During rehearsals for The Last Days of Judas Iscariot I was visiting with Adrienne Wong and we were talking a bit about Compassionate Bone Theatre and the adventures that I was jumping into with that. She told me about the SummerWorks Leadership Intensive Program (or SLIP for short) and said that it was probably too late to apply for this year, but that I should try to get in next year. I went home that night to research it and found that I had FOUR days left to get an application in. I turned my application around quickly and then waited. I interviewed a week and a half ago, and yesterday found out that I got in!
So what is SLIP?
It’s a 2 week program that functions kind of like a conservatory for emerging arts administrators/producers/ADs/etc. From the SummerWorks blog, “Past points of focus have included: Professional Etiquette, Marketing, Publicity, Grant Writing, Fundraising, Touring, Financial Planning, Artistic Directing and How To Do Everything All At Once. Some past professionals who have led S.L.I.P sessions are: Philip Akin, Gideon Arthurs, Franco Boni, Pat Bradley, Derrick Chua, Ted Dykstra, Jon Kaplan, Nina Lee Aquino, Jackie Maxwell, Ross Manson, Allyson McMackon, Any McKim, Yvette Nolan, Kelly Thornton and many more. Participants also have the chance to be mentored by an artist producing at SummerWorks. S.L.I.P members and attend an extensive amount of work presented at the Festival.”
To break it down: It’s two weeks of seeing theatre, talking about that theatre, learning how to make better theatre from other people’s experience – not just my own, and connecting with artists on a national level. Exactly up my alley.
I’m really excited to head out to Toronto in August and to see all my friends out there. But I’m more excited about all the learning that will be going on!
Well I guess you’re making it out to TO before I make it out to Vancouver!
I hope you’ll be in town at that point so we can grab a drink!