February 29 – Arts Marathon

Weather: Snowing, but mild. Not really sticking to the ground.

Supplies: Umbrella, water bottle, snack, wallet, confirmation numbers, smartphone.

Clothing: Sweater and jeans. Winter coat, gloves, boots. Red hat (as always.)

Bonus: Hold book has arrived at library.

Click here for the day’s schedule.

 

Tomorow is the 12 hour Arts Marathon!

Leap Day is tomorrow and within 24 hours of writing this I will be out the door for the first ever 12 hour Arts Marathon, sponsored by me.

The weather is scheduled to be gross, then again it’s supposed to be raining right now and it’s sunny, so we’ll see what happens.

Now then!

11:00 am
Parkdale Public Library – literature – and it means I can get a book to read in between times.

11:30 am
MOCCA – visual art – I’m not going to see a specific exhibition, rather I am going to see MOCCA. It is a fifteen minute walk from my house and I have never been there. This is the point of living downtown.

1:30 pm
Canadian Stage – dance – ticket booked for Dark Matters – Innovative and award-winning choreographer Crystal Pite’s work integrates original music, text, rich visual design, and a keen sense of wit and invention.

430 pm
Bell Lightbox – film – ticket booked for Monsieur Lazhar – one of the most acclaimed Québécois films of the last decade and Canada’s submission for the 2011 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film

800 pm
Factory Theatre – theatre – ticket booked for Theatre Ad Infinitum’s The Big Smoke – In a courageous physical performance with a completely original text and score sung a cappella, Amy Nostbakken tells the story of a brilliant young artist from Toronto given the opportunity of a lifetime: solo exhibit at London’s Tate Modern Art Gallery.

1000 pm
The Cameron House – Nichol Robertson is scheduled to play the front room at 10 pm.

There you have it – clearly no blog post tomorrow, but you can check in with me on Twitter and I’ll be using #12hAM.

In case people are wondering how much all this costs, numbers will be posted tomorrow. I think this can be done for less than $100.

A demain!

Meetings, Grants, Meetings, A New City

It’s absolutely Monday around here, I have two grants I need to get under my belt (March 1 deadline) so I can do the 12 hour Arts Marathon with impunity. I’d like to point out that today the day I’m inside writing is a gorgeous day out, and that weather for Marathon Day is looking rainy and weird. I am Canadian. I will be prepared for anything, anytime.

Reminder to my Equity Friends – you have an important meeting tonight.

Reminder to me – I have a Board meeting tonight, so two grants and a scope of work for a social media plan had best be done by then.

I mentioned yesterday I was at Totsapalooza: Mouse City Calling. What a great event. We all know my child to recovery time ratio is 1:1.5  – but so much fun – bands and story telling and a fantastic city built by smalls, presided over by Mayor Adam Vaughan. Pics below is my usual not so great blackberry phone documentary style. I call it Gist Style – you get the gist of it.

Congratulations Small Print Toronto.

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Sunday Roundup – February 26

Sunday is here! A great week – what went on, and what’s coming up?

To Do, To Don’t, To Done, ToDay – to do list vs not to do list – what do you think?

Some of My Best Friends are Equity Members, Vol. 2 – important CAEA meeting coming up tomorrow at the Gladstone.

Today I’m off to Totsapalooza with Small Print Toronto at Revival – I can’t wait. If you’ve got smalls you should completely stop by.

The 12 hour Art Marathon is coming along nicely – an absolutely stroke of luck has slotted in Crystal Pite (dance) at 1:30 pm at the Bluma, and Monsieur Lahzar (film) at 4:30. I’m especially excited about Crystal Pite – I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find dance within the boundaries of the marathon – I was going to see Pina and combine film and dance but I’m glad it’s getting it’s own time slot. I’m booking theatre and music next, and Wednesday will be here soon!

Something for the playwrights I know: Call for Submissions: New Canadian Plays, Embassy of Canada in collaboration with Heritage Canada – NEW  CANADIAN  PLAYS  is a bi-annual project which aims to introduce and to promote new anglophone and francophone Canadian plays on the German-speaking theatre scene. A jury consisting of German theatre experts reads, evaluates and selects the best plays.

We’ve all known this for a long time, and here’s an article about it – Tapping music’s power to heal the brain

Some of My Best Friends are Equity Members, Vol. 2

Message in my in-box last night from the fne foks over at Convergence Theatre, and said I`d share with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello Fellow CAEA Members!

So, the time has come for us to rally the troops once again…

After more than three years, Equity is finally taking steps towards creating new policies for indie agreements, as reflected by members’ feedback in the ITRC survey.

While it would be easy for us to sit back and watch Equity go about their business, we need to keep up the pressure and make sure our voices are heard, and that they stay on their timeline.  To this extent, Ed Roy is putting forth a motion to ensure that Equity understands the degree of importance and urgency with which members would like to see action be taken.

It is vital that we have the numbers and voices to support this motion!

The motion reads as follows:

WHEREAS Equity Member/Creators have demanded action on indie theatre issues for the last three years, expressed in the form of member resolutions at previous National AGMs, which resolutions passed 96-1 in February 2009, and 42-4 in October 2009;

 

AND WHEREAS the Independent Theatre Review Committee (ITRC) was formed in response to the demand for action on indie theatre issues and completed its work in September 2011;

 

AND WHEREAS the suggested policy changes resulting from the ITRC’s work on indie theatre issues have been debated and will soon be put in place by Council;

 

BE IT RESOLVED that Council require the Executive Director to deliver a plan that will directly address indie issues to CAEA members that will finally address indie theatre issues no later than October 31, 2012.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that should the Executive Director fail to deliver a new indie plan to CAEA members by October 31 2012, then until such time as this new indie plan is delivered, that Council enact policy to enable members to work under any currently existing CAEA agreement, policy or guideline (with the exception of engagements governed by a negotiated agreement) as such individual member deems appropriate including the Festival Policy, the Guest Artist Policy, the “Indie” Policy, the Small Scale Theatre Addendum or Co-op Guidelines, without CAEA staff approval and without CAEA penalty or repercussion.

As a concerned and invested CAEA member, we kindly ask that you do the following:

1.  Invite 3 people you know, who are members of Equity.  Tell them what’s been going on, and that their support on this motion is needed.  Ask them to be there on:

Date: February 27, 2012

Time: 7:00-10:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Venue: Gladstone Hotel (Ballroom)
Location: 1214 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON

Food & Booze!

2.  Ask them to invite 3 Equity people they know and repeat.

If we all ask 3 people, that would be grand.  If you have time to send out a mass e-mail, that would be even grander.

Looking forward to seeing you at the AGM!

To Do, To Don’t, To Done, ToDay

Hello again,

Hope everyone had a good Family Day long weekend!

I am a fan of a website called Stepcase Lifehack, they usually have some good article on productivity for work and life, that sort of thing. Interesting article last week:

Why To-Do Lists Don’t Work and Done Lists Do

I am a big fan of the to-do list – rather, I am a big fan of checking things off  – I’ll put “wake up” on a list for the feeling of crossing it off, and I know others who will add things they’ve already done so they can get that check mark. The article makes some interesting points though about the value of that check mark  – it assigns equal value to every task. It’s quite easy to check off “wake up” and virtually impossible to check off “design new marketing materials with full input from all senior staff”. So to-do list is not the way to go, apparently.

What made me smile two days later was another article from Lifehack:

15 Ways To Stay Focused At Work

What’s Number 7? You guessed it – Make a daily “to-do” list and keep it nearby.  So clearly there are a few trains of thought on the to-do list and its effectiveness.

I have several lists – my calendar is the biggest list I own. Appointments, meetings, deadlines, social things etc all live in my calendar so they can co mingle together and I can figure out what affects what and where. I also have a book list in my smart phone – books I want to read or take out of the library or buy so I always have it handy – ditto a list of “stuff” so that when I’m at a store that carries “stuff”, I can look at my list and remember I need “three small hooks” or “shoelaces” and pick them up.

I’ve also taken to writing notes in my calendar so I am reminded to do something about them “send Lisa X info” doesn’t have a real deadline in theory, so if I am reminded to do it I will.It all comes down to what makes you most productive. What are your thoughts on to-do lists?

 

 

Sunday Roundup – February 19

What a fantastic week. I spent it on Twitter which explains the lack of blog posts (I managed ONE) so we’ll update here and get started again tomorrow.

Words to Email By – cool infographic about email.

Last week, as I mentioned quite often was Social Media Week worldwide – hundreds of events here in Toronto. I worked on two of them – gave a workshop on Social Media for Your Small Business upstairs at the Rhino. The Parkdale Village BIA hired me to to present to  their members and it went really well. We had  a great group of engaged people  – they learned from me, I learned from them and I think the most important takeaway I could give them was to use each other as resources, to shout each other out, to work together when possible because they are a huge part of what makes the neighbourhood great. You can check out some of the commentary on Twitter by searching #smwtoparkdale.

The next night had me at the other end of the town and the spectrum as part of a panel on how women are using social media, presented by Women in Wireless and held in the Imperial Room at the Fairmont Royal York. Absolutely fantastic panel, great group of women in that room, talking, discussing learning from each other. Commentary again available on Twitter at #smwto #wiw.

Friday was my first ACCA workshop attended as a full  member of this organization. The workshop was being live streamed and live tweeted throughout Canada and much fun was had. Twitter highlights at #artexpertca.

And last night was the launch party for WorldStage at Harbourfront with a most excellent party, great food, drink, DJ, dancing and people I haven’t seen in too long or who are always a delight to see.

(you see why I couldn’t manage more than a blog post, right?)

I’m looking forward to a quiet week of admin work. I have a ton of stuff to do and would like to get back on top of things. It has been a week od Amazing Twicks, and I also have an Art Marathon to figure out. I’m going to make some coffee and figure out a plan of attack.

 

 

Words to Email By

Found this infographic the other day, courtesy of Gmail’s new thingy called Boomerang. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a new program Gmail has. Here’s how email used to go:

Send an email to Steve

Wait for a response

3 hours to 3 days to 3 weeks later, wonder why you haven’t heard back from Steve

Dig through sent emails, find email to Steve

Re-send email to Steve (or you could pick up the phone, I know, but work with me on this one)

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Boomerang tightens things up. Now you send the email to Steve and set a Boomerang time (notify me in X amount of time if Steve hasn’t replied). Go about your business – if Steve hasn’t replied, the message “boomerangs” back into your inbox so it’s right there and you can act on it.

It’s a timesaver and that makes me happy. Gmail has also made me happy by setting itself up so that if you use the word “attached” in the subject  of an email, and don’t attach something – it will pause before sending and let you know. Double check, so to speak.

That’s just brilliant. Imagine the time saved by avoiding the “there’s no attachment” emails, followed by the “oops, sorry her it is!” emails.

Here’s the infographic. It’s – well – informative – especially about what we’re all doing in our inboxes for so much of the day.

Happy Monday!

 

Sunday Roundup – February 12

The second week of February started off with a bang and was wondefully full of meeting new clients, working with others, and prepping for the week ahead. It’s wonderful to work with so many different companies like OCAF, and Small Print Toronto and individuals like Lisa Wegner and Marco Veltri  and others and I am booked solidly until April 15. Anything after that – let’s chat.

A reminder that Social Media Week starts tomorrow – I am doing a workshop with Parkdale Village BIA and a panel as well on women in social media.

 

So about last week…

Did Churchill Really Say That? Has Anyone Said Anything Since? -on Churchill’s famous quote about paying for the war with culture money.

Focused Conversations and Tiny Urban City Builders – info on a workshop I attended, and a shout-out to the upcoming Totsapalooza.

Sometime the Art Touches You, Sometimes You Get to Touch the Art – another visit to Pentimento Gallery to see what was on.

Last week was also a victory for Transit City and as always if you want the full deal go visit torontoist – they do amazing munipoli coverage.

The Star also did some excellent vehicular defining.

I think that’s it for today – it’s actually winter out there and you’d best find your gloves and stuff.

 

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Sometime the Art Touches You, Sometimes You Get to Touch the Art

Spent a lovely afternoon in the East End yesterday – had a great meeting  with the AD of Atrium Theatre and we’re going to work together on a couple of things. Then I trundled off with my friend Colette to Pentimento Gallery to see what John had up on the walls.

Never disappointed. John was delighted to see us and talk to us about the current exhibition, Duet – sculpture by Haydn Llewellyn Davies and paintings by Eva Koller Davies.

Mr Davies may be known to you for the 2005 dispute with Lambton College in Sarnia, which tore down his outdoor sculpture, Homage, claiming the sculpture was a danger to children who attempted to climb on it.Created in 1974 of red cedar, it was his first public commission — won over more than 100 other artists in an international competition. Davies sued the college for than $1 million over the destruction of his artwork, saying it was a violation of his rights as an artist and a cause of “emotional distress.”

He won. He’s done something marvelous with the money.

All the pieces in the gallery are obviously model sizes of these giant works – there’s a beautiful feeling the tension in them – like they’re all being held together by a breath. You can see Japanese influence, you can see Stonehenge influences.What do I like most about him?  That he resigned as senior vice-president and director of McCann-Erickson Advertising in 1976 at the age of 55 to become a full-time sculptor. To leave at the top of your game because you`ve succeeded and on to the next thing is truly admirable. To me, anyway.

I always stand with my hands clasped behind my back in sculpture galleries – something about them makes we want to touch them, the feel the smoothness of a curve, or the sharpness of an edge, to get the sense of heft of something. John asked why i was standing that way and I explained – and he said I could touch the art. Happy me. It adds another dimension of experience to the work.

Plus when we go visit during the week, John is usually alone in the gallery and so he has time to talk, really talk about the work, and the artist behind it – things that make them a human being (fun fact – Haydn and Eva met when they were children, selected to attend very special art classes at OCAD.  At the time of his death, they`d been married 60 years.) We`re lucky to have that opportunity to essentiall yhave a personalized tour of a gallery and its work.

It`s always a treat to visit John and Pentimento. I learn something every time I go, whether it`s about the current show, the last show or a showdown on the set of something. Lovely day indeed.