Updates
News about our organization and information related to our programs.
Welcome, Meg!
We’re delighted to welcome Meg Saxby to the Generator team as Project Coordinator for Transform Dance.
We are delighted to share that Meg Saxby has joined the Generator team as Project Coordinator for Transform Dance.
Meg Saxby is a social worker, educator and clinician. She has over ten years of experience in feminist sex education, newcomer support services, gender-based violence prevention and response and the cooperative movement. Meg works with both individuals and organizations who want to imagine, build and restore relational health for better relationships, healthier workplaces and a more just world.
What inspired you to become a part of Transform Dance?
”I’ve been working on gender violence for over a decade, including years practicing as a TJ [Transformative Justice] facilitator and years supporting survivors as they navigate the legal system. I never expected the conversation to reach the mainstream media with so much force as it did in 2017. I think we’re now at a very pivotal moment, culturally -- we have the chance to shift the stigma and silence, and to develop deeper and more effective responses to harm. For me, Transform Dance is a very inspiring and creative approach, because it’s collective, voluntary, one-size-fits-one and focused on healing and transformation. I am very honoured to be a part of this project.”
"APT gave me a roadmap."
“APT helped me see the systems that allow us to create the work. Having that knowledge is a kind of power. I wish more people were able to access that.”
Testimonial from Kevin Matthew Wong
Graduate of the Artist Producer Training Program, 2015/16
Full text from image above: APT gave me a clear roadmap into the theatre community.
I didn’t think that a life or career in the arts was viable. But APT connected me to so many people. I’m not sure I would have even known about recommender grants without APT. And that, when I was just starting out, was so vital to everything.
Now I’m in a near full-time job. I guarantee I would not have been at WhyNot Theatre Company without APT. There’s not a chance.
My early grants were not good. But now they’re 50% successful or higher. A lot of that is understanding how the different funders see an individual artist’s practice.
It makes me feel great when we get a grant for a project, and it means I get to pay people! That feels really good. Because it makes our community, I hope, a little more sustainable.
APT helped me see the systems that allow us to create the work. Having that knowledge is a kind of power. I wish more people were able to access that.
The Artist Producer Training Call for Submissions goes out every year in the spring. Learn more about the program here.
Graphic created by Kinnon Elliott. Interview by Neta J. Rose.
"APT was a game-changer for me."
“APT put resources directly in my path and expanded my network in ways I didn’t even think were possible. I never identified as a producer before APT. The success of #KanderandEbb leveled up my career, and made people look at me in a new way. It was a direct line here from APT.”
Testimonial from Ryan G. Hinds
Graduate of the Artist Producer Training Program, 2018/19
Full text of image above: Last year I was an artist with some regional theatre credits and a few festival successes under my belt. THIS year:
…I produced my own smash-hit show at Fringe: #KanderandEbb sold out its entire run at the Fringe - that’s never happened to me before. Yes, it was absolutely a good show, but what made it stand out was the way it was produced. I used it as an exercise during APT, so that was a direct result of what I learned in the program.
…I’m the Second Vice President of Equity. Learning about Canadian Actors’ Equity in APT taught me the association’s strengths, and where I thought they could improve. That meant when I ran for the Equity Council, I knew what I was talking about. I won the election, became one of seven regional councillors from Ontario, and was voted Second Vice President.
…and I produced a show at Next Stage! A fellow APT graduate invited me to produce at NSTF - my first time bearing the title of ‘Producer.’ I’ve been asked to sit on an arts council jury. I’ve had conversations with Soulpepper and Luminato. APT put resources directly in my path and expanded my network in ways I didn’t even think were possible.
I never identified as a producer before APT. The success of #KanderandEbb leveled up my career, and made people look at me in a new way. It was a direct line here from APT.
The Artist Producer Training Call for Submissions goes out every year in the spring. Learn more about the program here.
Graphic created by Kinnon Elliott. Interview by Neta J. Rose.
"APT helped me find steady work."
“I had applied to do my MFA so I could teach and make a living. But APT felt like the best way to use the skills that I already had, and refine them. So I ended up doing both that year. I came away feeling like APT was way more valuable.”
Testimonial from Taliesin McEnaney
Graduate of the Artist Producer Training Program, 2015/16
Full text from image above: As the sole income-earner, and mom, I needed to make a living and support my family.
I knew I wasn’t going to be able to work as a performer or freelance director, at least not at this time in my life. I needed to find steady work.
I had applied to do my MFA so I could teach and make a living. But APT felt like the best way to use the skills that I already had, and refine them. So I ended up doing both that year. I came away feeling like APT was way more valuable.
It was a crash-course in meeting everybody. They brought in people from interesting companies. We learned about community engagement, and partnering with other organizations, which was something I wouldn’t have thought of before.
It opened my eyes to the opportunities that can come from community-engaged art, and why we do this.
There’s still so much to learn, but I’m feeling pretty confident. That’s a pretty amazing thing. I am on the right track.
APT brought me into the supportive indie community. I got a full-time job, a steady job. I feel optimistic now.
The Artist Producer Training Call for Submissions goes out every year in the spring. Learn more about the program here.
Graphic created by Kinnon Elliott. Interview by Neta J. Rose.
2017/18 Annual Report
Generator has published our Annual Report for 2017/18! Our 2017/18 Fiscal Year was September 1, 2017-August 31, 2018.
Generator has published our Annual Report for 2017/18! Our 2017/18 Fiscal Year was September 1, 2017-August 31, 2018. Here are some highlights:
We launched ArtistProducerResource.com after years of development, reaching over 1,600 visitors in the first 48 hours!
We piloted a Financial Literacy Program, addressing an urgent need for money management skills and knowledge in the arts community
We launched a series of social justice labs - Woke 2.0 - with the Storefront Theatre
We held our first ever fundraising event - Boat Booty Bash - in June
After a two-and-a-half year research and evaluation study commissioned by the Toronto Arts Foundation, a sector study reported on initiatives at Generator and Why Not Theatre that are transforming the landscape for independent artists (read the Toronto Star feature here)
Thank you for being part of our 2017/18! You can read the full report here: