Western Canada Theatre is honoured to live, create, and have the opportunity to gather our community in the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory within the traditional lands of the Secwépemc Nation.
1.0 INTRODUCTION 4
n 1.1 Context Arts and Culture 5
n 1.2 The Role of Theatre and Western Canada Theatre 7 n 1.3 Project Background 8 n 1.4 Community Context and Relevance 9
2.0 ORGANIZATION PROFILE AND KEY THEMES 11 n 2.1 Organization Background 11 n 2.2 Recent Contributing Achievements 12 n 2.3 Financial Composition 13 n 2.4 Operational Performance 14 n 2.5 Organization Synopsis 15 n 2.6 Needs and Gaps Going Forward 16
COVER: Photo of Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen CAST (2021) | Director & Concept TRACEY POWER
Associate Director JAMES MACDONALD | Set & Costume Designer DREW FACEY | Lighting Designer JOHN WEBBER
Associate Set Designer & Scenic Painter TEGAN KLANCNIK | Associate Costume Designer MARIAN TRUSCOTT
3.0 VISION,
AND MANDATE 18 n Vision 18 n Mission 18 n Values 18 n Mandate 20
4.0 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS 21 n Strategic Direction 1 22 n Strategic Direction 2 24 n Strategic Direction 3 26 n Strategic Direction 4 27 n Strategic Direction 5 28
5.0 IMPLEMENTATION 29
Thanks to the Western Canada Theatre Board and Staff whose voices helped shape this plan.
The 2023-2026 Western Canada Theatre (WCT) Strategic Plan results from the efforts and insight of staff and board members at WCT, as well as previously collected community feedback, including theatre, arts sector, and community leaders. Through conversations, workshops, and surveys, this plan reflects on the environment and perspectives surrounding WCT.
The foundations for this Strategic Plan reflect Western Canada Theatre’s drive to excel and expand opportunities to ensure our ongoing contribution to the arts and culture sector in our region and across the country. This strategy will implement the essential changes needed inside WCT to deepen cultural imprint in Kamloops and beyond.
This strategic plan advances WCT’s vision, mission, and values. This strategic ‘roadmap’ will help focus the work of the organization around priorities and guide decision-making for WCT.
Section 1: sets the stage, identifying the role WCT has played in national and local arts and cultural contexts, the unique role of theatre in responding to community narratives, and an overview of WCT’s community profile.
Section 2: identifies key themes and an organization analysis which help to inform priorities and a framework for this plan.
Section 3: describes the validated strategic directions that pertain to the Western Canada Theatre’s local and emerging contexts.
Section 4: includes an implementation plan, including short-term actions (‘quick wins’) and longer-term focused action, to identify how the Strategic Plan will be implemented by the staff, Board members, and volunteers.
The importance of arts and culture is globally recognized as critical to building thriving and sustainable communities. The United Nations has identified the creative economy, of which the cultural sector is part of, as one of the world’s fastest-growing sectors for income generation, job creation, and export earnings. The economic benefits alone are telling—pre-COVID, culture contributed $6.7 billion to B.C.’s economy and generated close to 100,000 jobs in the creative industries.1
There are numerous direct and indirect social and livability benefits resulting from cultural development, such as improved quality of life, which in turn leads to the attraction of skilled workers, tourism, and businesses.
The arts, as a subset of the cultural sector, are evolving in response to transformative drivers of change such as the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, new approaches to artmaking, generational considerations, and digital strategies. Moving forward, the sector will need to be strategic in its planned response so that cultural development can continue to thrive within communities.
1 Source: Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, 2014
It is the strategic planning and implementation of strategies to leverage a community’s unique cultural resources and assets for the social, economic, environmental and the cultural benefit of a community.
WCT is a vital actor in the Canadian theatre sector with a strong history of producing and incubating some of the highest quality professional theatre productions that have played in the Southern Interior and have gone on to entertain and inspire audiences across Canada.
With the recent re-opening of live performance venues, WCT successfully completed its 2021-2022 season. WCT has risen to the challenges of presenting events and community programming amid changes in health orders and public confidence in the theatre. The re-opening with rich and dynamic performances during such difficult times is a significant achievement for a professional arts organization.
Like many communities in B.C., Kamloops is experiencing growth and a rapidly changing community identity. As a result, all interviewees reported a need for a local cultural strategy and the need to build local cultural literacy. Everyone said that WCT is undoubtedly a local cultural leader and should play a key role in cultural infrastructure discussions (e.g., future arts centre campaign); however, the larger cultural strategy piece could include opportunities for other arts organizations.
Western Canada Theatre is honoured to live, create, and have the opportunity to gather our community in the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory within the traditional lands of the Secwépemc Nation.
The Tk‘emlúpsemc, ‘the people of the confluence,’ now known as the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc are members of the Interior-Salish Secwépemc (Shuswap) speaking peoples of British Columbia. The Shuswap or Secwépemc (pronounced sec-Wep-muc) people occupy a vast territory of the interior of British Columbia in what is now called the Thompson-Okanagan region.
Population characteristics help planners and local decision-makers to evaluate current and future community needs, particularly concerning service delivery and potential impacts on the local economy. Kamloops, with over 100,000 residents, has a cultural composition, age profile, and other demographic attributes that reflect shifting demographics. While most residents of Kamloops are of Western or Northern European origins, there are a growing number of Asian, Indigenous, and other North American groups in the area.
Opportunities exist to reflect this shift in programs and events that reflect the community’s needs.
The average age of the total population is 41.9 years, which, combined with other data points, reflects an increasingly younger community profile. Kamloops is home to Thompson Rivers University and benefits from the influx of students and university infrastructure. In addition, arts, culture, and recreation make up 2.7% of the local workforce.
Kamloops attracts close to 2M visitors per year (pre-COVID) and is a major stop on the Rocky Mountaineer Railroad. Sun Peaks is also a contributing factor towards visitation and a growing resident population.
Beyond traditional tourism, Kamloops is also the “Tournament Capital” of Canada, hosting a variety of sport and recreational activities, many of which have an arts and cultural component.
Kamloops has recently acquired the rights to the International Buskers Festival, to complement the growing number of festivals and events in and around the City. WCT-supported festivals, such as the popular “Brewloops”, are successful existing community-focused events and art activations that attract residents and visitors alike. As city and region change, the City of Kamloops and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, and their partners will have an essential role in responding to a growing demand for a vibrant arts and culture sector, contributing to the ever-increasing “creative worker’s trend”, with greater access to arts and culture activities, facilities and artists.
Western Canada Theatre is a vital hub for Arts and Culture in Kamloops, producing entertaining and enlightening performances, encouraging learning through the dramatic arts through the Stage One Theatre School Program, and leading the Kamloops and region arts and cultural community. Founded as “Western Canada Youth Theatre,” the organization put on its first performance in 1969. WCT has since provided decades of theatre experiences to Kamloops, and has become an arts and cultural leader that is vital to the Kamloops cultural identity. In the past six years, the organizational budget has grown from $2.1M to $3.2M while eliminating a $300,000 accumulated deficit.
Through the staff’s diligence at WCT, the organization is adept at seizing new funding opportunities—stable sources to support existing programs, including operating, capital, employment, and resilience supports.
WCT has taken undertaken world premieres and national tours and is considered an essential part of the national performance arts landscape. Locally, WCT operates two performing arts facilities and operates a community-serving box office.
In the fall of 2022, WCT will move part of its operations into a purposebuilt rehearsal, performance, production, and administrative venue.
WCT’s strong and dedicated presence is a testament to its board members and loyal audiences that can attest to the innovative and diverse programming done at WCT.
n Solid subscription base including a 70% renewal during COVID
n Over 10% of the Kamloops population attend annual musicals at WCT (12,000+)
n Free and low-cost digital programming during COVID increased inclusivity and accessibility, as well as expanding creative reach and new partnerships
n Innovative marketing and promotional initiatives to increase diversity in audiences
Programming
n World premieres of Indigenous and Canadian work
n Programming is 75% Canadian/Indigenous
n WCT-produced shows playing across the country in tours, coproductions, and second productions of world premieres
n Development of a studio theatre subscription series of increasingly alternative work
n Increased representation of female and IBPOC creators and artists on our stages
n Digital Strategy Fund—new funding to develop digital strategies for organizational capacity.
n Resiliency/Recovery Funding—B.C. Arts Council (BCAC), Canada Council, Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy/Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program.
n Increase in stable operating funding from Canada Council— through 2025 at $375,000 annually (up from $150K in 2016).
n Strong relationships with municipal, regional, and provincial funders—Service Agreement (City of Kamloops), Operating agreement for the Sagebrush Theatre, Sponsorship Funding (TNRD), Operating Grant (BCAC), Project Funding (BCAC), Internship/Co-Op Student Placements.
n New Funding from BCAC towards Indigenous Associate Artistic Director role.
PARTIAL COVID (FY20) = $2.57M* COVID (FY21) = $1.26M* Government Funding 32% 35% 68% Fundraising 10% 11% 13%
PRE COVID (FY19) = $3.1M
*figures exclude emergency & COVID-19 supports such as resilience funding and wage subsidy.
FISCAL PICTURE PRE-COVID VS COVID Government
PRE-COVID (FY19) = $3.1M
PARTIAL-COVID (FY20) = $2.57M* COVID (FY21) = $1.26M*
*figures exclude emergency & COVID-19 supports such as resilience funding and wage subsidies.
PRE COVID (FY19)= $3.1M
n Throughout the pandemic, the theatre school was able to adapt and reflect current needs and strong uptake of free digital programming was found.
n Continually refined and adapted programming to sudden changes in health mandates and attitudes towards in-person gatherings.
n Continued partnership and development of community support through facilities and box office.
n Significant developments of programming that reflect a commitment to the IBPOC community (Kamloopa, Clean/Espejos, Serving Elizabeth, Echoes of the Homesick Heart)
n Increased understanding of target audiences using Customer Relation Management (CRM) segmentation and efforts from the box office personnel, development, and marketing staff.
n WCT has a loyal audience of subscribers, flex buyers, and readers of e news.
n Free, digital content during COVID starting with Chelsea Hotel Livestream.
n Targeted engagement of communities through programming through the IBPOC network, Senior’s Tea Matinees, School Matinees, and Students Club.
n Strong community ties through events and partnerships such as Brewloops, the Mayor’s Gala for the Arts, Canada Day, the Children’s Arts Festival, KCA, Art in Public Spaces.
n Scaled price points to ensure affordable including Pay-WhatYou-Can
n Accessible initiatives such as relaxed performances and translated programs Financial Performance
n Recovered from a $300,000 accumulated deficit (FY16) to a $500,000 surplus position (FY21)
n Revenue growth from $1.9M to $3.1M since 2016
n Stabilized funding sources to support existing programs, including operating, capital, employment, and resilience supports.
n Proven strong grant performance in the federal, provincial, and local landscape.
n Successful cultivation and stewardship of new and existing relationships with individual donors, leading to a steady growth in individual giving since 2016.
n Steady growth of ticket sales revenue (COVID notwithstanding)
n Innovative and diverse programming
n Strong fiscal management
n New audiences
n Loyal audiences
n Original and critical works
n Education/outreach
n Board engagement
n Dedicated staff and talented range of contractors
n Stable and established
n Community presence/support
n National presence
n Connection with funders
n Opportunities for increased organization development
n Staff experience and development: there are limited local training and professional development programs for arts administrators in Kamloops
n Communicating priorities and strategic positioning
n Brand strategy, promise, and identity can be more closely tied to the WCT’s Mission, Vision, and Values.
n Opportunity for flagship programs which could also raise organization profile
n Marketing plans and consolidation
n Right-sizing facilities’ role and needs
n Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA)
n Digital strategies
Deepen work around equality, diversity and inclusion in policy and culture
Continue to premiere important new works in partnership with other national arts organizations
Emerging Themes Understanding limitations and opportunities for WCT’s relevance to community contexts
Opportunities for WCT to be a sector leader through management of shared cultural infrastructure and collaborations with local arts organizations
Strengthen identity and community impact
Extension of relevance via cultural development and communications, engagement, and marketing
Commitments to Decolonization and Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA).
Digital strategy
Attraction to a younger audience
Unique performance opportunities
Greater Board engagement at a community level
Improve internal capacity for innovation, growth, and succession
Inspire a shared understanding of the organization
Champion development of local cultural assets
Western Canada Theatre changes lives through inclusive performing arts events 365 days a year.
Leading cultural conversation through inclusive innovative productions and arts education. WCT honours its audiences and community, engaging exceptional talent, on and off the stage.
n We engage with our community onstage and off, making positive contributions to the fabric of our city through participation and leadership in community events.
n We believe in the transformative power of theatre, in entertaining, educating, and edifying a wide-ranging, diverse audience.
n We believe in the cultivation and fostering of emerging voices in the theatre, from our region and across the Canadian theatre culture.
n We see theatre as a place of gathering for our community, where our city can commiserate, share joy, heal, and come together.
n We believe that local is global and bravely create and perform outstanding live theatre, telling stories that resonate in our region and across Canada and many First Nations.
n We recognize the value of professional theatre in attracting people to our region through tourism and quality of life.
n We value our role as the largest professional arts organization in the B.C. Interior, and our leadership in the cultural sector of our province.
n Western Canada Theatre is honoured to be Kamloops’ own nationally acclaimed live professional theatre company.
n We are grateful to have been creating on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory within the traditional lands of the Secwépemc Nation since 1969.
n Whether to inspire, enrich, or entertain, we boldly make outstanding live theatre happen here. From laughter and tears to reflection and learning, we reinvigorate familiar favourites, amplify new voices, and examine issues that affect our world today and shape our future.
n We offer theatre as a tool for community and family bonding, bringing family and friends closer together.
n We provide opportunities to shape the artists, artisans, technicians, and administrators of the future through mentorship programs, professional development opportunities, and ongoing employment.
n We are proud to have roots in youth theatre, and to continue the tradition and foundation of providing arts education and entertainment to youth and adults through our educational programs and family programming.
n We are a vital local creative asset and are proud to originate professional works that are recognized regionally and nationally, and to present plays from acclaimed producing companies from all parts of Canada.
Western Canada Theatre’s mandate reflects its core values and guiding principles. It demonstrates that WCT is committed to and works to:
n Promote the enjoyment and appreciation of the performing arts through programming, engagement, education, and opportunities for young audiences and artists, and demonstrate how theatre is a dynamic force for change and dialogue.
n Prioritize Canadian, Indigenous, and culturally diverse stories while advancing and developing emerging and established artists from our region, from British Columbia, and from across Canada.
n Foster a sense of pride and community in our audiences, supporters, staff, artists, and volunteers and to provide a safe, healthy, and harassment-free environment.
n Embrace diversity and inclusivity, and work towards reflecting that in everything we do.
n Provide our home audiences with the best of professional theatre from outside of our region through presentation of the work of acclaimed partners.
n Manage and maintain both the Pavilion Theatre, a 150-seat studio theatre, and the Sagebrush Theatre, a 693-seat proscenium theatre; and manage and operate a box office which provides ticketing services for both above-mentioned venues, as well as additional venues and clients upon request.
n Serve as a core and essential creative asset in the development of our region through: community entertainment and education, cultural infrastructure, social service, tourism and economic development, and the attraction of new citizens and businesses to our city and our region.
n Demonstrate respect to all our staff, our performers and artists of all kinds, and our audiences in what we do and how we undertake our work.
Strategic directions were identified to build on key emerging themes in the analysis phase of the process, and to reflect what was learned from the WCT staff and Board members, and previous data collection reflecting input from key stakeholders and the public. The strategic directions, realized through Supporting Actions, will provide overarching guidance to WCT over the next three years.
The following Strategic Directions begin with capacity-building and IDEA objectives to put the organization on further solid footing and to then carry-out additional directions of furthering awareness of WCT and deepening community engagement with the brand. From there, the final two Strategic Directions centre on the importance that partnerships and collaborations will play in the life of the plan as WCT works toward the development and optimization of performing arts venues.
Build-out organization capacity and financial sustainability.
To address leadership, capacity, and areas of opportunity within the organization, recognizing that Western Canada Theatre is in a growth state with room to mature and evolve in its administration.
Review key components of the Strategic Plan (strategic directions, actions, and implementation framework) on an ongoing basis.
Strengthen governance and commit to being a learning organization: identify board development and training opportunities and allocate funding annually.
Identify priority areas for professional development and ensure staff have a variety of training opportunities each year.
Prepare for the future: implement succession planning strategies for Board, senior management, and staff.
Develop and invest in strategic partnerships and collaborations to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan.
Optimize and clarify staff reporting structure, role definitions, and link individual actions to strategic aims.
Link actions surrounding building organizational cohesion and a healthy and safe work environment for all (Strategic Direction 2).
Undertake an organizational assessment biannually to determine adequate capacity to implement the Strategic Plan.
Develop a staff composition matrix, performance reviews, and establish professional development plans.
Strengthen staffing needs; Attract and retain staff (including contractors) in consideration of priorities identified in the organizational assessment and gaps in the staff composition matrix.
Invest in capacity-building and foster collaborations through knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and skills development opportunities for staff.
Develop a board composition matrix to identify board members (existing and potential), including their skills, identity, background, characteristics, and talents.
Resource key roles to reflect diversity gaps in the board composition matrix.
Undertake strategic recruitment, recognizing the need to reflect the diversity of Kamloops in the Board’s composition.
Respond to knowledge gaps and build skills of Board members through training, including governance training for organizational capacity-building, cultural competency training, decolonization, and reconciliation.
Develop and implement a new Board member orientation session to support the evolution and growth of the Board and its members.
Build-out and improve systems, resources and administrative procedures that include digital solutions based on a deeper organization assessment.
Create clear understanding of roles and responsibilities within the organization and how to support each other in operations.
Develop a robust operational plan that incorporates the implementation of Supporting Actions and focuses on broad, communications, budgeting, human resources, and marketing objectives.
Create a five-year Financial Strategy that incorporates fund development and diversifies revenue sources, and strengthen existing revenue to build financial sustainability and internal capacity.
Consider exploring new revenue models where there is a logical rationale as a means of revenue generation where new facilities are concerned.
Evaluate technology needs and gaps, and develop an integrated digital strategy for systems, resources, and administration through more effective usage.
To build greater awareness of who we are, the work we do, the importance of our work, and in turn enhance local cultural literacy— essential pieces for organization sustainability and stability, as well as participation in the development of the planning for future arts infrastructure.
Foster a creation-based environment where team members feel that they play a valued role in the creation, production, and presentation of bold theatrical work.
Implement related recommendations found in the Planning Summary Report.
Address organization culture needs so that all participants are aligned with WCT’s vision and identity.
Ensure clarity and commitment towards WCT’s Brand Promise.
Build supporting actions surrounding brand development to nurture team and organization-wide cohesion.
Foster honest, safe, and trusting relationships to create a healthy work environment.
Create and maintain clear organizational role definition and taskdelegation.
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Create and continue to uphold the organizational commitment to anti-racism and anti-harassment policies.
Continue to refine and adopt policies to guide decision-making and internal processes through an IDEA lens.
Identify and implement further IDEA pathways throughout the organization.
Provide mentorship and/or training for staff, Board, and volunteers, to further organizational decolonization and IDEA learnings.
Explore ongoing training opportunities for staff, Board, and volunteers in creating safer and inclusive spaces.
Become a learning-based organization sharing educational resources between staff and Board.
Continue to support IBPOC artists through the development and training of safety protocols.
Ensure greater inclusivity of LGBQT2S+ community through organizational composition, programs, events.
Continue to support and partner with Indigenous artists/ organizations and develop positive working relationships at all levels.
Explore an enhanced brand development strategy to create a greater cohesion of the organization’s core values, brand purpose and promise and brand identity.
Strengthen the WCT brand across all communication and marketing across all channels.
Build the WCT brand with relevant local partners exploring ways to leverage our presence.
Move beyond season-based or ticketing-focused marketing, and engagement to organization brand-building in the region to better position WCT with a strong regional voice.
Improve digital engagement building new and existing audiences creating local cultural literacy.
Develop and implement a comprehensive communications and engagement plan.
Ensure programs and events are accessible, reaching the intended audience demographics.
Build WCT’s reach within Kamloops, region, and province, engaging with local and sectoral leaders.
Support peer organizations in social change, and arts-based strategies to address relevant issues.
Support and prioritize the board and leadership in the advocacy for WCT at local and all levels of government.
Start and fund, in collaboration with other local arts partners, a local “Cultural Roundtable” to advocate on behalf of arts and culture sector within the City or Region.
Position the profile of the Executive Director and Artistic Director as key local arts leaders and subject matter experts.
Continue to undertake gap analysis identifying emerging audience needs.
Continue to undertake program evaluations, to inform strategic directions and priorities.
Strategically diversify programming and events where there is a clear and data-informed rationale, while delivering existing WCT programs and events.
Better understand market segments through analysis and development of an annual marketing strategy.
To be in Me7 nek elcwílc (active transformation) with the Tkemlúps te Secwépemc and other Indigenous, Metis, and Inuit people. We will adopt efforts to understand the priorities of the Tkemlúps te Secwépemc and where WCT can most appropriately act. WCT will also be aware, compassionate, and collaborative with the vast experiences of Indigenous, Metis, and Inuit people across inter-nation and emerging national contexts.
A framework for community engagement and partnerships with the Tkemlúps te Secwépemc and First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people
Recognizing principles and guidelines for partnership are well established,1,2 WCT will work with Tkemlúps te Secwépemc and other Indigenous, Metis, and Inuit people to help co-create a framework for the WCT to be principled in partnerships and future community experiences.
Ensure respectful environments and appropriate compensation to elicit policy feedback, recommendations for practice, and any
creative or artistic exchanges from the Tkemlúps te Secwépemc and other First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people.
Recognize and support the path to healing for residential school and inter-generational survivors, the Le Estcwicwéy (the missing).
Be an organization that can listen and respond to calls to action for truth, reconciliation, and decolonization of harmful colonial constructs or practices.
Maintain the capacity for Me7 nek elcwílc through mentorship, training, and theatre
To be in Me7 nek elcwílc WCT will prioritize the following funding and commitments:
Develop a sense of belonging in the governance of WCT through board retreats, audits, and practices that center Me7 nek elcwíl.
Ensure the executive leadership have the space, time, and resources to steward a compassionate, patient, and respectful working environment and to be intentional and present, as required.
Engage in the ongoing professional development of staff, Board, and volunteers of WCT to understand expectations of the Tkemlúps te Secwépemc with particular attention to Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and junior Secwépemc members.
Establish permanent opportunities and practices in operations to advance the Me7 nek elcwíl with audiences.
1 Secwépemc Nation Research Ethics Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.tru.ca/__shared/assets/secwepemc-nation-research-ethics-guidelines55048.pdf
2 Lexéy’em Spring 2022. Retrieved from https://tkemlups.ca/download/lexeyem-spring-2022
Inform and advise on investment in, and development of, local cultural capital infrastructure.
Serve as a lead advisor for performing arts capital asset development and maintenance in Kamloops specifically through advocating for funding and developing the Kamloops Centre for the Arts (KCA); and optimize WCT’s role in venue management and box office operation.
Be a lead advisor in and support the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society.
Formulate business plan for facilities usage that recognizes its value for WCT’s expanded programming, collaboration and sharing of space with community arts and not-for-profit groups, and rental to for-profit clients to maximize earned revenue potential.
Support and align with the city in developing a cultural asset map for performance venues, production space, and storage.
Address accommodation needs through property development conversations, or launching of a project towards a more stable solution.
Develop partnerships and/or collaborate with other arts and culture providers to access space not covered by existing venues.
Build organizational capacity to allow greater participation in future infrastructure planning.
Create a facilities roadmap or framework to guide the organization through the transition to an eventual new venue and interim office space.
Assess operational and capital needs and future usage of Sagebrush Theatre by WCT and continue to address them.
Conduct ongoing evaluation of organizational supports (i.e. the cost-benefit of running the box office) and modifying as necessary.
Work with a lens of environmental stewardship and consider climate change/environmental risks such as venue ops, set construction, etc.— storage spaces including wildfire risk/threats for the region.
Deepen our community engagement and strategic collaborations.
Through meaningful engagement WCT will strengthen our local relationships to enhance our brand position and reputation. WCT will build upon strategic alliances with peer organizations to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
Identify strategic partnerships/collaborations to meet strategic objectives and broaden reach within the community.
Convene leaders/organizers in peer sectors regularly to share ideas, problem solve, identify opportunities, and further arts and culture development. Encourage the creation of an arts advocacy organization dedicated to building local cultural literacy.
Strengthen relationships with TRU, the city, and relevant organizations.
Clarify roles for board and staff for collaborative outreach.
Celebrate wins and milestones, acknowledging the support of partners, sponsors, and volunteers.
Celebrate wins and milestones, acknowledging the contribution of staff, board, and contractors.
The Board and senior leadership should organize a means to evaluate success against the directions and actions, and they will be reported on regularly over the life of the plan.
Staff should consolidate the Strategic Directions and Supporting Actions into their annual operations plan which includes: programming; administration/operations; financial development; and engagement/marketing. The Executive Director can then work with the staff in establishing for each action:
1. Required resources.
2. Proposed phasing and timeline.
3. First steps.
• Potential collaborations and partnerships.
• Evaluation and Metrics (How will we know we’ve succeeded?);
Staff reports to the Board can be organized around each Strategic Priority to align and ease reporting and for the organization to better embody these priorities in to their daily work going forward over the life of the plan.
Photo of The Wizard of Oz CAST (2022) | Director JAMES MacDONALD | Choreographer TRACEY POWER Set Design NARDA McCARROLL | Costume Design STEPHANIE KONG | Lighting Design JOHN WEBBER
Scenic Painter HANS SAEFKOW | Photo by BARBARA ZIMONICK