for families  Prevention emphasis  Fun emphasis  Highly inclusive →show selection based on this (many lead roles, less try outs)  Process focused with simple shows/productions (not production driven)  Back to basics with small home‐grown productions  Location: negotiate/possibly partner with schools to offer in schools or a simple venue with enough space and a stage  Can be a stepping stone to other performing arts (or other programs)  Build on children’s interests that year  Build on what is already done  Life skills emphasis 96
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Kanien’keha:ka cultural and language components/content built in Coordinator to oversee day to day functions (not necessarily an Artistic Director) supported by facilitator(s) as needed for size of groups Coordinator to have a background in early childhood development/education Balance in ratio of children to facilitators Guest speakers for healthy living topics (resources internal and external to KSCS)
Safety and security of participants is monitored Outreach to gain new participants Dependable programming It is recognized that it would take time and resources to overhaul/rebuild such a program. KSCS would have to determine the costs for running revamped children’s drama programming. Who will be responsible for carrying out this program must be determined. A partnership venture with Turtle Island Theatre for children’s programming would be ideal, with clear expectations of the partnership, the terms negotiated, accountability clearly defined and everything documented. In the event that no partnership is possible, KSCS may want to consider revamping and testing it as a “new” or “pilot” project that includes consideration of the important elements collected from the consultation. Careful consideration should be given to the name of any future project to avoid any confusion within the community. Recommendation #3 It is recommended that KSCS pay careful consideration in the future of any other KSCS projects (existing or new) that have a question of status within the organization. There should be a clear difference between a project and a program as recognized within the organization, these names are not interchangeable. Commonly understood differences between a program and a project are the lifecycle of the work (usually a specific end date for a project) and the stability of the funding source. A determination should be made, and clearly documented to ensure for properly recognized and supported programs within KSCS. Recommendation #4 It is recommended that any future programming for the organization maintains a planned evaluative component with a continuous cycle. The KSCS Drama Project has not been formally evaluated in 20 years and this posed challenges for the larger organization. It is normal organizational practice to carry out evaluation on a regular basis, i.e. a full evaluation every 5 years to 10 years for a program or when major changes are on the horizon. Small regular self‐
evaluative exercises such as having participants fill out evaluation forms, parent surveys and keeping a suggestion box are a best practice. Evaluation is not just a requirement of funders; it is also a valuable exercise in and of itself to planning and management. The evaluation experience is likely to be more positive and its results are likely to be more useful if you build evaluation in from the start and make it an on‐going activity. 97
Recommendation #5 It is recommended that KSCS ensure mechanisms are in place to develop and preserve partnerships with other community entities. What was learned from the KSCS Drama experience is that failure to establish clear expectations, roles and responsibilities without accountability and dispute mechanisms at the onset, results in a breakdown of the partnership and leads to conflict. Recommendation #6 Because KSCS is required to comply with labour standards and ensure the safety and security of employees and clients, they will have to ensure that any location for its projects, programs or services are safe and secure. This would include ensuring that all staff working with any programs are properly insured in the event of work related injuries (Mohawk Self Insurance) and that all necessary safety precautions are taken for all aspects of the work (i.e. working with power tools or electrical equipment). Recommendation #7 Because the life of the lease with the Catholic Church is not guaranteed and there were indicators the church may need the Kateri Hall for some of its own activities, KSCS, as the lessee needs to quickly determine with TITC where to relocate all the inventory in the event the lease is not renewed or renewed only in part (half of the building). Recommendation #8 Because of the disorder that comes with change, accounting for the variance in management styles and lack of documentation for the KSCS Drama Project, it is recommended that KSCS ensure that as services/projects/programs are relocated under different supervisors, there are clear standards of practice established for KSCS supervisors about documentation and maintenance of records and transition plans when these relocations occur. Recommendation #9 The abundance of inventory throughout the building makes the Kateri Hall in its current condition a fire hazard. It is understood that it is a common theatre practice to keep everything because you never know when it will be needed but over 20 years this becomes terribly unwieldy and consumes useable space. It is recommended that a system be set up to sort and purge excessive inventory of similar items needs to be done and decisions made to determine what is truly necessary. There needs to be a clean up of the general areas to maximize safe space and ensure safe paths to exit the building. Another fire inspection is in order and while the Fire Brigade is present, they could be asked to assist KSCS in conducting fire drills. KSCS should establish policies and procedures to support this, as well as an upgraded layout map of the building and fire exits. 98
These additional recommendations come from KSCS Environmental Health Services, who advised they be adopted as soon as possible. They were made for the health and safety of any employees using the building: - The HVAC system is working properly, but due to amount of dust accumulated on floors, walls and ceilings and clutter in building, it was suggested that persons who suffer from allergies/asthma should refrain from working in the workshop. A precaution is to use a dust mask, glasses and gloves. - The garbage should be emptied and floors vacuumed. - Safety helmets were recommended if working in construction/storage room. The amount of clutter is a risk for falling objects. - The observed mice droppings should be cleaned and all items either cleaned with sanitizing solution or thrown out. Recommendation #10 It is the opinion of the evaluation team that the contents of the storage facility are primarily items similar to those found in Kateri Hall (materials used in productions, maintenance supplies, possibly props and donations) along with what appears to be personal belongings. Currently KSCS is covering the expense associated with renting the storage unit. A determination should be made of the necessity of keeping the storage unit considering its contents. Recommendation #11 As part of the regular purge of archives that occurs, KSCS needs to set up a mechanism to maintain historical files for all services and programs that synthesize any critical information and decisions that would assist the organization when it is conducting any type of research or evaluations. Recommendation #12 Because volunteers were such a critical element to successful drama productions, it would serve all to formalize the functions required to run the system with some simple volunteer job descriptions and written procedures for tasks such as volunteer coordination, running the box office, etc. Sample resources are readily available online. 99
7: APPENDICES APPENDIX A: EVALUATION FRAMEWORK 1. Establish Steering Committee 2. Establish Evaluation Team 3. Determine scope and range of the Evaluation 1. Operations 2. Resources 3. Impact 4. Methodology dependant on scope and range of evaluation and research questions a. Literature reviews b. Inventory c. Audit d. Interviews e. Focus Groups f. Surveys g. Questionnaires 5. Research Questions KSCS needs to explore in the evaluation: a. Is KSCS Drama aligned to the Community Health Plan b. Is there financial accountability within the project c. What are the project’s service delivery successes d. What are the community’s service delivery needs in this area e. Is the resourcing adequate for the project f. Are the project operations aligned to KSCS policy g. Is there a need to establish project specific practices/policies h. What are the current assets 6. Conduct Evaluation activities 7. Collate Data 8. Analyze and Interpret Data 9. Formulate conclusions 10. Present conclusions in report 11. Submit report 12. Develop plan to implement report recommendations 100
APPENDIX B: LIST OF MATERIALS REVIEWED 
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Kahnawake Drama Annual Reports‐ from 1995 to 2008 (Missing Report of 2007) Playbills from 1997 to 2013 (some years missing) Participant and contact Lists (incomplete) Logic Models, Health Transferred Programs, 2011‐2012 Kahnawake Theatre. KSCS Drama Project, Kahnawake Theatre Co., K‐STARS‐ September 1993‐August 2000. Kahnawake Drama, Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services, A “Brighter Futures” Project, September 2001‐August 2002. Yearly Financial Documents maintained by KSCS (includes Statement of Earnings and Brighter Futures Monthly Activity Reports) Our Children’s Future Everyone’s Responsibility Conference I (November 1992) and Conference II (October 1993) Reports Brighter Futures Operational Review, February 1997 Health Canada Brighter Futures & Building Healthy Communities Initiatives, Evaluation Summary September 2006 American Association of Community Theatre Job Description of Artistic Director KSCS Annual Reports, 1994‐2013 Kahnawake Theatre KSCS Drama Project: A Brief History September 1993‐August 2000 Internet Research on Inventory Processes‐Theatre Inventory by Janet Barker, October 2010 Turtle Island Theatre Inventory Sheet (2007) Internet Research on Comparative Theatre Companies within the Montreal Area Select KSCS Board of Directors meeting minutes 1994‐2010 (limited) Select KSCS Management meeting minutes, 1994‐2012 (limited) Any available meeting minutes between KSCS and Turtle Island Theatre Volunteer Fundraising Committee Any available memos or briefing notes regarding KSCS Drama Project Historical newspaper clippings relevant to KSCS Drama Project Brighter Futures Call Package, 2014‐2015 KSCS programming files (maintained by past supervisors) and personnel files pertaining to KSCS Drama File Audit within Kateri Hall (limited) KSCS Job Descriptions – Artistic Director, Assistant Artistic Director, Production Assistant, Assistant Artistic Director, Administrative Assistant Financial Agreements – KSCS Drama Funding from Brighter Futures, 1994‐2013 Rental Agreements between KSCS and Catholic Church, 2005‐2013 101
APPENDIX C: EVALUATION TOOLS Participant Consent Form: Evaluation of KSCS Drama project 2013/2014 Background: Organizational Development Services (ODS) has been contracted by Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) to carry out an evaluation of the KSCS Drama project. Part of the evaluation process includes consulting with groups of individuals who have key knowledge. The Evaluation is anticipated to be complete by February 2014. Invitation to Participate: You are being invited to participate in the evaluation by being interviewed or taking part in a focus group. You will be asked a number of questions about the KSCS Drama Project. Before agreeing to be part of this evaluation, please read and/or listen to the following information. Feel free to ask questions. Research Team: This evaluation is being carried out by Organizational Development Services (ODS), a First Nations consulting service. The ODS research team is: 
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Christine Loft Bonnie Jacobs 
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Dale Jacobs Winnifred Taylor 
Interviewers are: Valerie Styres, Coreen Delormier, Shoterha Rice & Kim Delormier Purpose of the Evaluation: The evaluation of KSCS Drama is expected to provide vital information for future planning and decision making. Summative or impact evaluation is the overall assessment of the effect a program has had on a community, along with consideration of its achievements. The evaluation will focus on the following elements:  Operations  Needs & resources  Impact & effectiveness  Solutions & recommendations Benefits/Risks: There may or may not be any direct benefit to you personally or your family from participating. The information gathered will be used to clarify roles and responsibilities, lines of accountability and identify where and what needs to be improved with regard to delivering KSCS Drama. This may have a future impact on the structuring of services. There are no anticipated risks of participating in this evaluation. Protecting your Privacy: Any information obtained from you will be kept strictly confidential. Your privacy will be respected at all times. You will not be identified individually in any way (at no time will your name be used). No one will have access to your personal information other than the researchers. The raw data will be kept securely stored at ODS’s offices in Kahnawake until the research is completed. Data will not be reported individually; rather it will be analyzed for group trends. Results will be outlined in a report provided to KSCS and made available to the community. Upon completion of the final report; all raw data will be destroyed. 102
Voluntary Participation/Withdrawal: Your participation is entirely voluntary. You may refuse to participate or change your mind and discontinue your participation at any time without giving reason. Your decision not to participate or changing your mind will not have any negative consequences for you. You may also choose to not answer/skip any questions you are uncomfortable with. Questions: You are free to ask questions at any time about your rights as a research participant. If any questions or concerns arise during or after your participation in the research you may contact Christine Loft at ODS/KSCS by phone: (450) 632‐6880 or by e‐mail: [email protected]. Statement of Participant Consent I have read the above information (or had it read to me). I have had the opportunity to discuss the project with a member of the research team. I have had my questions (if any) answered .  I agree to participate in an interview and/or focus group.  I agree that the interview and/or focus group may be recorded.  I understand that my participation is voluntary, and I only need to answer those questions that I am comfortable with. If at any point during the process I wish to withdraw for any reason, I may do so without explanation.  I agree to allow ODS to use quotes in the final report when appropriate, without using my name or any personal identifying information. Adult Participants (18 and over): I, the undersigned, voluntarily agree to participate in the research. Participant signature ______________________________________ Date: ____/____/____ Participant printed name ___________________________________ Children (Participants under 18 years of age): Parent/legal guardian signature mandatory I, the undersigned voluntarily agree to have ________________________________(please print participant’s name) participate in the research. Parent/legal guardian signature ______________________________ Date: ____/____/____ Parent/legal guardian printed name ______________________________ Member of Research Team: I, the undersigned, have fully explained the details of this project to the participant named above. I believe that the participant has freely given their consent. Researcher’s signature______________________________________ Date: ____/____/____ Researcher’s printed name___________________________________ Thank you for taking the time to participate in this project. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. 103
FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS Outline 1. Welcome 2. Introduce Research & Purpose of the Focus Group (Consent Forms) 3. Roundtable Introductions – Name, in what ways/roles have you been involved with the KSCS Drama Project? 4. Group Discussion on 6 Questions 5. Closing QUESTIONS Operations 1. To your knowledge, what are the strengths (what worked well) of the KSCS Drama Project? 2. To your knowledge, what are the weaknesses (what didn’t work well) of the KSCS Drama Project? * Some areas to consider if not generated: programming/activities, personnel/staffing, management, communications, financial practices, location (facility & space), KSCS (larger org) support) Needs & Resources 3. Were the resources (financial, human, facility, equipment) for the KSCS Drama Project adequate? What are the outstanding needs? Impact & Effectiveness 4. What difference did the KSCS Drama Project make (what was the impact) for participants/you/your child? 5. What are the KSCS Drama project’s successes (what has been achieved)? Finding Solutions 6. To improve the KSCS Drama Project: a) What do you envision for the future? b) What should be done differently? c) What should remain the same? 7. Any other comments? 104
PARTICIPANT QUESTIONS Note: You may not be able to answer all questions, and that is fine. Please answer what you can. SECTION 1: GENERAL QUESTIONS 1. In what ways/role(s) have you been involved with the KSCS Drama Project? 2. What is your understanding of what the KSCS Drama Project includes (groups/activities offered, past/present)? SECTION 2: OPERATIONS 3. What are the strengths (what worked well) and weaknesses (what didn’t work well) of the KSCS Drama Project for the following: Areas Strengths Weaknesses a) Programming/activities b) Personnel/staffing c) Management d) Communications e) Financial Practices f) Location (facility & space) g) KSCS (larger org) support h) Other areas: 4. How do you feel about the general level of services received from the KSCS Drama Project?  Very Satisfied  Satisfied  Somewhat Satisfied  Dissatisfied  No comment 5. Have you ever had a concern or issue about any aspect of the KSCS Drama Project?  Yes  No If yes, how was this handled? 6. In your opinion, how did the KSCS Drama Project fit within the larger KSCS organization? Please explain. SECTION 3: NEEDS & RESOURCES 7. Kahnawake has had a Drama program since 1993. It began as a lifeskills/ performing arts program for children. What are the current needs for drama programming specific to children and youth in Kahnawake? 8. Were the resources (ex. financial, human, facility, equipment) for the KSCS Drama Project adequate?  Yes  No  Don’t know What are the outstanding resource needs? SECTION 4: IMPACT & EFFECTIVENESS 9. What is your understanding of the link between KSCS Drama programming and mental health promotion/awareness (or other community health priorities)? 10. What difference did the KSCS Drama Project make (what was the impact) for participants/you/your child? 11. What are the KSCS Drama Project’s successes (what has been achieved)? 105
SECTION 5: FINDING SOLUTIONS 12. To improve the KSCS Drama Project: a) What do you envision for the future? b) What should be done differently? c) What should stay the same? 13. Other comments: KEY INFORMANT QUESTIONS Note: You may not be able to answer all questions and that is fine. Please answer what you can. SECTION 1: GENERAL QUESTIONS 1. In what ways/role(s) have you been involved with the KSCS Drama Project? 2. What is your understanding of what the KSCS Drama Project includes (groups/activities offered, past and/or present)? SECTION 2: OPERATIONS 3. What are the strengths (what worked well) and weaknesses (what didn’t work well) of the KSCS Drama Project for the following: Areas Strengths Weaknesses i) Programming/activities j) Personnel/staffing k) Management l) Communications m) Financial Practices n) Location (facility & space) o) KSCS (larger org) support p) Other areas: 4. What were the feedback/evaluation methods used after KSCS Drama Project productions/programming? 5. Have you ever had a concern or issue about any aspect of the KSCS Drama Project? Yes  No  If yes, how was this handled? 6. In your opinion, how did the KSCS Drama Project fit within the larger KSCS organization? Please explain. 7. In your opinion, how did the KSCS Drama Project operations align with KSCS policies and procedures? Please explain. 8. a. Based on your knowledge, what kind of KSCS Drama Project specific policies or procedures have been established? b. What KSCS Drama Project specific policies or procedures should be developed? SECTION 3: NEEDS & RESOURCES 106
9. Kahnawake has had a drama program since 1993. It began as a life skills/performing arts program for children. What are the current needs for drama programming specific to children and youth in Kahnawake? 10. Were the resources (financial, human, facility, equipment) for the KSCS Drama Project adequate?  Yes  No  Don’t know What are the outstanding resource needs? SECTION 4: IMPACT & EFFECTIVENESS 11. What is your understanding of the link between KSCS Drama programming and mental health promotion/awareness (or other community health priorities)? 12. What difference did the KSCS Drama Project make (what was the impact) for participants/you/your child? 13. What are the KSCS Drama Project’s successes (what has been achieved)? SECTION 5: FINDING SOLUTIONS 14. To improve the KSCS Drama Project: a) What do you envision for the future? b) What should be done differently? c) What should stay the same? 15. Other comments: 107
APPENDIX D: LIST OF PRODUCTION TITLES The following show titles were sources from the “Kahnawake Theatre Calendar” for Fall 1993 to Spring 2000. SEASON I ‐ Art Exhibit ‐ Sometimes When I Dream ‐ Song & Dance I: A Musical Revue ‐ Songs for a Summer Night ‐ Annie ‐ Snow White in New York SEASON II ‐ The World is Waiting ‐ The Adventures of Oliver Twist ‐ Glee Club Christmas Concert ‐ Art Exhibit/Winter Concert ‐ The Wizard of Oz ‐ As Time Goes By (Spring Concert) ‐ Beauty and The Beast ‐ Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Coat SEASON III ‐ Live, On Stage, Uncensored ‐ A Christmas Carol ‐ Christmas Concert ‐ Robin Hood ‐ Broadway to Hollywood: Musical Revue ‐ Aladdin ‐ Grease SEASON IV ‐ A Charlie Brown Christmas ‐ A Christmas Concert ‐ West Side Story ‐ Treasure Island ‐ Sometimes When I Dream ‐ 60’s & 70’s: Musical Revue ‐ The Little Mermaid ‐ Guys & Dolls Kateri School Students Kateri School Students Kateri School Students Kahnawake Glee Club Summer Drama Camp Summer Drama Camp November 1993 December 1993 May 1994 June 1994 August 1994 August 1994 Kahnawake Theatre Co. Kateri School Students Kahnawake Glee Club Kateri School Students Kateri School Students Kahnawake Glee Club Summer Drama Camp Summer Drama Camp October 1994 December 1994 December 1994 February 1995 May 1995 June 1995 August 1995 August 1995 Kahnawake Theatre Co. Kateri/Karonhianonhnha Musical Entertainers Kateri/Karonhianonhnha Musical Entertainers Summer Drama Camp Summer Drama Camp October 1995 December 1995 December 1995 May 1996 June 1996 August 1996 August 1996 Kateri/Karonhianonhnha December 1996 Musical Entertainers December 1996 Drama Camp April 1997 Kateri/Karonhianonhnha May 1997 Kahnawake Theatre (Fringe) June 1997 Musical Entertainers June 1997 Summer Drama Camp August 1997 Summer Drama Camp August 1997 108
SEASON V ‐ Rudolph, The Red‐Nosed Reindeer Drama Club I (ages 7‐11) December 1997 ‐ Christmas Concert Musical Entertainers December 1997 ‐ Fiddler On The Roof Drama Club II April 1998 ‐ Curtain Up: Dinner & Cabaret Show K‐STARS Fund‐raiser May 1998 ‐ Live, On Stage, Uncensored Kahnawake Theatre (Fringe) June 1998 ‐ Celebrity: Musical Revue Musical Entertainers June 1998 ‐ Song & Dance II: Musical Revue Summer Drama Camp August 1998 ‐ Hello Dolly Summer Drama Camp August 1998 SEASON VI ‐ Sizzle: Dinner & Cabaret Show K‐STARS Fund‐raiser October 1998 ‐ Frosty the Snowman Drama Club I December 1998 th
‐ 5 Annual Christmas Concert Musical Entertainers December 1998 ‐ A Chorus Line Drama Club II April 1999 ‐ Tainted Love: Musical Revue Musical Entertainers June 1999 ‐ Peter Pan Summer Drama Camp August 1999 ‐ The Sound of Music Summer Drama Camp August 1999 SEASON VII ‐ A Night on Broadway: Dinner & Cabaret K‐STARS Fund‐raiser November 1999 ‐ Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Drama Club I December 1999 th
Musical Entertainers December 1999 ‐ 6 Annual Christmas Concert ‐ A Little Heart & Music: Lyric Singers K‐STARS Fund‐raiser February 2000 ‐ Oliver Drama Club II May 2000 ‐ The World Goes ‘Round: Revue Musical Entertainers June 2000 The following production titles were sourced from available playbills, promotional posters and list of video recordings maintained at KSCS: August 2000 – Kahnawake Summer Theatre “Wish on A Star” August 2000 – Kahnawake Summer Theatre “Crazy for You” October 2000 – K‐STARS Cabaret “Hooray for Hollywood” December 2000 – Musical Entertainers concert “A Christmas Carol” December 2000 – KSCS Drama Project presents “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” March 2001 – Drama Project and K‐STARS co‐produced “California Suite” April 2001 – After school Drama Program presented “Mack & Mabel” June 2001 – Musical Entertainers variety show “It’s Today!” August 2001 – Kahnawake Summer Theatre Group I “Together Wherever We Go” August 2001 – Kahnawake Summer Theatre Group II “42nd Street” November 2001 – K‐STARS Cabaret Show “Stardust” December 2001 – KSCS Drama presents “The Nutcracker Prince” 109
April 2002 – Kahnawake Drama Club presents “Gypsy.” June 2002 –Musical Entertainers “Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves” August 2002 – Kahnawake Summer Theatre presents “The Wizard of Oz” August 2002 – Kahnawake Drama presents “Mame” December 2002 – Kahnawake Drama presents “Rudolph, A Magical Christmas Fantasy” December 2002 –The Musical Entertainers present “Bells will be Ringing For 10 Years of Singing” March 2003 – Kahnawake Drama presents “They Laughed in Russia” June 2003 – Musical Entertainers Variety Show “Fifties Romance” July‐August 2003 – Kahnawake Drama presents “Are You Ready for the Summer?” August 2003 – Kahnawake Drama presents “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” December 2003 – Kahnawake Drama Musical Entertainers 11th Annual Christmas Concert December 2003 – Kahnawake Drama presents “A Charlie Brown Christmas” March 2004 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “The Real Inspector Hound” April 2004 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” performed by the Kahnawake Drama Club May 2004 – Musical Entertainers “Everything Old is NEW Again” July 2004 – The Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Smile” The Beauty Pageant Musical August 2004 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Robin Hood” November 2004 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Fools” December 2004 –The Musical Entertainers 12th Annual Christmas Concert February 2005 – Kahnawake Youth Centre & Turtle Island Theatre present “Talent Show 2005” March 2005 – Old Deerfield Productions and Turtle Island Theatre present The International Premiere of “The Captivation of Eunice Williams” at Kateri Hall. April 2005 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Anything Goes” June 2005 – The Musical Entertainers presents “Made in England” August 2005 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Around the World in Six Short Plays” August 2005 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Good News! The 1920’s College Musical” November 2005 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Rumors” December 2005 – The Musical Entertainers present a Christmas Concert February 2006 – Turtle Island Theatre presents “Vaudeville Show” May 2006 – Turtle Island Theatre presents “Victorian Secrets” June 2006 – The Musical Entertainers present “Happy Together” August 2006 – Summer Drama presents “Monsters, Magic & Mystery” August 2006 – Summer Drama Presents “The Lullaby of Broadway” December 2006 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Pride & Prejudice” December 2006‐ The Musical Entertainers present “Songs for the Holidays” May 2007 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Ten 10‐Minute One Act Plays” 110
June 2007 –The Musical Entertainers present “On With the Show” August 2007 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents Summer Theatre Group I “Tree Stories” August 2007 – Turtle Island Summer Theatre presents “Dames at Sea” November 2007 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Once Upon a Mattress” December 2007 – The Musical Entertainers’ “Christmas Concert “Holiday Romance” March 2008 – Turtle island Theatre presents “Snow White in New York” (*Children’s After School Drama) April 2008 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Ten Little Indians” June 2008 – The Musical Entertainers present “Night at the Oscars” July 2008 – Turtle Island Theatre Company/KSCS present “Once Upon an Olden Tyme” August 2008 – Turtle Island Summer Theatre Program presents “Beauty and the Beast” November 2008 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Lady Windemere’s Fan” December 2008 – Musical Entertainers Holiday Concert “Dreaming of a White Christmas” December 2008 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Santa Claus is Coming to Town & The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” (*Children’s After School Drama) May 2009 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Grease” August 2009 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Old McDonald’s Farm” August 2009 – Turtle Island Summer Theatre presents “Back Road to Broadway” December 2009 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “A Christmas Carol” (*Children’s After School Drama) December 2009 – The Musical Entertainers Christmas Concert April 2010 – Turtle Island Theatre presents “Guys & Dolls” June 2010 –The Musical Entertainers “The Name Game, a Musical Revue from A‐Z” July 2010 – Summer Drama presents “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” August 2010 – Summer Drama presents “Annie” July 2011 – Summer Drama Presents “Journey Through the Alps” August 2011 – Summer Drama presents “The Sound of Music” October 2011 – Turtle Island Theatre presents “Hay Fever” December 2011 – “The Musical Entertainers in “Winter Fantasy” May 2012 –The Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Some Like it Hot” June 2012 – Turtle Island Theatre presents “The Musical Entertainers Superstars of the 70‘s” August 2012 – Sumer Drama presents “Sailing for Adventure” August 2012 – Summer Drama presents “Anything Goes” November 2012 – Turtle Island Theatre Company presents “Tom Jones” December 2012 – Musical Entertainers “Winter Frolic” May 2013 – Turtle Island Theatre presents “Fiddler on the Roof” August 2013 – Summer Drama presents “Adventures in Paris” August 2013 – Turtle Island Theatre Summer Drama Program presents “Les Miserables” 111
APPENDIX E: USUAL PRACTICES FOR COMMUNITY THEATRES Report prepared by Angela Loft For Evaluation of KSCS Drama Project, January 2013 A. PAID STAFF Artistic Director Managing Director B. KEY PERSONNEL: Production Manager Technical Director Marketing and Publicity C. PRODUCTION SPECIFIC PERSONNEL: Director Stage Manager Playwright Choreographer Musical Director Costume Designer Lighting Designer Set Designer Sound Designer Prop Designer House Manager Assistant Stage Manager Carpenters/Electricians Crew Chief Master Painter Hairdresser Make Up Artist Actor Donations Manager D. VOLUNTEER PRACTICES: Youth as Performer Youth in Front of House Youth as Audience, Future Volunteer, and Community Member E. SPACE AND RESOURCES: Main Office Rehearsal Space Shop Space 112
Performance Venue Storage Space F. ACCOUNTABILITY PRACTICES The Initial Work The First Show Constitution and Bylaws Negotiation of Differences Evaluation of Work G. FUNDING SOURCES LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL Tewatohnhi'saktha Economic Development Commission Kanien’kehá:ka Funding Association (KFA) Private REGIONAL AND PROVINCIAL The Conseil des Arts et des Lettres Québec (CALQ) Conseil Quebecois des Ressources Humaines en Culture (CQRHC) English Language Arts Network (ELAN) Quebec Community Group Network (QCGN) FEDERAL Canada Council for the Arts Developmental Support to Aboriginal Theatre Organizations Leadership for Change: Grants for Organizational Development Aboriginal Peoples Collaborative Exchange: National and International Project Grants Artists and Community Collaboration Program in Theatre Canadian Heritage Canada Cultural Investment Fund, Strategic Initiatives Canada Cultural Investment Fund, Limited Support to Endangered Arts Organizations Canada Cultural Spaces Fund H. COMPARABLE COMPANIES, PROJECTS, AND PROGRAMING Lakeshore Players, Dorval Geordie Productions, Montreal The Segal Centre, Montreal Hudson Players Club, Hudson Black Theatre Workshop, Montreal I. GEORDIE PRODUCTION GENERAL MANAGER JOB POSTING 113
A. PAID STAFF Every community theatre has its own staff structure, and full‐time, year round personnel numbers are often dependent on the amount of participants, facilities, services, performances per season, grant requirements, and mandate. Choosing a season or individual play, producing, directing, acting, publicity, stagecraft & technical theatre are essential tasks for any community theatre. The following is a list of positions applicable to community theatre in general. Most require a minimum of three full time staff, working alongside various part time additional artists, and supportive volunteers. ARTISTIC DIRECTOR The Artistic Director is responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision and focus of the community theatre, and for major decisions about the ongoing development of the aesthetic values and activities, after extensive consultation with the managing director. The artistic director typically reports to the managing director, although in some community theatre’s, the two positions are combined into one. Typical responsibilities include:  Hires, supervises and evaluates artistic personnel including directors, performers, designers, and stage managers  Hires, supervises and evaluates key technical personnel, including Production Manager and Technical Director  Develops, implements, and evaluates programs for the year  With managing director, develops annual program budget  Acts as a spokesperson for the community theatre's artistic purpose via speaking engagements, public and social appearances, and, as requested, at fundraising events and solicitations  Fosters the development of good relations with other cultural organizations by participating in meetings and joint activities where appropriate  Reports to the Board of Directors on a regular basis to give an update on artistic activity  Supervises the maintenance of written procedures manual for technical and production staff  Directs at least one production per season MANAGING DIRECTOR Whether the title is Managing Director or chief administrative officer is the guiding force of the community theatre.The managing director for a community theatre may have any one of many titles, and duties will vary, depending on the size, and whether the artistic direction of the theatre is handled by a separate position. 114
Typical responsibilities include:  Coordination of long‐range and annual planning in collaboration with the Artistic Director and the Board of Directors.  Providing leadership for and actively participating in fundraising activities, donor development, grant seeking and grant reporting.  Developing the annual budget, including providing monthly financial reporting and forecasting, cash flow management, capital spending and expenditures review and approval.  Supervising the administrative staff and directing administrative operations.  Managing the operation and maintenance of the theatre venue and working locations.  Administering and supporting, in conjunction with the Artistic Director, all educational programs of the theatre.  Acting as the representative and advocate of the theatre with government agencies, insurance companies, community and local business groups and arts organizations. B. KEY PERSONNEL Key Personnel are paid and often full time staff. These positions may also be production specific, depending on needs. As every community theatre has their own service delivery focus, production priorities, and budgetary restraints, the following positions are the most common additional staff required in a community theatre. PRODUCTION MANAGER The Production Manager generally is responsible for budgeting, scheduling work, and coordinating the various production departments. Their work is production specific, as opposed to the Managing Director, who oversees all productions. The Production Manager is ultimately responsible for ensuring that all aspects of the production are completed within budget, according to the designer's and director's wishes, and in time for the first public performance. The Production Manager oversees the cost effectiveness and planning of the entire production process. Typical responsibilities include:  Securing the rights to present the play from the royalty house or publisher‐agent.  Budgeting  Deciding date, time and venue  Forming a production team  Production meetings  Scheduling rehearsals and performances  Setting the rehearsal venue  First call  Rehearsal process and preparation  Financial accounting of the show's expenses and revenues Having found the property and bought the rights, the producer starts by putting together a production budget‐‐the cost of finding and rehearsing the creative team, cast and orchestra; 115
designing and making the scenery costumes and props, installing them all in a theatre; and marketing the results. However, the single most important responsibility (after securing the rights to the production) is the development of a highly motivated and collaborative production team, which includes all those in charge of the various areas of the production‐‐director, set designer, lighting designer, costume designer, musical director, publicist, choreographer, technical director, stage manager, etc. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR The Technical Director has the daily responsibility for the technical operations of a theatre or performing arts center, including lighting, sound, set design and construction, and coordinating necessary maintenance. The Technical Director (TD) works with a great deal of independence and exercises independent judgment in performing a wide variety of duties. Because of the operating hours of most facilities, close supervision is not normally required nor expected. Typical responsibilities include:  Operates, maintains and safeguards the technical assets of the theatre, including supervising the use of lighting, sound, communications equipment, and the use and maintenance of stage facilities.  Determines the necessary technical supports, such as lighting, sound, staging, and special needs, necessary for events and performances presented at the facility in advance of production dates.  Designs, sets up, maintains, and operates lighting and sound systems for theatre, dance, music, and other productions and projects; assists guest designers and arts with technical matters.  Advises production managers, lighting and sound designers, on the technical specifications, costs and usage of technical equipment required for the individual show, and supervises the implementations of approved technical designs.  Supervises and assists with set and stage construction and management.  Assists in recruiting, training and assignment of volunteer or paid technical staff for individual shows.  Orients facility renters and visiting productions to safety, technical characteristics and other areas of facility operations; facilitates the use of the technical facilities by the resident theatre and others engaged by or renting the facility.  Monitors the condition of equipment including lighting, sound, and rigging equipment; arranges for the repair and replacement within budgetary constraints; performs preventive maintenance on equipment.  Assists with the preparation and control of production budgets; maintains inventory and orders specialized supplies.  Attends technical Week rehearsals, in order to supervise and assist in the technical aspects of the mounting the show. 116
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Makes recommendations to the Board of Directors or theatre leadership regarding capital purchases of technical equipment. Because a TD may be called upon to deal with a wide range of technical issues, he or she benefits from a working knowledge of techniques, methods and procedures of theatre productions and presentations including stage, set, sound and lighting design and implementation; stage management; computerized lighting systems; stage carpentry; appropriate safety precautions and procedures. MARKETING AND PUBLICITY This work involves managing or assisting in promoting the productions, services and public image of the theatre company. This role is difficult to define, since in many theatre companies the responsibilities listed below are given to more than one person. Smaller theatre companies may have an administrative assistant who carries out many of these tasks in collaboration with the managing and artistic director. Tasks include year round marketing, publications, public relations, publicity/media relations, and advertising. Depending on how the theatre divides up the above areas of responsibilities, the Marketing and Publicity may:  Research the attitudes and opinions of the public as relates to the company and its offerings.  Using this research, help shape the company season in partnership with the artistic director.  Write, edit and produce newsletters, brochures, direct marketing pieces and other printed material.  Create and determine publicity/press relations plan to generate continued greater awareness for the company and support any overall marketing initiatives.  Assist marketing director by serving as another spokesperson within the arts community as needed.  Develop communication objectives and communication plans  Cultivate and maintain media contacts in order to generate relevant stories, interviews and other media coverage for the company.  Solicit, arrange and organize media interviews (print, radio and TV) for general stories about the company  Work with other organizations and provide information to them.  Organize and/or promote promotional events and conferences.  Keep staff and patrons up to date with company news.  Write news releases, articles, calendar listings, and public service announcements (PSA's), ensuring consistency and accuracy.  Distribute news releases to media  Field and respond to media inquiries generated by those releases, or regarding a specific production or event.  Provide the public with information when it is requested.  Solicit, arrange and organize media interviews (print, radio and TV) for productions or about the company in general. 117
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Coordinate and oversee photo sessions for public relations and marketing purposes. Coordinate handling of reviewers, including contacting them, securing comp tickets, and compiling press packets. Oversee the archiving of all press clippings, video clips, radio tapes and photo library. Responsible for design and/or placement of ads. Maintain and update the company's website, or work closely with the person who does this. C. PRODUCTION SPECIFIC PERSONNEL These positions may not be required full time, and are often under short term contracts or honorariums. In community theatre, these roles may be filled by volunteers, although significant time commitments are required for all positions, and quality of production may be impacted. In community theatre, these roles are often filled by professionals who also maintain strong mentorship practices, inviting volunteer contributions and learning experiences. DIRECTOR The work of the director is central to the production of a play. The director has the challenging task of bringing together the many complex pieces of a production—the script, actors, set, costuming, lighting and sound and music—into a unified whole. To accomplish this task, a director needs to:  Interpret the script  Cast the production  Collaborate with designers  Plan the rehearsals  Guide the actors in their work during rehearsals. The director’s work is most often based on a detailed study and analysis of the script to be produced. Many careful readings of the script help the director develop an individual vision of the playwright’s intentions, which will form the core of his or her interpretation. This sense of “what the play is really about” will shape a director’s thinking about every other aspect of the production. Directors also study the characters in the script, gathering as much information as they can about their physical and psychological traits. This is vital preparation for casting, when the actors who are best able to bring the characters to life in performance need to be chosen. The director’s initial meetings with the set, costume, lighting and sound designers typify the creative collaboration vital to theatre. Any notes the director has made on the technical needs in the script are shared with the designers. The free flow of ideas that takes place here will further refine the director’s vision of the production as a whole. Details in the script about the specific locale(s) in which the action takes place need to be 118
attended to early in the production process, because they will determine both the basic requirements of the set and the possible movement of the actors on stage. Acting areas, entrances and exits, and furniture and props called for in the script or desired by the director will need to be a part of the set design. The floor plan can then be sketched out. It is an essential rehearsal planning tool because it allows a director to work out the blocking of the play. Blocking (or staging) is the precise moment‐by‐moment movement and grouping of actors on stage. The director’s creative collaboration continues during his or her work with the actors in rehearsals. The actors will bring their own interpretations to the project and perhaps inspire the director to rethink his or her interpretation. They will work closely together to breathe life into the lines and develop a deeper understanding of the characters’ motivations and relationships, fleshing out the subtext of the play. Later the focus of the director’s work in rehearsals will broaden to the overall look and feel of the whole production as transitions between scenes are smoothed out, effective pacing is achieved and all the design and technical aspects of the production are integrated. Once the show opens, the director's work is essentially complete. The stage manager's job is then to make sure that every aspect of the production runs just as the director intended time after time, until the production closes. STAGE MANAGER Stage managers typically provide practical and organizational support to the director, actors, designers, stage crew and technicians throughout the production process. The role of the stage manager is especially important to the director in rehearsals. Here the director and the stage manager work side by side, with the stage manager recording the director's decisions about blocking and notes for the actors, keeping track of logistical and scheduling details and communicating what goes on in rehearsals to the rest of the team. This enables the director to concentrate his or her full attention on directing. Stage managers have several key responsibilities and tasks to perform in each phase of a production, including  scheduling and running rehearsals  communicating the director's wishes to designers  coordinating the work of the stage crew  calling cues and possibly actors' entrances during performance  overseeing the entire show each time it is performed In conjunction with the director, the stage manager determines the scheduling of all rehearsals and makes sure everyone involved is notified of rehearsal times, meetings, costume fittings and coaching sessions. During the rehearsal phase, stage managers also  mark out the dimensions of the set on the floor of the rehearsal hall 119
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make sure rehearsal props and furnishings are available for the actors attend all rehearsals notify the designers of changes made in rehearsal In rehearsals the stage manager also records all blocking, plus all the light, sound and set change cues, in a master copy of the script called the prompt book. The information in the prompt book also allows the stage manager to run the technical rehearsals, calling each technical cue in turn to determine precisely how it needs to be timed to coordinate with the onstage action. PLAYWRIGHT Playwrights create scripts. Like other literary artists, playwrights tell stories through the words and actions of characters. While the work of the playwright can stand on its own as literature, its potential is fully realized only when the skills of all the other theatre artists combine to transform the script into a production of a play. Depending on the focus and intent of the community theatre, they may choose to develop new works with a playwright or work from existing script. The majority of published musicals are under copyright, and most works require licensing to perform. Copyright protects authors' basic rights over their work‐‐to perform it publicly, reproduce and distribute it, and make sure its integrity is not compromised. A copyrighted play usually is offered as a licensed property. If you wish to produce a play protected by copyright, you apply for a license‐‐in essence, paying the publisher/agent (and thus the playwright) for performances of the play. These payments are referred to as "royalties," and producing a copyrighted work requires permission and/or payment of royalties. This is true whether you charge admission or not, and whether you are a for‐profit or not‐for‐profit theatre or a school. Common licensing groups for musical scripts are Samuel French and Music Theatre International. CHOREOGRAPHER Choreographers design and direct the dance or stylized movement in musical productions. As part of the production's support team, the choreographer must work closely with the musical director, costume designer, set designer and lighting designer, to make sure that all stage movement is compatible with musical cues, costuming, sets and lighting. Choreographers in community theatre must often work with non‐dancers, or dancers with limited experience, as well as those who have had considerable training. This can mean extra rehearsal time, which must be planned for. Many choreographers use team captains or assistants to work with individuals or groups within the ensemble, as a way of maximizing the amount of time available for rehearsal. MUSICAL DIRECTOR The music director is in charge of the overall musical performance, working closely with the director. As part of the production's support team, including ensuring that the cast knows the 120
music thoroughly, supervising the musical interpretation of the performers, conducting or often performing accompanying music live. COSTUME DESIGNER Costume designers create the look of each character by designing clothes and accessories the actors will wear in performance. Depending on their style and complexity, costumes may be made, bought, revamped out of existing stock or rented. The shapes, colors and textures that a costume designer chooses make an immediate and powerful visual statement to the audience. Stage costumes can provide audiences with information about a character's occupation, social status, gender, age, sense of style and tendencies towards conformity or individualism. Creative collaboration among the costume designer, the director and the set and lighting designers ensures that the costumes are smoothly integrated into the production as a whole. LIGHTING DESIGNER Lighting designers know how to make the best use of the subtle and powerful medium of light, creating effects that can be changed at will to match the mood of the action. The lighting designer begins by reading the script to be produced noting the type of light it calls for in each scene. Lighting designers attend rehearsals to get a feel for the lighting cues and to plan how to light the actors as they move from place to place on stage. When the blocking is set, the lighting designer can start to work out which lighting instruments will be used and where each one will be located. They may also be responsible for making sure that all lighting units on the plot are hung in the correct locations and actually work. Coordinating the numbers of lights and circuits and allocating cabling, gels, and other accessories. SET DESIGNER All the scenery, furniture and props the audience sees at a production of a play make up the set design. The set designer's job is to design these physical surroundings in which the action will take place. The overall look of the set also gives the audience information about the director's concept of the production. All the things appearing on the stage other than the scenery are called stage properties, or props. Set props like furniture, draperies and decorations are the types of things that complete the set and they need to be part of the set design. The set designer will normally read the script many times, both to get a feel for the flavor and spirit of the script and to list its specific requirements for scenery, furnishings and props. The time of day, location, season, historical period and any set changes called for in the script are noted. The set designer's focus here is on figuring out everything that may be needed based on the dialogue in the script. The set designer will meet with the director and the design team to discuss the details of the set and the director's interpretation of the play. 121
SOUND DESIGNER The sound designer plans and provides the sound effects in the play. All the music and/or effects in a play considered as a whole make up the "soundscape." A play may also call for sound effects to recreate lifelike noises or use music or abstract and unidentifiable sounds to support the drama. Sound designers and composers begin their work by studying the script, gathering as much information as they can about any sound or music it calls for. As in all other aspects of design, an early meeting with the director and the design team is essential to get a clear understanding of the production concept. Sound and music cues are often dependent on the precise timing of the onstage action and can only be set after the play's blocking has been determined. Ideally, the director, cast and crew will have several opportunities to fine tune the timing of the completed music/sound design during technical rehearsals. They may also be responsible for selecting equipment to reproduce the various sound elements required, installing and testing it, and usually running the actual show. PROP DESIGNER Most productions use a properties master to deal with the large number of small items that a play needs. In larger shows, there may also be a props designer who decides what the props should look like and how they will function, in coordination with the director and set designers. HOUSE MANAGER Responsible for the smooth operation of the house during the run of the show. Key duties may include: Recruiting or supervising recruiting of all house workers (ushers, greeter, refreshment or souvenir seller, etc.); coordinating building opening times on show nights with stage manager; orienting and training all house workers; explaining how tickets are to be taken and where they are to be stored; checking rest rooms after intermission and at end of night; cleaning house area and restocking supplies; along with the stage manager, ensure all lights are turned off after each show and all doors are locked, and that no water is left running. ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Often needed in larger productions, the ASM is often stationed just offstage to facilitate communication between the stage manager (who is out in the house) and actors, as well as ensuring safety. The ASM often helps with complex set changes, quick changes offstage, or preparing the stage for performance. CARPENTERS/ELECTRICIANS When sets need to be built or lights hung, shows need carpenters and electricians to do the grunt work of sawing, hammering, lifting, hanging. In many companies, no experience is necessary to serve in one of these roles as you will be taught on the job. Often, actors serve in these roles when they aren't needed in rehearsal. CREW CHIEF 122
The crew chief is intended to take the burden of finding a scheduling staff off of the TD and master carpenter's shoulders. The CC will find determine with the master carpenter what the build schedule is, and how many carpenters will be needed on any particular day (and then make sure that they show up). MASTER PAINTER A highly sought skill in most theatres, the Master Painter is responsible for painting set elements under the direction of the set designer, but often the Master Painter has the freedom to choose many of the design elements him/herself. HAIRDRESSER Responsible for the design and execution of hairstyle for cast members appearing on stage. Duties include monitoring and maintaining hair design execution, maintaining inventory and hairpieces, cleanup and storage, and training volunteers. MAKE UP ARTIST This person is responsible for preparation and application of makeup to cast members. Key duties may include: maintaining an inventory of makeup products consistent with general makeup requirements for cast members; acquiring any make‐up products specific to character cast members’ appearance on stage; applying makeup for cast members unfamiliar with basic requirements and techniques, to be done in an instructional manner so as to allow cast members to learn techniques; supervising clean‐up of make‐up room and inventory of products; cleaning and storing; and training make‐up volunteers in methods and practice. ACTOR Because good actors make it look so effortless, it’s easy to forget just how much hard work acting really is. But the polished and natural feel of an actor’s performance often represents years of training and onstage experience. Participants have a range of previous performance experiences and strengths. Community theatre is a convenient way for lay people to gain acting and stage experience, for pleasure and amusement. DONATIONS MANAGER Many community theatres receive regular donations or theatrical clothing, props, and building supplies. Depending on the storage ability, usefulness, and condition of the donations, individual theatres vary on their acceptance policies. A donation log book should be maintained. Donations should be presented to appropriate department heads for inspection before accepting and storing. 123
D. VOLUNTEER PRACTICES The majority of community theatres depend on community volunteer participation to produce, perform, and populate a production. The nature of the work requires commitment, dedication and community spirit. These actions are only made possible through accumulated positive experiences within a theatre and with regular invitation to participate. They are made to feel welcome, thanked graciously, and feel that their contribution was necessary to the productions success. YOUTH AS VOLUNTEER PERFORMER Most amateur actors work at non‐theater professions and rehearse and perform in their spare time. In relation to youth, the workload is paced to fit a busy education schedule. Many amateur actors enjoy providing a source of entertainment for their local communities, and view performance as a fun and exciting hobby, with strong bonds of friendship formed through participation. Almost all community theatre actors are not paid. Occasionally, a professional performer will be paid and frequently plays a mentorship role. In Community Theater, actors are expected to assist as much as possible with costumes, set construction, props, and all other activities involved in making a great theatrical production. It is expected that everyone involved will:  Pick up after themselves while at the theater  Agree to be at all scheduled rehearsals, unless prearranged and approved by the Director.  Understand that they need to learn their lines by the date communicated by the Director.  Review list props with the Stage Manager.  Understand that no food or drink is allowed in the audience or stage area.  Agree to assist and do their part in maintaining good housekeeping. With continued participation, participants accrue considerable experience and skills, which may be transferred to a variety of professional industries. These skills are recognized and valued when on job resumes entering any field. Often, interns and summer students are selected through displayed prior commitment to volunteer positions and a yearning to learn more. From this structure, consistent volunteers become key personnel. YOUTH VOLUNTEER IN FRONT OF HOUSE The front of house volunteer contributes to the general tone and atmosphere of the performance venue, providing a welcoming smile, a helping arm to your seat, and a nod to the formal practices of hospitality. These positions include ushers, box office assistants, refreshment sales, and special needs assistants. Volunteer guidelines are posted, and must read through before a shift begins. A benefit of assisting in these ways for youth involves developing 124
a familiarity assisting seniors and physically handicapped individuals to their seats, or clearing the chairs for their access. These positions also allows for interaction with community members of all ages and backgrounds. Outfitted in professional black clothing, and behaving in a courteous and generous manner, they encourage positive recognition for the contributions of our local youth. The theatre attracts many non‐local patrons, and these youth are indispensable in their impact on the public perception of the community. YOUTH AS AUDIENCE, FUTURE VOLUNTEER, AND COMMUNITY MEMBER The act itself of attending a performance allows people to present their best face, bolstering their self confidence in public perception. Attending Community theatre productions is often a family affair, with multiple generations engaged in supporting family and friends. The audience meets and greets each other in the lobby before the house is open, sharing stories and community news. They look at the art work in the lobby gallery and share experiences they are reminded of. They are welcomed with inviting antique seating, an artificial wood stove, and a well arranged design scheme. They peruse the cast member headshot displays, pointing to so‐
and so‐’s daughter, encouraging talks of heritage and local knowledge. The whole experience, beyond the subject matter of the production itself, creates shared topics of discussion, from the moment you step into the lobby and out into the community beyond, resonating with patrons for weeks to come. All of these elements allow for an appreciation of the theatre art form as a whole. The experience for any individual theatre patron may awaken unexplored portions of their internal worlds. The experience of a young boy entering a production with his grandmother and aunt instills a sense of propriety, respect for form, and attention to detail he may not otherwise be exposed to. In flipping through the show program, he will notice that most of the work has been carried out by youth. He will acknowledge that there are multiple jobs beside actor listed, many of which require technical skill. During the production he is intrigued by the lighting system and moved by a particular lighting transition. Out of the whole theatrical experience, this may be the artistry he is most struck by. He is able to recognize shifts in emotionality and engagement in the tone of the stage lights. His mind drifts off, relating the shifts to his real life experiences. He looks over to see his grandmother engaged in the performance, and can guess what she is feeling. Leaving the theatre, he is struck by the colour of the evening sky as he assists his grandmother to the vehicle. He does not volunteer immediately, but continues his education, and in his later teen years he is encouraged to participate through coming to a rehearsal with his girlfriend. He is welcomed as a new member, and begins to rehearse as an ensemble member. He becomes friends with the lighting volunteers. As the performance comes closer, he stays after rehearsal to help hang and focus the lights. In working with this small group, he overhears the lighting design discussion between the lighting designer and the director. He begins to understand the complexities of the craft. For the next production, he volunteers as a spot light operator, and next as a sound operator, and eventually he is capable of inputting cues into the digital lighting system and facilitating 125
lighting cues. He still pursues his education goals outside of the arts, but has become an indispensable member of the theatrical community. His knowledge may not be professionally recognized, but his commitment and general interest has allowed him to gain skills and share his experience. His name appears in the programs, and his family comes to see his work. E. SPACE AND RESOURCES Community theatre operates in a variety of physical spaces. Generally every theatre operates from a main office, and has access to a rehearsal space, shop space, performance venue, and storage space. MAIN OFFICE Reception area Office of the Artistic Director Office of the Managing Director  Phone, computer, internet, fax, photocopier, scanner, printer, design programs, budget software, assorted paper for tickets, programs and brochures, printer ink, stationery, mailing supplies, labels, filing cabinets and file folders, external hard drive, secure cabinets for cameras and other valuables. These may be 3 separate spaces, or in one room. It is useful to have a more private location for confidential discussion or conflict management with participants. REHEARSAL SPACE Rehearsal room  Open space, chairs, tables, piano, white board, markers, computer and speakers, assorted visual arts materials for exercises, broom, coat and boot racks, appropriate lighting, garbage and recycling. Washroom facilities  Toilet paper, paper towel, cleaning supplies, mirrors, garbage and recycling. Kitchen  Coffee and tea supplies, drinkable water, cookies or snacks, serving platters, plates, bowls, cutlery, reusable coffee mugs, dishwashing supplies, refrigerator, microwave, garbage and recycling. Often, the rehearsal space is used frequently and must be regularly maintained and thoroughly cleaned. Youth often come directly from school to rehearsals, frequently eating snacks or meals at the rehearsal space. Food is always important in Community theatre, and volunteers anticipate being provided snacks or cookies. Individual theatre’s have specific rules about when and where food is permitted. 126
SHOP SPACE Set and Technical shop  Work table, drafting table, multiple drills, hardware, circular saw or table saw, jig saw, rotary saw, sander, saw horse, paint supplies, drop cloth, rags, broom, industrial vacuum, safety gear, power bars and extensions, hazardous materials safety guidelines, emergency procedure guidelines, ventilation system, garbage and recycling. Costume shop  Work table, sewing machine, sewing kit, multiple fabric scissors, needles and thread, notions, dressmakers dummy, clothing rack, garbage and recycling. PERFORMANCE VENUE Dressing rooms  Clothing racks, closed door, chairs, dressing tables, mirrors, proper lighting, garbage. Green room  Couches or seats for performers when not on stage, dim lighting. Backstage  Assistant stage manager’s table, secure personals lock box, dim lighting, clear walkways, props table, quick change area, costume rack, movable set piece storage areas, glow tape, flashlights, and garbage. Stage  Safe, clean acting surfaces, house lighting, theatrical lighting, wings (sides of stage not visible to audience), actual or rehearsal set pieces. Audience  Comfortable seating, removable seating for special needs, lit walk ways. Front of house  Box office station, refreshments sales station, souvenir sales station, light and sound booth, stage managers booth, telephone, walkie talkies, garbage and recycling. Lobby  Multiple chairs, show display and headshots, garbage and recycling. STORAGE SPACE Library  Previous production materials (prompt books, original script), photo archive, annual reports, theatre books and resources, sheet music and music resources, design books and resources, production resources. Filing system 127
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File cabinets, folders, envelopes, labels. Annual, seasonal, and production specific systems. Incoming, outgoing, current, financials, invoices, bills, warranties, participant information, permissions, correspondence, media. Costume storage  Clothing racks, shoe racks, storage bins, shelving, laundry, inventory lists. Building materials storage  Storage bins, shelving, hazardous materials storage, lockable doors. Prop and set dressing storage  Storage bins, shelving, small item organizers. Lighting and sound equipment storage  Lighting racks, storage bins, equipment cases, assorted cables. Storage for rehearsal and arts materials  Easily accessible, assorted paper and cardstock, binders, note pads, pencils, pens, highlighters, colored pencils, pastels, markers, glue sticks, scissors, glitter, masking tape, thumb tacks, post it notes and tabs. F. ACCOUNTABILITY PRACTICES How a theatre company is organized often determines its success. Why a company was formed in the first place is also of critical importance. Good research and planning, plus laying a solid foundation will serve well, long after the initial work has been completed. Community theatre’s often begin as grassroots projects, frequently initiated by an individual artist. Accountability practices are developed organically and frequently in response to incident. Effective structures should be in place regarding governance, building audiences, bolstering fundraising, tightening finances, and solidifying relationships with boards, volunteers, communities, & colleagues. THE INITIAL WORK Collaborative structure Is it run as a benevolent dictatorship? A cooperative? Or something in‐between? How are projects chosen? Who will help with the non‐artistic administrative work? A community theatre should be clear about the decision‐making structure and lines of responsibility. Mission statement The Theatre’s identity and the litmus test by which future projects are considered. It should be as broad as possible, while still identifying a unique vision. It crystallizes just why they formed as a group in the first place. It also helps others to know just what they are all about. It lets participants, the audience and the arts community knows what they are and what they stand 128
for. And as the years go by, it helps newcomers to understand as well. It also helps keep them on track, so they don’t spread too thin, or to go off in directions for which they are not equipped. The name and a look. A developed logo and an identifiable "look" for publicity, etc. Company name registered with the local authorities In order to become a registered business and protect the name, a theatre must register with their city. They may have to register as a D.B.A. ("Doing Business As"), effectively registering it as an alias for one or more individuals in the company. After filing the name, they must announce the creation of the business in a local paper. Bank account The best way to keep track of the company's financial situation is to open a separate bank account. It also enables accepting checks written to the company's name. They must be registered with the city in order to open an account under a D.B.A. name. Association with relevant service organizations Joining the local theatre alliance, or regional organization, gives credibility, and access to lots of ideas and services. The American Association of Community Theatre links companies all over North America, in all kinds of communities. Joining a local culture, community, youth, and arts service organizations help gain audience and participants. Profit/nonprofit status This is one of the most difficult decisions to make, if nonprofit, there is bureaucracy and paperwork to navigate. The main advantage is qualifying for grants and special discounts. Foundations can legally give grants only to nonprofits, and individual donors can write off nonprofit contributions on their taxes. However, most foundations give only to companies with a proven track record. Small community theatre’s can wait and turn nonprofit in the future. Fiscal sponsorship is a popular option for small companies, whereby they can apply for grants and access bulk mail rates through a separate nonprofit umbrella organization. Often these organizations take a percentage of grant income in return. Shared administrative platform is a term used to describe a charitable, non‐profit organization that assumes control and responsibility for projects with charitable purposes initiated by individuals with no prior, formal relationship with the organization. This allows these projects to access charitable sector financial support, and cost‐effective, professional administration expertise. Funding decisions Will most of the budget depend on grants? The kindness of community? Dues paid by company members? Earned income such as merchandise sales, auctions, and galas? Each has its advantages and drawbacks. Making decisions on funding sources and likely amounts of income will help determine how ambitious the plans should be. Strategized potential non‐production activities 129
Doing a show or two a year is enough for some groups, while others like to maintain a continual presence to increase visibility and develop audiences. Examples of additional activities include teaching classes, hosting staged readings, and engaging in various forms of community outreach. Database Nothing takes more time than repeatedly writing out addresses on postcards. There are lots of good database programs out there that allow you to print labels in a matter of minutes. It is advisable to keep a separate database for general mailings and another for press contacts. Audience Who will come see the plays? How are they likely to learn about them? How do similar companies promote their work? THE FIRST SHOW Budget As specific as possible. The following are applicable: script rights, space rental (liability insurance may be additional), set construction, props, lights rental, costumes, stipends for actors/designers/running crew, various publicity activities, video archiving, and a generous line for "miscellaneous." They should be conservative about the likely income (especially ticket sales) and generous in estimating the costs. Rights to the play If the show is not an original work, a signed contract needs to be in hand before announcing the play as part of your season. This is generally done in two parts. First, calling the playwright/publisher/agent and determining whether the rights are available for the region. If so, then they must make firm arrangements for a performance space and dates, before the playwright/publisher/agent will even consider the request for rights. Contract with a venue What is included in the rental price, such as insurance and tech rehearsals? Many venues require liability insurance, which can be very expensive. Practically every venue has a different policy on how much rehearsal/tech time is included in the basic rental fee. How long and how often do they want to perform? The longer a show runs, the more it costs, but also the more people can hear about it and make plans to attend. Weekend matinees vary in their success, based largely on the type of audience members the show attracts. Union decisions If any members of Actors' Equity or The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees are hired, they must secure a contract from their union offices. 130
Ticket sales Most small companies rely on voice mail for patrons to leave ticket reservations. Who gets to receives those calls? Some venues will provide their own box office services. Alternatively, there are services that can handle ticket sales for a modest fee per ticket. All marketing materials should carry the correct box office phone number. Introduction to the press The cost of publicity is almost always underestimated. It can sometimes amount to a third of the budget. Especially for a company's first show, it is important to get the name out to the local press through early announcements, a newsletter, or a letter of introduction. Press releases are sent four to eight weeks prior to opening. Then, a couple of weeks prior to opening, press packets are sent to local critics, including any background info that might entice them to see the show. CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS After stating the goals and objectives of the theatre in the mission statement, the constitution and bylaws of a community theatre should spell out carefully‐determined specifics. While basic operating rules and organizational structure should be defined, enough flexibility should be provided to accommodate changes and future developments. It is possible to run a community theatre without any official constitution or bylaws. However, if they wish to qualify as a charitable, educational and/or nonprofit entity, they will need bylaws. The bylaws for a typical community theatre often include details related to the following: General Name and location Preamble Legal counsel Bookkeeping and audit procedures Corporate status Amendment and repeal procedures Rules of procedure Officers and Board of Directors Election procedures Terms of office Powers Duties Replacement during absences and vacancies Indemnification Members Definitions of Types of 131
Dues Obligations Powers Privileges Meetings Annual membership meetings Special membership meetings Board Meetings Purposes of Quorum requirements Advance notice for Order of business Time and place requirements, if any Committees Standing committees Types and purposes of Membership of Quorum requirements Chairmanship of Membership change in committees Appointment or election to Powers of Duties of Amendments NEGOTIATION OF DIFFERENCES Negotiation means conferring with another party in order to establish a common ground from which both can proceed; it goes to the heart of collaborative work. In community arts, this means that at least one, but ideally all, parties are willing to relinquish some aspect of their expectations for the good of the process, the product or outcome toward which they are working. Difficult dynamics can develop within any group of people that are working together. It may be that one person always makes decisions for the collective, or that power‐based groups develop within the larger group and compete for control. The methods for decision making, money management and dispute resolution should be agreed upon prior to the working experience. The important point is to avoid having decision‐making control in the hands of one person or small group. Methods to avoid this include:  agreeing to achieve consensus on issues that arise;  voting on issues, with majority rules outcomes; 132
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creating small groups to oversee each area of responsibility, thereby minimizing the possibility of individual domination over vision, finance, information, control etc. (one participant could be responsible for each group, either self‐assigned or assigned by a facilitator); having these groups report on their activity, communicating on a regular basis to an impartial group or person who provides feedback on how the big picture is shaping up. If establishing these consensual decision‐making guidelines does not work, project organizers may want to obtain guidelines on formal dispute management or arrange for an impartial third party to mediate the situation. Personality is a powerful force in collaborative work. The interplay of personality traits often develops into chemistry which can make collective creation a joy, or not. Some methods to address potential tensions based on personality differences include:  Identifying a buffer zone for participants a place where anyone can go to be alone (this can diffuse individual and collective tension and prevent emotional issues from developing into inappropriate behavior).  Devising a system for anonymous feedback, such as a Feedback Box where comments regarding the project or process may be addressed. It allows issues to be raised with impunity and gives less vocal participants a voice.  Establishing an optional, regular ritual around an enjoyable activity such as a snack exchange, poetry session, etc. The best negotiations occur when all parties agree that they are in this together, willing to listen, be heard and find an area of mutual agreement. Communication is critical to developing mutual understanding and building relationships. Words often have different meaning to different people. They carry energy, emotion and power. Successful outcomes usually occur when difficulties are negotiated and communication is clear. EVALUATION OF WORK Honest and critical evaluation of a project is an important aspect of development for an artist and for a community. It develops both the tools and the strengths necessary for further development and it clears the path for future work. Evaluation can be ongoing, and can assist with managing expectations. Initial questions for evaluation might include:  How do participants feel and what do they think about the product or outcome?  How was the work or project initiated? Did that method provide a solid foundation?  What was the nature of the collaboration and how did it work?  How actively did the community participate in the project?  How was the context of the community reflected in the outcome? The process? The decision‐making methods that were developed? Any other choices?  Through what process was the project or work developed and designed?  What were the aesthetic considerations involved? How did they relate to the community? To the artist(s)?  What were some of the benefits to the artist(s) and community members? 133
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Were artist and community expectations realized? How were they adjusted? How was acknowledgment given (e.g. was there a written document acknowledging all who contributed, etc.)? How was the process documented? How was ownership (or copyright) determined? What were the major problems? What might have prevented them? What were the greatest achievements? The working process and outcome should be rigorously reviewed and critiqued, not the people who worked on the project. Use functions to describe what happened, rather than the names of those who performed them. It might be useful for each participant to write a sentence or brief paragraph about the experience. It is a valuable legacy of the work. G. FUNDING SOURCES The development of community arts programs at the municipal, provincial and national levels shows that community arts is coming into its own as a recognized art‐making method. Public funding greatly shapes and influences the development of the arts, as well as the fabric of our society and individual communities. Generally speaking, where there are dollars, there is development and growth, and support for community arts organizations, residencies and projects between artists and communities, as well as a variety of community‐based festivals. There are various arts service organizations whose sole purpose is finding nonprofits money. Grants covering annual operational costs are separate from grants looking to fund specific projects. Applying for grants is an art in itself, and many community theatres use professional grant writers. The time and effort required to continually pursue funding for every individual production is a full time commitment. This is often the reason why so many community theatres have a limited number of productions annually. Secure operational funding for staff and key personnel allows for easier execution of a full season of quality productions. Community arts are drawing attention at a time when the arts and social services sectors are experiencing major restructuring and cutbacks at every government level. In light of these funding challenges to the arts in general, community arts is well‐positioned to find new sources of support beyond government funding. The following are examples of how community arts organizations have secured the support of business, community, arts and public funders to support their community based art work:  sharing resources and infrastructure such as facilities, people, expertise and goods‐in‐
kind  approaching the private sector with proposals that specify what’s in it for them  cultivating relationships with potential funders, donors and business partners by making the community and the artist known to them 134
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developing partnerships with other communities for resource sharing and cultural development documenting community arts work in an attractive, informative package as a way to gain future support The public is also an excellent ally to ensure the support of community arts. This is where documentation, solicitation of written feedback, collection of names and addresses for mailing lists and on‐going contact become all the more important. Letters from artists, arts supporters and community members carry tremendous weight with those who make decisions regarding arts funding. The use of community arts to reach new and larger audiences within the arts can also foster financial support. The nature of any given project may indicate unique sources of support if careful, creative thought is devoted to it. LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL Tewatohnhi'saktha Tewatohnhi'saktha Economic Development Commission’s Summer Employment program is the main source of personnel funding, annually from June to late August. The number of funded students fluctuates annually, but averages four. Students are hired as summer camp councilors and are production team leaders, responsible for mounting two productions. Kanien’kehá:ka Funding Association The KFA will provide special project funding by application. Private Donations/Sponsors Private donations from various community members, businesses, and charitable organizations. REGIONAL AND PROVINCIAL Conseil des Arts et des Lettres Québec The CALQ provides a flexible theatre funding approach. Projects fall under 3 categories. These grants can cover an individual or group of artists’ funding and the production expenses facilitate a youth production. Grants for up‐and‐coming artists  Research, creation and exploration project  Advanced training  Travel Development grants  Research and creation  Commissioned works and residences  Development and advanced training  Studios and studio‐apartments 135
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Travel Career grants  Career grants are intended for artists whose careers span at least 20 years in the arts and literature and whose works or achievements are outstanding. Applications for any of their programs must include:  a description of the project  the artist's curriculum vitae or the curricula vitae of the members of an artist's group  the curricula vitae of the main collaborators in the project  a detailed project work plan including the proposed timetable  the detailed budget for the project  in the case of travel grants: a proof of registration or an invitation in the case of a project that calls for participation in a workshop, conference, colloquium, biennial event, festival, symposium or any other event of this kind  in the case of a commissioned work, a letter from the host organization that is commissioning the work  information on the host organization and its financial participation or that of other partners in the project  in the case of development and advanced training grants: the letter of acceptance from a professor or a master artist  if need be, a clipping file of not more than five pages containing photocopies of newspaper articles published during the previous five years.  five copies of a recent work presented on a CD or DVD Conseil Québécoise des Ressources Humaines en Culture The CQRHC (in French only) provides a funding source for an individual employees, in any theatrical field, including Dance, Music, Theatre, Circus, and Interdisciplinary arts. They will fund people and institutions whose main activities are related to the creation, production, public performance, promotion or distribution of performances and performative events. Independent Artists, stage technicians, as well as the people who manage the careers of artists in the performing arts are also part of this sector. English Language Arts Network ELAN is not a funding body, but membership does provide access to an extensive listing of grants, prizes, residencies and other funding programs that are available to English‐speaking artists in Quebec. Quebec Community Group Network QCGN is not a funding body, but membership in such organizations are beneficial and can influence private donations. 136
FEDERAL Canada Council for the Arts Developmental Support to Aboriginal Theatre Organizations This grant may not be available to Turtle Island Theatre Company for it’s community and youth work, but may be for the Turtle Island Players. If this group becomes a professional collective, then a variety of alternate funding sources are available to them for their productions. This funding could possibly be used to establish the Turtle Island Players as a professional collective. Developmental support grants from this program contribute toward the costs of outreach, production of new theatre works, professional development of Aboriginal theatre artists and organizations, administration, marketing and publicity, travel and other activities. Aboriginal organizations and artists may also be eligible to apply for other programs within the Theatre Section such as Theatre Production Project Grants and Grants to Theatre Artists. This program provides two types of grants: one for established organizations and the other for emerging organizations. Grant Amount The level of assistance that an organization can receive from this program is from $5,000 to $25,000, and they might not be awarded the full amount requested. Eligibility For this program, the term “organization” includes companies, collectives and ad hoc groups. A collective is a professional, non‐incorporated group that has been together for at least two years with the same core membership. An ad hoc group is one that has been formed for the specific purpose of creating a theatre work. To apply to this program, your organization must be an Aboriginal‐directed Canadian professional theatre organization (in other words, Aboriginal people must make up a majority of the organization’s leadership). Aboriginal peoples include First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. In the Aboriginal tradition, elders, storytellers, dancers, singers and other artists may participate in the creation of theatre works. The organization must also meet the following requirements:  It must be an emerging or established organization, as defined below.  The core members of collectives and ad hoc groups must be Canadian citizens or have permanent resident status, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and must be professional artists.  Incorporated organizations must be a non‐profit and must pay artists’ fees. They must also have produced a body of work that includes a professional production. 137
Emerging organizations Aboriginal theatre organizations are considered to be emerging if they can demonstrate fewer than five years of sustained activity and a commitment to professional artists. Established organizations Aboriginal theatre organizations are considered to be established if they can demonstrate five or more years of sustained activity. The Canada Council defines a professional artist as someone who:  has specialized training in the artistic field (not necessarily in academic institutions)  is recognized as a professional by his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition)  is committed to devoting more time to artistic activity, if possible financially  has a history of public presentation. Canada Council for the Arts Leadership for Change: Grants for Organizational Development This program provides funding to organizations for consultations with a specialist or expert in order to develop new management practices, explore alternative organizational structures or seize valuable opportunities that clearly address the objectives of the program. It supports projects that strengthen an organization, a sector or a community’s ability to adapt to their changing environment. The program encourages collaborative approaches. Organizations are expected to share the knowledge gained through the project with their community or within their own organization. The program has two components: Component 1: Grants to collective or sectoral initiatives Component 2: Grants to organizations Grant Amount Component 1: Grants to collective or sectoral initiatives – maximum of $20,000 Component 2: Grants to organizations – maximum of $10,000 The application must be submitted by a Canadian arts organization that has received a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts within the last three years. Canada Council for the Arts Aboriginal Peoples Collaborative Exchange: National and International Project Grants This would allow for a professional group of native theatre artists to work with Turtle Island Theatre Company, possibly on developing a new musical, or staging an established script. The Aboriginal Peoples Collaborative Exchange (APCE) program provides support for Aboriginal 138
artists to travel to other Aboriginal communities to collaborate in a traditional or contemporary artistic practice. This is a multidisciplinary program that is open to individual Aboriginal artists, arts groups, artists’ collectives and arts organizations. The program encourages social and community environments that support the development of Aboriginal arts and artistic practices. It aims to foster unique artistic relationships and networks through inter‐nation collaborative exchanges among Aboriginal artists, across all disciplines. In general terms, the APCE program supports collaborations that are: Creative – Two artists or groups of artists creating a work together. Developmental – The development of artistic skills and techniques among participants, the advancement of traditional or contemporary artistic knowledge, and the formalized exploration of artistic themes. Exploratory and Research – Artistic research with Aboriginal communities to recover, examine, and authenticate traditional histories and artistic practices (while respecting each Aboriginal nation’s affirmed protocol.) Applicants may find that their project falls within the objectives of the Artists and Community Collaboration Program (ACCP). The fund offers financial support to collaborations in an arts process that actively involves the work of professional artists and non‐arts community members in creative relationships, including projects that involve youth and elders. Applicants may apply to the ACCP through this program. Grant Amount Individual applicants Individuals travelling within Canada may request a maximum of $5,000. If they are travelling to and from a destination outside Canada, they may request a maximum of $10,000. Individual applicants may also invite international indigenous artists to Canada. Aboriginal groups, collectives or organizations Arts groups, artists’ collectives and arts organizations travelling within Canada may request a maximum of $20,000. If they are travelling to and from a destination outside Canada, these applicants may request a maximum of $30,000. Arts groups, artists’ collectives and arts organizations may also apply for assistance to bring international Indigenous individuals or groups to Canada for their collaborative project. Established Aboriginal artists An additional cost‐of‐living allowance (to a maximum of $2,000 per month, for the duration of the project) may also be requested by, or on behalf of, an established Aboriginal artist. This allowance is in addition to the maximum grant amount and must be included in the budget submission. This amount is also in addition to the artists’ fees and is meant to assist with the costs of living in two residences during the project. 139
Eligibility Canadian Aboriginal individual artists, arts groups, artists’ collectives and arts organizations are eligible to apply to this program. Foreign Indigenous artists must have a Canadian Aboriginal arts group, collective or organization applies on their behalf. The Canada Council defines Aboriginal people as First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. For this program, Aboriginal people also include Indigenous and First Peoples from outside Canada. Applicants should note that meeting the eligibility criteria allows them to apply, but it does not guarantee that they will receive a grant. Individual applicants Individual applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. They do not need to be living in Canada when they apply. They must also be Aboriginal artists who have:  completed their basic training (not necessarily in a formal educational institution, but perhaps through a mentorship process)  produced an independent body of work, and  received the recognition of their peers through the public presentation of their work, or have been recommended by an established Aboriginal artist or an Aboriginal arts organization. Arts groups, artists’ collectives and arts organizations Must have Aboriginal artists as a majority of their members, and their artistic direction must be provided by Aboriginal artists of Canada. Arts organizations must show an ongoing commitment to Aboriginal arts, and must be operated by Aboriginal people. If they are governed by a board of directors, at least 51 percent of the directors must be Aboriginal people, and one of them must sign the application. Eligible Activities Project grants from this program may be used for:  national projects, where Aboriginal artists travel within Canada to collaborate with other prominent Aboriginal artists or arts groups, or  international projects, where Canadian Aboriginal artists travel to other countries to collaborate with prominent Indigenous artists from outside Canada. International projects may include bringing foreign Indigenous artists to Canada as part of the collaborative project. Projects for professional artistic development, proposed by individual artists or arts groups, will be considered. However, projects that include public presentation may be given priority. Projects must clearly be collaborative in nature and contribute to the development of the applicant’s artistic practice. The collaboration must be formalized between the applicant and the collaborator. The project description must identify the artistic practice at the core of the 140
collaboration and include a written acknowledgement from the artist who is identified as the collaborator. Canada Council for the Arts Artists and Community Collaboration Program in Theatre This grant is similar to the APCE, but is for the general, non native population. This would be useful if the Turtle Island Theatre Company wanted to bring in professional non‐native artists to work with any of their groups. The possibility of a group of professionals working with the Musical Entertainers on cabaret and comedy would be applicable. The objective is to support diverse artistic activities that bring together professional artists and the broader community in a creative and collaborative relationship. This program offers financial support to projects that connect professional artists with communities, in particular with youth. It is open to Canadian professional, non‐profit theatre organizations and ad hoc groups of Canadian professional theatre artists. An “ad hoc group” refers to a group of professional artists formed for the specific purpose of creating a unique work. Grants are intended as a contribution towards the specific costs of:  a period of development, research or creation workshops geared towards a possible future production or  theatre production, which may also include development. Some projects may be entirely developmental in nature, with no production or public presentation of the work included as part of the project. Such proposals should demonstrate that the work being developed has a clearly articulated process. Grant Amount Applicants to the ACCP may apply for up to a maximum of $25,000 per year. Because of the high number of applications that may be received and the limited resources available, grants awarded may be smaller than the amounts requested. Eligible expenses include:  theatre artists' honoraria or fees  the material costs of the production  marketing and publicity costs  administrative fees  theatre and rehearsal space rental  honoraria for community participants  for research, development and/or creation workshop projects only, eligible expenses also include fees for creators (authors, composers, etc.) and facilitators while creating the work in question (script, score, etc.). 141
Eligibility Canadian professional non‐profit theatre organizations and ad hoc groups of professional theatre artists are eligible. The Canada Council for the Arts defines professional artist as someone who:  has specialized training in the field (not necessarily in academic institutions)  is recognized as such by peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), and  has a history of public presentation or publication. Incorporated, not for profit theatre organizations currently receiving operating assistance from the Theatre Section of the Canada Council for the Arts are eligible to apply to this program as long as they are proposing projects not funded through operating assistance. Companies or groups of artists may not submit a new application to the Canada Council until outstanding final reports are received under separate cover and approved by an officer. Grant recommendations are made by a peer assessment committee, based on the overall merit of the project in a national comparative context and on the funds available. Canadian Heritage Canada Cultural Investment Fund, Strategic Initiatives Strategic Initiatives provides financial assistance for projects involving multiple partners that will help arts and heritage organizations strengthen their management abilities, make strategic use of new technologies and diversify their revenues. By supporting collaborative projects, Strategic Initiatives encourages knowledge and resource sharing that will improve the business operations of arts and heritage organizations and help them make stronger contributions to Canadian society and the economy; and that will advance cultural development at the local level. To be eligible an applicant must:  be a professional non‐profit organization, association, institution, or foundation incorporated under the Canada Corporations Act, Part II or provincial or territorial legislation, or a First Nations, Inuit or Métis organization; o administered by an active board of directors, working professionally and continuously for three years prior to the application date; o with a mandate related to the arts or heritage sector; and o with activities and programs that include the arts or heritage; or  be a postsecondary education institution or a heritage organization created by another level of government: o with distinct objectives, programs and budgets related to the arts or heritage; and  employ the equivalent of at least two full‐time employees; and  not have an accumulated deficit of 15% or more over total revenue for the previous year. 142
Application process Step 1: Letter of Intent An organization interested in receiving funding under Strategic Initiatives must first submit an overview of the proposed project. The Department will evaluate the Letter of Intent before inviting the organization to submit a Detailed Application. Before submitting a Letter of Intent a CCIF Program Officer must be contacted to discuss the nature of the project. Step 2: Detailed Application Strategic Initiatives will invite only those organizations whose proposals have been recommended to submit Detailed Applications. The deadline for submitting the Detailed Application will be specified in the invitation letter. Each organization will have at least two months to submit the necessary documents. Canadian Heritage Canada Cultural Investment Fund, Limited Support to Endangered Arts Organizations The Turtle Island Theatre Company may not be eligible, because it is not a professional organization. Individual support like this always requires calling the arts officer before applying. If not eligible, the officer will recommend similar, and often private, funding avenues for community theatres in need. This component was established for those rare instances where a professional arts organization faces the prospect of closure but there is a high degree of support for its continuation and a viable business/restructuring plan. In specific circumstances, assistance is available under this component to enable an arts organization to restructure in order to ensure it can continue to contribute to the community it is serving. Canadian Heritage Canada Cultural Spaces Fund Objective The CCSF seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and innovation. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing arts, visual arts, media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays. The Fund supports the improvement, renovation and construction of arts and heritage facilities, and the acquisition of specialized equipment as well as conducting feasibility studies. Who Can Apply? Non‐profit arts and heritage organizations incorporated under Part II of the Canada Corporations Act or under corresponding provincial or territorial legislation. Provincial/territorial governments, municipal or regional governments, and their agencies, as well as First Nations and Inuit equivalent governments, are also eligible. Federal organizations and federal Crown corporations are not eligible for funding. All potential applicants must 143
contact a CCSF program advisor at the nearest Department of Canadian Heritage regional office before submitting a funding application. H. COMPARABLE COMPANIES, PROJECTS, AND PROGRAMING LAKESHORE PLAYERS, Dorval Esthetically and performance quality wise, this community theatre produces work similar to that of the Turtle Island Players. The groups have crossover in performers, directors, and artists, and have loaned and borrowed set and costume elements from each other. They produce three amateur productions annually, performing mostly classic western musicals and comedies, as well as new dramas. They operate out of three main facilities, a rehearsal space, office space, and hold their performances at John Rennie High School’s theatre. They do not offer youth programming. Mandate “Lakeshore Players is a not‐for‐profit registered Canadian charity. We are a community theatre company that has been offering excellent live theatre for over 40 years. Lakeshore Players was founded in 1965, making us one of the longest‐running community theatres in the area. Our company mounts three major productions each season, and we reach an audience of approximately 2,500 people from all across the West Island and as far afield as eastern Ontario and New Brunswick.” “Our goals still remain the same after 40 plus years: to provide high quality, varied entertainment for our audiences as well as an environment where our members can exercise their creativity and fulfill their love of theatre. We have a team of dedicated members who continue to develop our company and a talented and ambitious Board of Directors to oversee our activities.” GEORDIE PRODUCTIONS, Montreal Geordie Productions is a professional theatre company that has been presenting live English theatre for young audiences since 1980. They produce professional work for young audiences. Geordie’s Mainstage series – an annual two play season for family audiences in downtown Montreal. Geordie’s school tour take 2 different productions across Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick, visiting schools, libraries and community centre’s. They also hold an annual fundraiser event ‐ A Classic theatre piece performed by members of the law and business community and over two evenings and with one Saturday Matinee. Along with the show there are cocktails and food after the event as well as a silent auction. Mission Statement Geordie Productions aims to entertain, provoke thought, fire up the imagination, and challenge our audiences of all ages. We celebrate the art of theatre and its importance by working with great artists of many disciplines and varied experience to create theatre that is vibrant and engaging. Our work inspires dialogue between children and parents as well as teachers and students. Geordie is committed to giving new life to existing Canadian plays as well as 144
developing and adding new great works to the Canadian Canon. We look to constantly reach out to broaden our audience base by bringing productions to as many areas as we can reach. Youth programming At Geordie Theatre School they strive to build a solid foundation in acting by learning the craft from theatre professionals. Courses will involve exercises which help students increase their self confidence, enjoy performing in public and improve their acting skills. At the end of the course students will perform a final presentation with classmates for family and friends. Their course work is similar to the work of KSCS Drama Project, and they also produce variety type productions. Similar to BTW’s youth outcomes, there is little focus on costumes and set. For the 2013‐ 2014 season Geordie Theatre School (GTS) will offer classes for 4 different age groups: Junior Geordies (ages 6‐12) Cost: $315/ 12 weeks Junior classes will help introduce students to drama and develop skills in storytelling, character development, physical acting and using their imagination. Students will learn to share ideas and invent scenes through improvisation and teamwork. They will work together with their teachers to create a final performance based on a common theme across all classes. Storytelling (Ages 6‐7) Students will develop creativity through storytelling. The key areas of attention are ensemble, focus, and some body/voice work. Ensemble (Ages 8‐9) Students will work on constructing stories to perform together. They will continue to work on ensemble and focus. Students will also begin to use memory, character and to build body/voice awareness. Character Building (Ages 10‐12) Students will learn by building different characters through text and physicality. This class will begin to use script work. Geordie Teens Cost: $365/ 12 weeks Teen classes are geared towards students who want to develop and improve their acting skills through various dramatic exercises such as: script work, character development, improvisation and creative movement. Students will create and rehearse a final performance using teamwork and their newly acquired acting tools at the end of term. Scene Work (Ages 13‐17) 145
Students will build on their acting skills by either working with partners to build scenes and develop their characters, or by developing monologues, using scene study and character development. Discounts are available for families registering more than one child from the same family. A $100 deposit is due upon receipt of the registration form The additional $15 registration fee includes a free GTS t‐shirt as well as discounts for all of Geordie Productions’ Mainstage tickets for the student. All courses have a minimum and maximum enrollment – should a course not meet enrollment, cancellation may be necessary. Any student showing a lack of respect for GTS staff and property, as well as fellow students or instructors, may be dismissed from the class with no refund of fees. Participants are expected to be on time. THE SEGAL CENTRE, Montreal The Segal Centre is a Jewish oriented performance centre. They produce a full year of musical, dramatic, and comedy productions with a professional team. They also run various youth programs. Mandate “The Segal Centre is a meeting place for all of the performing arts, showcasing the best professional artists from here and abroad and playing a leading role in the artistic development of Montreal’s youth and the creation of its cultural legacy. Through theatre, music, dance, cinema and the Academy, the Segal Centre is setting a broad vision by recognizing the importance of building bridges through the arts and supporting multicultural projects in Montreal. The Centre’s commitment is to ensure that creativity resonates within our community and that it remains accessible and inspiring each and every day, leading the performing arts world of tomorrow.” Youth programming The Segal Centre Academy is a professionally staffed educational facility at the Segal Centre that offers performing arts courses and workshops for children and young adults. The Academy nurtures creativity, collaboration and talent in drama, musical theatre, music, and dance. It is a place where arts educators inspire youth to become the artists and audiences of the future. Spring Break Camp (8‐12 years old) February 24‐28, 8:30‐4:30 Cost: $250 Campers will spend an intense week acting and singing with a short performance at the end of the week. 20 spots available. Yaya Kids (8‐12 years old) October 10, 2013 to May, 2014, Thursdays 5:00 p.m.‐7:00 p.m. $330/session (2 sessions), $50 one time costume fee 146
Yaya classes will provide theatre training in the form of drama exercises and vocal coaching from the perspective of Jewish heritage and Yiddish culture. At the end of the session, a musical play will be presented, showcasing the learning and talent of the students. Yaya Teens (13‐17 years old) October 7, 2013 to May, 2014, Mondays 5:00 p.m.‐7:00 p.m. $330/session (2 sessions) (plus tax for those 14 and over), $50 one time costume fee* With the goal of helping teenagers fulfill their artistic potential and express themselves, YAYA Teens provides classes in acting techniques, songs styles, theatre performance styles, diction, vocal projection and body movement. The program culminates in the presentation of a play with music in English and Yiddish and based on Jewish heritage and intercultural values. YAYA Teens is the training ground for the renowned Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre and an entrée into participation in its high level productions. Broadway Stars (8 – 14 years old) October 9th, 2013 to May 2014, Wednesdays or Thursdays 5:00 p.m.‐7:00 p.m. $425/session (2 sessions), $50 one time costume fee* This year‐long program offers training in classic and contemporary Broadway musical theatre. The children registered for Broadway Stars will be divided into 2 separate classes (Broadway Stars l and Broadway Stars ll) depending on age and skill. They welcome beginners and those more experienced. Audition required. The division of the classes is at the professional instructors’ discretion. Both classes will participate in final showcases. Wandering Stars (15 – 17 years old) October 10th, 2013, Thursdays 7:00 p.m.‐9:00 p.m. $425/session (4 sessions, 2 year commitment), $50/year costume fee Wandering Stars is the Segal Centre’s exciting, multilingual troupe composed of young adults from varied backgrounds. In this 2 year program, each “Wandering Star” will receive training in acting, singing and dancing from the Segal Centre Academy’s professional teacher‐artists. In year 2, they take the show on tour. Wandering Stars promotes a message of tolerance through presentations of a heart‐felt story combined with entertaining and original music. This program is sponsored by private and corporate funders. HUDSON PLAYERS CLUB, Hudson The Hudson Players Club is a community theatre company produces mainstage productions, delivers workshops and readings to inspire members and the public, engages youth with performances and other opportunities, and presents events and social engagements to create community and share creative spirit. They are in the process of obtaining status as a non‐profit and charitable organization. Mandate: “To foster an appreciation of theatre in our community, and develop the capacity to engage fully in the theatre experience.” 147
Hudson Village theatre is a venue for touring productions, but also produces professional and community productions. Their youth programming is brief, and activity specific: March Break Children’s Theatre Workshops Total Improve 4 Kids! (Ages 8‐12) Tuesday March 4th, 1:00pm to 4:00pm Cost: $15 per child Total Improv for Kids is a fun and exciting means of tapping into and expanding kids imaginations. Theater games are used to improve kids' concentration, creativity, and for getting kids' over stage fright, while also nurturing important life skills such as listening, focusing, and thinking on their feet, while learning problem solving within a group environment. So you think you can Dance!!! (Ages 8‐12) Wednesday March 5 • 1:00pm to 5:00pm Cost $20 per child An introduction to basic dance moves and choreography. In this workshop the kids will learn and perform a fun and unique dance number with costumes which will be videoed and put up on the Village Theatre website. April Workshop Puppets with Noreen! (For ages 10 & up) Saturday April 26, 9:00am until 4:00pm Cost $30 per participant. 15 participants. BLACK THEATRE WORKSHOP, Montreal They produce one annual professional main stage production, two staged readings, a school tour, a fundraising gala, a meal and music fundraiser, a poetry jam, writers circle, and multiple mentorship opportunities. They also provide a performing arts summer intensive for youth and aspiring professionals. Mission statement “The mission of Black Theatre Workshop is: to encourage and promote the development of a Black and Canadian Theatre, rooted in a literature that reflects the creative will of Black Canadian writers and artists, and the creative collaborations between Black and other artists. BTW aims to promote and produce Black theatre that educates, entertains and delights its audiences. The company strives to create a greater cross‐cultural understanding by its presence and the intrinsic value of its work.” Youth programming BTW presents does not work on established scripts with their teens, but they perform a variety type of work similar to the KSCS Drama Project’s Group 1 (ages 7‐11) summer outcomes. These productions include a variety of scene presentations, musical numbers, and poetry, with 148
minimal set and costumes. They also facilitate senior youth staff to assist in the productions, similar to the summer students at Turtle Island Theatre Company. “As the main focus of the Artist Mentorship Program is to foster the evolution of the emerging artist in gearing towards a professional career in the arts, we recognize that everyone deserves a home to launch from. This is where we begin.” Taught by working community professionals, this summer intensive gives youth between the ages of 12 and 17 years old the unique opportunity to discover their voice and the power of performance by engaging in various introductory workshops surrounding the performing arts including acting, storytelling, dance, and spoken word. At the end of the 4‐week session, the students’ work will culminate in an in‐house presentation in front of an intimate (and supportive) audience of family, friends, members of Black Theatre Workshop and invited guests. June 30 to July 24, 2014 Monday to Thursday, from 10 AM to 3 PM There is a one‐time fee of $100.00 per child. I. GEORDIE PRODUCTIONS GENERAL MANAGER POSITION The following is a job description for a General Manager, in a professional and youth oriented theatre company in Montreal. The Turtle Island Theatre Company would benefit from establishing a similar permanent position. Reporting to the Artistic Director, this position has the chief administrative, operational and producing responsibility of Geordie Productions. In this case, the team includes an Artistic Director, the General Manager, Education and Outreach Manager, Box Office Manager and Administrative Assistant, Production Manager, Resident technician, and operate under the guidance of the Artistic Director. Geordie is currently seeking a full‐time General Manager. Description of key responsibilities:  To work with the Artistic Director in realizing the vision of the company  To be the business leader of the company  The identification and development of potential new funding sources  Develop and implement financial and business strategies to keep the theatre in sound financial health  Build a base for future growth and specific strategic objectives approved by the Artistic Director and Board of Directors  Work with the Artistic Director on the current long term strategies to ensure the continuation and expansion of Geordie’s work  Create and monitor all annual, project and capital budgets, cash flow and investments for the company  Negotiate and administer all employee/union/association agreements, and work with associations as needed 149
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Act as liaison to various government agencies, including arts councils Implement all current office systems (including procedures and equipment), and where necessary implement new systems Working closely with bookkeeper and do monthly financial reconciliation Act as liaison to Board of Directors regarding the business and producing affairs of Geordie Productions. Candidate profile:  Creative manager and strategic planner with demonstrated leadership skills  Minimum 2 years progressive experience in professional Canadian Theatre  Eager to work collaboratively with a small but dedicated staff, Board of Directors and the talented artists of Montreal  a skillful communicator, verbally and in writing, who is willing and able to represent the theatre to its audience, the wider public and the Montreal Theatre community  Spoken French is a requirement  Written French would be an asset  Experience in working with a non‐profit board of directors would be an asset. 150
RESOURCES Making the Case for Culture By Creative City Network of Canada and Canada Council for the Arts Community Arts Workbook By VitaLink and Ontario Arts Council An Overview of Health Issues for Performing and Visual Arts Students By Council of Arts Accrediting Associations Making Theatre By American Association of Community Theatre Keeping your instrument finely tuned: voice, body, mind and spirit Health tips for musical theatre performers By Theatre Alberta Do Community Arts Programs Promote Positive Youth Development? In Critical Social Work, interdisciplinary journal dedicated to social justice Creating Musical Theatre: Conversations with Broadway Directors and Choreographers By Lyn Cramer Acting in Musical Theatre: A Comprehensive Course By Joe Deer and Rocco Dal Vera The Cambridge Guide to Theatre Edited by Martin Banham Artfare Essentials Handbook By Jumblies Theatre 151
APPENDIX F: UNIQUE ASPECTS & MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS Report prepared by Angela Loft For Evaluation of KSCS Drama Project, January 2013 A. UNIQUE ASPECTS OF COMMUNITY THEATRE AND COMMUNITY ARTS Principles of Community Art Participant Qualities Key Project Ingredients Collaboration Documentation Quality of Outcome Development B. MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS FOR COMMUNTY THEATRE PARTICIPANTS Prevention Approaches Explicit Approach to Mental Health Applied Drama Drama Therapy Direct vs. Indirect Approaches Implicit Approach to Mental Health Character Study Theatre Games and Warm Ups Improvisation Order in Chaos Positive Changes 152
A. UNIQUE ASPECTS OF COMMUNITY THEATRE AND COMMUNITY ARTS Broadly defined, community arts is a collaborative creative process between a professional practicing artist and a community. Community arts and community theatre are not interchangeable terms, but community theatre operates under the same principles, regardless of artistic medium or form. It is as much about process as it is about the artistic product or outcome. Community arts provide a unique way for communities to express themselves and enable artists, through financial and other support, to engage in creative activity with communities. This broad definition identifies three elements which separate community arts from other methods of art‐making:  the co‐creative relationship between artist and community;  a focus on process as an essential tool for collective, collaborative, mutually‐beneficial results;  the active participation of artists and community members in the creative process. Common elements have contributed to the development and growth of community arts, including the:  recognition that arts activity, when integrated into the everyday lives of people, is an effective means of addressing social and cultural concerns;  need to make the arts accessible, supported and appreciated by larger segments of society through more public and local exposure;  increased use of public and community‐ based venues for artistic expression;  need for funding institutions to recognize artists whose work is culturally/socially engaged;  influence of non‐Western artistic activities and art forms. PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY ART Mutual Respect The consideration that all participants give to and receive from each other while working on a project is fundamental. Methods which allow for mutual exchange of skills, knowledge, enthusiasm, inspiration and satisfaction among participants need to be recognized and carried out for a community arts project to be successful. Process and Consensus How the creative work is initiated, planned, designed, produced, documented and critiqued is as important as the product or outcome in a community arts project. Consensus, or reaching agreement among participants through effective management of the decision making process at each stage of the project, is paramount to the collaborative nature of community arts. Inclusivity By its very definition, community arts involves the active participation of community members in the creative process. It is paramount, therefore, for those organizing a community arts 153
project to include all those community members wanting to play a role in the project. The manner in which this occurs differs from project to project. Generosity of Spirit This is a willingness to trust and contribute to the collective artistic process and vision of a project. This spirit may manifest itself in any number of ways such as patience and adaptability, for example. Generosity of spirit engages the artist and community in a synergistic relationship where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Few obstacles can impede the short and long‐term benefits and results of community‐based art work infused with this kind of spirit. PARTICIPANT QUALITIES Both artists and community participants require certain characteristics and skills to carry out a community arts project. These include:  patience, flexibility and adaptability;  ability to communicate with and listen to other community members;  ability to share and draw out talent from participants;  team‐building and motivational skills;  negotiating and interpersonal skills. KEY PROJECT INGREDIENTS There are five basic ingredients to a good community arts project. They are:  adequate time for the project;  clear decisions about the respective roles, obligations and responsibilities, especially around the issue of consultation and control;  respect for the skills of artists their industrial and moral rights and the rights of participants and their stories;  adequate funding;  the need for a very good person inside the community organization who is responsible for its ongoing management. COLLABORATION Collaboration means working together in a joint effort toward a shared goal. There are many models of collaboration which may:  involve artists either as facilitators or community members with a particular skill needed to realize a collective vision, or a community/s own voice and vision of itself.  teach and impart artistic skills to community members  be community‐initiated and incorporate artists for specific roles  be artist‐initiated and incorporate community for specific input and expression of their concerns. DOCUMENTATION History shows that what has not been recorded has difficulty claiming a space in our collective psyches. As a result, recording or documenting community arts work is valuable both to those who participated in the project, and to the future of the communities involved. One objective 154
of community arts for many artists and communities is facilitating social change. Each project can be looked at as a collective work of public expression to resonate beyond the boundaries of its creators. Artists, cultural workers, community members and the public benefit from documentation. It shares a collective product or outcome with potentially unlimited numbers of people. Documentation often becomes the official record of communities that are continually changing, as well as of those that may disappear over time. It is a collective family album, describing a history, and focusing, in each instant, on the different groupings we call community. QUALITY OF OUTCOME While process is extremely important in community arts, so too is the product or outcome. The collective investment of time, energy, expectations and creative work demands that the product or outcome be a public expression of quality of work in which both artist and community can take pride. The quality of the outcome is determined on pre‐agreed criteria during the planning stages which are evaluated upon completion. In developing that criteria, misconceptions on the part of artists or communities may emerge that can stifle aspirations and the setting of standards within the creative process. They can also undermine the spirit and quality of the collective effort. Some examples of the misconceptions and negative attitudes that can arise during a community arts project include the belief:  that community standards are lower or different from artistic standards;  that previously untrained community members cannot produce or perform to the standard of those who are trained;  that merely engaging in an endeavor involving the arts and community is so enjoyable that there is no need to aspire to high standards in the completed work. In the end, the goal of most community theatres is to make people feel connected, either emotionally or aesthetically, through the creative process. This broad goal should be kept in focus by all participants throughout the course of a community theatre project, so that negative attitudes and misconceptions can be kept at a minimum. DEVELOPMENT Community arts is about more than one‐off projects. It can lay the foundation for significant community cultural development. Support for ongoing development is as important to community theatre as it is for individual artists and arts organizations working in other disciplines. Development support involves:  longer‐term investment funding which allows artists to develop;  encouragement of long‐term working relationships between artists and funders, which have more far‐reaching results (as opposed to short‐term project creation which is often one‐off with little opportunity to foster longer relationships);  support for research, planning and creation of projects;  support for the training of artists and community members in the skills essential to community arts. 155
The strategies for obtaining funding and partnerships for ongoing development are similar to those used to attract shorter‐term project support. Hopefully, as the far‐ranging effects of community arts work reach more audiences and its benefits are documented; more funds for its development will become available. B. MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS FOR COMMUNITY THEATRE PARTICIPANTS PREVENTION APPROACHES The mental health benefit of participating in community theatre is a relatively intangible question, because theatre artists are not trained to produce quantitative results in their participants. What can be qualitatively gauged is a participant’s general demeanor and ability to fully participate. Theatre encourages growth of the mind, body, spirit, and emotions. It is an axiom in psychotherapy that you can tell a person’s mental health by what he attracts in life. A healthy person has healthy friends and has a surprising knack for drawing good things to him. Traditional healers, who were perhaps the earliest healthcare providers, continue to use music and dance as the cornerstone of their therapy. The arts are connected to health. When a youth is surrounded by their peers, they can look around them and ask: are their friends pushing them to excel, or do they sit idle and complain? Are they putting themselves out there every day, working their career goals, staying in shape, making contacts, taking classes, going to rehearsal? Or are they smoking pot and complaining about how unfair things are? Healthy, engaged people do not have time to complain. They don’t have interest in complaining. Their entire focus is getting out there and doing it. The group of participants acts as support, encouraging others to constantly learn and study, attend classes, and take care of themselves. In an ensemble production, it’s important that all performers are feeling ok. There is a general culture of respect for your instrument, voice, and body. Treat it with respect, and feel good about yourself. There are countless factors influencing the mental health of youth, and theatre does not claim to solve any of these problems, but it does provide a venue for youth to present their best. Youth are encouraged to follow their passions, and admit what they really do well. There is also the allowance to make mistakes, and have shortcomings. Encouragement is provided to work hard to correct what can be corrected. There is also an overriding ethos of not forcing something that’s not your instrument, your vocal range, or your movement ability. Performers learn to gracefully let go and concentrate on what they are good at. Health is increasingly regarded as a serious issue in the arts community. Concerns about incurable diseases and professional related injuries have brought health issues into new focus. General health is receiving higher levels of attention along with specific diseases and 156
conditions. Preventive maintenance toward long‐term personal well‐being is a more widely understood and accepted goal. Work alongside professional and senior artists, has a powerful impact on the development of personal values about life as an arts professional. Counseling, role modeling, and the artistic/intellectual atmosphere all play a part. Adolescence, is a critical period for the formation of health behaviors and attitudes. It is therefore a critical opportunity for health intervention and education. Stress, depression, nervousness, and health worries, which may manifest themselves as medical concerns, social problems, and psychological issues, are recurrent themes emerging from most studies of adolescents’ perception of their own health. Community theatre staff cannot and must not attempt to serve as health professionals, but they can maintain basic understanding of health maintenance issues sufficient to inform their work as teachers and mentors. Community theatre’s have varying approaches to mental health awareness and inclusion. The subject is generally not a focus of community theatre, and incidents are often managed on as they arise through direct education, counseling, or referral services. Given the complexity of health issues facing youth, an approach to wellness such as this will undoubtedly raise many controversial issues. Confidentiality must be maintained, and the individual’s right to determine the nature of his or her own health care respected. Staff should establish policies and procedures for handling sensitive health issues in a confidential manner. At the same time, they must recognize their role in helping young people understand the issues and obtain necessary health care. Performance anxiety, physical or emotional stress, poor nutrition, poor general health, and the effects of drugs, alcohol, and toxic materials may profoundly influence a participant. Community theatre can act as a resource, through encouraging:  Education and counseling for participants, parents, and staff about proper nutrition, basics of injury management and rehabilitation, substance abuse, eating disorders, hazardous materials, and common mental health problems.  Regular access to services needed for proper injury assessment, management, and rehabilitation.  Regular access to confidential mental health services.  Regular opportunities for staff and students to participate in educational/discussion sessions about proper training and conditioning techniques, proper injury management and rehabilitation, substance abuse, hazardous materials, eating disorders, safe sexual practices, and depression and other mental health problems. This could be accomplished through a regularly scheduled health series, guest speakers, printed materials and hand‐outs. Any application of these direct approaches to mental health should be with professional assistance. 157
Artists need to be aware of the tremendous amount of extra responsibility they are taking on in community arts work which is not normal for them when working individually or with professionals. They may be asked to be social workers, psychiatrists, politicians, caretakers, humanitarians, as well as great artists. No amount of training could accomplish that unless they have the temperament, willingness and full understanding of the task. It is not simply about an artist working in or with a community. All participants in community arts activity should possess a strong desire to strengthen community through a collaborative, collective, creative process. In this context, it is obvious that community arts are not for every artist or every community. EXPLICIT APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH The practice of theatre and drama has taken many forms, and has been explicitly used as a tool for personal growth. KSCS Drama does not take this approach, and focuses more on an implicit approach to health. Applied Drama Applied Drama, also known as Applied Theatre, is an umbrella term for the use of drama practice in a specific social context or environment. Topics considered to be under the umbrella of Applied Drama include Drama Therapy, Theatre For Development, Teacher in role, Theatre in Education, Drama in Education, Community Drama, Drama in Healthcare (such as Clown Care), Industrial Theatre and Prison Theatre. All of these fields require trained professionals and should not be attempted by general theatre practitioners. Most mainstream theatre is focused on the interpretation of a pre‐written script, whereas applied drama is often more focused on the creation and interpretation of a theatre piece which may or may not be formally scripted. Some practitioners choose to focus primarily on improvisation, whereas others might introduce a range of artistic practices, such as developing scripted plays with prisoners and devised performance with children with disabilities, or apply indigenous forms of cultural performance to address issues of local concern or to create social cohesion. Drama Therapy Drama therapy is the use of theatre techniques to facilitate personal growth and promote mental health. Drama therapy is used in a wide variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, mental health centers, prisons, and businesses. Drama therapy, as a form of expressive arts therapy, exists in many forms and can be applicable to individuals, couples, families, and various groups. The field has expanded to allow many forms of theatrical interventions as therapy including role‐play, theatre games, group‐dynamic games, mime, puppetry, and other improvisational techniques. Often, "drama therapy" is utilized to help a client:  Solve a problem  Achieve a catharsis  Delve into truths about self  Understand the meaning of personally resonant images 158
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Explore and transcend unhealthy personal patterns of behavior and interpersonal interaction DIRECT VS INDIRECT APPROACHES A direct subject matter approach often involves the personal and often traumatic stories of the participants being staged and presented, as an attempt to promote public awareness of mental health and addiction issues through subject matter. This type of creation is often done with mental health patients and people with addiction issues. Care may be given to the sensitivities of the participants, but ultimately, they are performing the familiar. It encourages participants to explore their current situation, and experience it repeatedly. This is a common practice, often undertaken by health service organizations. This type of creation often prioritizes the issues, looking to reveal experiences to an outside audience. There may be benefits to working in this style, but it is a delicate art which must be facilitated by experienced professionals. The KSCS Drama Project does not operate in this fashion, although the Turtle Island Players have dabbled in this type of development in collaboration with KSCS prevention services in the past. Many professionals prefer a more subtle approaches to creating work with and around mental health patients and awareness, through their inclusion in many stages of theatrical development. They collectively create stories, landscapes, and characters which truly honour the participant and their lived experiences. This approach creates rich and meaningful work, which allows the participant to fully immerse themselves in a theatrical reality, create community, and engage minds. This is also not necessarily the working approach KSCS drama had been focusing on, but elements of their production style include principles conducive to stimulating mental health. IMPLICIT APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH The KSCS Drama Project, has always operated with an overarching philosophy of inclusion. Community theatre brings together artists who would normally never work together. Diverse ensembles include professional and emerging artists, with or without developmental, physical or mental health issues, gender, sexuality, or language challenges. The theatrical arts:  Are an exciting activity and a positive outlet for excess energy  An effective outreach tool to engage youth  Enhance learning in other domains and general scholastic achievement  Build resilience and self esteem in young people  Contribute the creating healthy and supportive communities  Help in the successful transition to adulthood and the development of in demand skills  Provide opportunities for youth leadership development and for youth to affect positive change in their communities KSCS Drama also encourages adult and elder participation and multi generational exchange. Dialogue opens up through the arts because it deals with meanings, addresses emotions, and 159
helps identify and define individuals and the communities where they live. A sense of propriety and respect across difference is developed. Character Study Participants are encouraged to explore character emotions, arch, and journey. Through character and scene study participants learn to empathize, exploring the character's decision making processes and the factors determining their behavior. Acting involves:  an ability to put personal skills like imagination, emotional honesty and empathy at the service of a creative process  an ability to focus and listen  vocal training for greater power, expressiveness and clarity  physical training stressing general fitness, flexibility and grace  insight into the psychology of human behavior  a ready understanding of and love for language  high‐level reading, research and text‐analysis skills There is an antique notion that an audience can be transformed through art. Catharsis (from the Greek katharsis meaning "purification" or "cleansing") is the purification and purgation of emotions—especially pity and fear—through art or any extreme change in emotion that results in renewal and restoration. Although the concept of catharsis is seemingly far‐fetched, the benefits of identifying with a character and their decisions can produce a lasting impression. For participant, staff, and audience member, allowing deep feeling to be experienced with others invites a more humane existence. In the field of sociology and psychology, drama is regarded in relation to the presentation of the self in everyday life. There are a multitude of interactions whereby we in everyday life engage in performances of the self in a way similar to an actor portraying a character. A person's identity is not a stable and independent psychological entity, but rather, it is constantly remade as the person interacts with others. As on the stage, people in their everyday lives manage settings, clothing, words, and nonverbal actions to give a particular impression to others. Each individual’s “performance” as the presentation of self, affects a person’s efforts to create specific impressions in the minds of others. By participating in community theatre, a venue is provided to explore alternative life roles. Exploration takes place through character development, research, and even through experiencing responsibility in the various areas of theatrical production. These experiences can bolster and extend an individual’s perception of their personal ability and possibilities. Theatre Games and Warm Ups Theatre games are also commonly used as warm‐up exercises for actors before a rehearsal or performance, in the development of improvisational theatre, and as a way for performers to independently rehearse theatrical material. They are also used to overcome anxiety by simulating scenarios that could be fear‐inducing in real life. 160
There are a variety of approaches to theatre game and warm up delivery. Most lead artists encourage full participation and remind participants to be aware of their own bodies and do what they can. Theatre games and warm ups positively affect mental health through:  communication  creativity  energy  focus  group building  listening  movement  quick thinking  sensory awareness  trust  vocal work Improvisation Improvisational Theater, often called improv is a form where most or all of what is performed is created at the moment it is performed. In its purest form, the dialogue, the action, the story and the characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script. Improvisational techniques are often used extensively in drama programs to train actors for stage, film and television and can be an important part of the rehearsal process. KSCS drama participants are often engaged in a variety of improvisational warm ups and group activities. The skills and processes of improvisation are used outside of the context of performing arts, as well. It is used in classrooms as an educational tool and in businesses as a way to develop communication skills, creative problem solving and supportive team‐work abilities that are used by improvisational, ensemble players. It is sometimes used in psychotherapy as a tool to gain insight into a person's thoughts, feelings and relationships. Emotions can be released and explored through improvisation in a safe and low risk way. This type of work encouraged going with your gut, trusting your instincts, acting on impulse, and playing safe. Order in Chaos Order within the seeming chaos is what strengthens a community experience, fostering an environment of oral based knowledge transmission, and a security in imperfection. Small mistakes are built into the process, learning with best intentions along the way. By incorporating amateur and volunteer informed and executed production habits, community theatre accepts and welcomes individual aesthetic contributions. Additionally, faith in the artistic output of the volunteer and student contributions to the production allow for the youth to acknowledge ownership of their craft. 161
Positive Change Community theatre makes considerable and necessary contributions to the well‐being of communities. Arts and culture are powerful tools with which to engage communities in various levels of change. They are a means to public dialogue, contribute to the development of a community’s creative learning, create healthy communities capable of action, provide a powerful tool for community mobilization and activism, and help build community capacity and leadership. 162
RESOURCES Making the Case for Culture By Creative City Network of Canada and Canada Council for the Arts Community Arts Workbook By Vita Link and Ontario Arts Council An Overview of Health Issues for Performing and Visual Arts Students By Council of Arts Accrediting Associations Making Theatre By American Association of Community Theatre Keeping your instrument finely tuned: voice, body, mind and spirit Health tips for musical theatre performers By Theatre Alberta Do Community Arts Programs Promote Positive Youth Development? In Critical Social Work, interdisciplinary journal dedicated to social justice Creating Musical Theatre: Conversations with Broadway Directors and Choreographers By Lyn Cramer Acting in Musical Theatre: A Comprehensive Course By Joe Deer and Rocco Dal Vera The Cambridge Guide to Theatre Edited by Martin Banham Artfare Essentials Handbook By Jumblies Theatre 163