Association of Canadian Theatres

Association of Canadian Theatres
Name	Association of Canadian Theatres
Formation	1970s
Type	Non-profit association
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario
Location	Canada
Leader title	Executive Director

Association of Canadian Theatres The Association of Canadian Theatres is a national organization representing professional English-language theatre companies and producers across Canada, linking institutions such as Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Centaur Theatre, National Arts Centre, Canadian Stage, Soulpepper, and Tarragon Theatre with regional producers like Citadel Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Arts Club Theatre Company, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, and La Nouvelle Scène. It engages with arts funders such as Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, BC Arts Council, and Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec while interacting with policy bodies including Canadian Heritage, Parliament of Canada, and provincial legislatures. The association functions within a network that includes festivals like Fringe Festival (Edinburgh), Just For Laughs, Vancouver International Film Festival, and institutions like Royal Alexandra Theatre, Princess of Wales Theatre, Four Seasons Centre, and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

History

The association emerged amid a constellation of Canadian cultural institutions including Canadian Actors' Equity Association, ACTRA, Guild of Canadian Playwrights, Playwrights Guild of Canada, Theatre Ontario, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and Toronto Arts Council in a period marked by initiatives like 1967 Canadian Centennial, Policy on Multiculturalism (1971), and the establishment of Canada Council for the Arts (1957). Early collaborations linked companies from Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver and intersected with movements exemplified by National Theatre School of Canada, Banff School of Fine Arts, Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and the rise of playwrights such as Michel Tremblay, George Ryga, David French, Tomson Highway, and Wajdi Mouawad. The association negotiated collective concerns alongside labour disputes involving IATSE, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Unifor, and high-profile productions at venues like Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Citadel Theatre (Edmonton).

Mission and Programs

The association’s mission aligns with presenters such as Tarragon Theatre, Soulpepper, Canadian Stage, Centaur Theatre, and service organizations like Canadian Conference of the Arts, Theatre Museum Canada, Theatre Ontario, and Playwrights Guild of Canada. Programmatic strands include touring support akin to RIDEAU, professional development comparable to Banff Playwrights Colony, and diversity initiatives reflecting partnerships with Indigenous Theatre Commons, Native Earth Performing Arts, and festivals like Pow Wow events and Rising Indigenous Voices programs. Capacity-building efforts mirror activities at Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Artscape, and Cultural Human Resources Council and involve mentorship models used by Shakespeare in the Park, New Harlem Arts, and National Theatre of Scotland.

Membership

Members come from a cross-section including producers, artistic directors, general managers, and company members drawn from entities such as Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Soulpepper, Tarragon Theatre, Centaur Theatre, Canadian Stage, Alberta Theatre Projects, Hart House Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Factory Theatre, La Nouvelle Scène, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Necessary Angel, Neptune Theatre, The Cultch, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Theatre Passe Muraille, Great Canadian Theatre Company, Geordie Productions, Mirvish Productions, Dora Mavor Moore Awards participants, and independent producers showcased at Toronto Fringe Festival, Vancouver Fringe Festival, SummerWorks Performance Festival, and Just for Laughs. Membership eligibility aligns with standards adopted by peers like Association of British Theatre Technicians and League of Canadian Poets.

Governance and Funding

Governance mirrors models used by Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and British Columbia Arts Council with a board drawn from leaders at Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Canadian Stage, Mirvish Productions, Soulpepper, Tarragon Theatre, Citadel Theatre, and representatives from provincial arts organizations such as Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. Funding streams include membership fees, project grants from Canada Council for the Arts, sponsorships from corporations like Royal Bank of Canada, TD Bank Group, and Bell Canada, philanthropic gifts similar to those managed by Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance, ticketing partnerships as seen with Ticketmaster, and in-kind support from venues like Royal Alexandra Theatre and Princess of Wales Theatre.

Advocacy and Public Policy

The association engages in advocacy alongside Canadian Actors' Equity Association, ACTRA, Unifor, IATSE, Playwrights Guild of Canada, and Canadian Conference of the Arts to influence legislation debated in the House of Commons of Canada and committees such as the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. Policy priorities include arts funding debates similar to those involving Canada Cultural Investment Fund, pandemic relief efforts like those that produced Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, cultural tax incentives modeled after Film or Video Production Tax Credit, and intellectual property matters that overlap with Canadian Intellectual Property Office deliberations.

Conferences and Festivals

The association convenes national gatherings comparable to the scale of Toronto International Film Festival, Dora Mavor Moore Awards, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and national conferences resembling Canadiana Conference models, often partnering with regional festivals such as Fringe Festival (Edinburgh), Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Ottawa Fringe Festival, SummerWorks Performance Festival, Festival d'Avignon, and training events like Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity residencies. It programs panels featuring leaders from Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Mirvish Productions, Soulpepper, Centaur Theatre, Canadian Stage, and includes workshops with representatives from IATSE, Canadian Actors' Equity Association, and provincial arts councils.

Impact and Criticism

Proponents cite the association’s role in bolstering companies like Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Canadian Stage, Soulpepper, and Tarragon Theatre and its influence in securing funding from Canada Council for the Arts and emergency support mechanisms akin to Canada Emergency Response Benefit. Critics challenge its reach relative to grassroots artists involved with Toronto Fringe Festival, Vancouver Fringe Festival, SummerWorks Performance Festival, and community groups such as Black Theatre Workshop and Native Earth Performing Arts, arguing parallels to debates within Canadian Actors' Equity Association and labor tensions seen in disputes involving IATSE and Unifor. Discussions also reference programmatic comparisons with international bodies like Arts Council England and Australia Council for the Arts while raising issues similar to controversies at Mirror Theatre and organizational critiques leveled at large presenters including Mirvish Productions and national funders such as Canada Council for the Arts.

Category:Theatre organizations in Canada