Fun article via Etsy which I think my dancer friends will appreciate for its reference to embodied cognition.

I was trying to remember what year it was for a grant application. I know that I first met Justine when I was a guest curator for 12 Minutes Max, which was in 2008. Google is a handy tool! I had no idea that this podcast was made. Great to read that people appreciate having the curators talk about the work and why it was chosen.

http://www.plankmagazine.com/review/vancouver-plank-panel-go-twelve-minutes-max

Leaders from the UK dance from the ballet, contemporary & commercial sectors debating on the future of dance in the face of spending cuts in their country.

As sanjoyroy says in the comments to this article, “If she liked it, then she shoulda put a ring on it”.

Even better, this comment, apparently posted on Facebook by Jerome Bel.

(Photo credit: The SSRI’s)

For my current gig at New Works, we are embarking on a massive branding strategy project that is being supported in part by a the Next Gen Arts Leadership program, which is an initiative of The Centre for Non-Profit Sustainability in collaboration with Vantage Point. The program is comprised of a learning cohort of arts organizations from different artistic disciplines that are all going through a period of transition of some sort.

For New Works, we’re in a period of renewal with a new team inheriting the reins from our founding producer, Barb Clausen. As part of the learning cohort, staff and board members of each organization meet monthly, with each session focussing on an aspect of organizational development. The other groups are: Music on Main, Boca del Lupo, Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, Rumble Theatre, Dancers of Damelahamid, and Theatre Replacement. Such good company!

In addition to the learning session, each group receives a grant (!!!) to support a capacity building project; something that will enhance our mission, and get the work we do out there to more people.

We’ve identified brand strategy as an area we want to focus on, and got in touch with the team over at Cause+Affect to help us out. We’re only at the beginning of the process, and it’s been really refreshing to work with a team of people, each drawing on their individual strengths (writing, design, strategy) to communicate our vision and mission more effectively. I hope it’s the kind of experience that each of the artists we work with here at New Works gets when they work with our team!

We are featured in Cause+Affect’s latest ‘Back to School’ newsletter. Oddly enough, rather than a dance photo, they’ve chosen to use a promo photo for The SSRI’s, who performed with local (and legendary) butoh company, Kokoro Dance, as part of New Works’ All Over the Map dance & music series at Granville Island.

Here’s the before of what we look like. Stay tuned for after.

Almost in another life now, I was a costume designer in theatre. I’ve been reminded of that path twice this week already, having been approached to work on a new project by a classmate from my undergrad who is now working on her masters, and now through the link above from a blog I found. Alas, I had to turn down the job. Too busy being an administrator.

Can’t wait to peruse the website she references Clothes on Film and ponder where my life would be had I stayed on that path… never too late!