Dear friends and supporters,
As we near the day our planet starts tilting toward the sun again, many of us are preparing for some time to breathe deep, slow down, and huddle up with family and dear friends. With a new calendar year nearly upon us, it's a natural time to thank you for your engagement and support in 2022.
This year saw the live performing arts begin a halting, tentative return to activity after more than two years of pandemic-prompted shutdown. We remain a long way from 'all systems go' -- and that's okay, because in the interim we have come to understand that some of those systems are in dire need of an overhaul.
We move into the next year with questions that go far beyond 'When will audiences come back?" and move into how we will practice our art and vocation so as to contribute to a more just, inclusive, and compassionate world ... or, at the very least, so as not to continue contributing to unjust, oppressive, exclusionary practices and paradigms.
To that end, SATP has continued to partner with Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) in facilitating a cohort of theatres/producing companies/arts organizations in Saskatchewan and beyond, supporting each other in developing action plans for a theatre sector that is safe, welcoming, inclusive, and reflective of the diversity in our communities.
We embarked on the second iteration of our Professional Theatre Mentorship Program, supporting artists working with mentors to develop their skills in directing, playwriting, arts management, and other disciplines.
We were delighted to partner with the Manitoba Arts Network on a new Touring Readiness Program, in which four Saskatchewan and three Manitoba artists work with international touring performer/deviser Stephanie Morin-Robert on getting their own projects ready to pitch and hit the road.
We launched two e-newsletters, one focused on upcoming productions (available for both our members and community), and the other on current and upcoming career/development opportunities such as gigs, workshops, funding, etc (available for members). With these regular communications landing in your inbox twice every month, you can feel confident you're not missing out on important opportunities to grow as a practitioner, pursue a project, or catch some great theatre.
And we're so excited about our latest initiative, SATP's Green Room, a safe, supportive online community for all members, in which we can chat about the biz, cheer each other on, seek advice and information, post about our projects, or just hang out. Our hope is that the Green Room will become a favourite destination for you whenever you need information, perspective, support, or somewhere to toot your own horn!
We're looking to 2023 with renewed hope. And we're so very grateful to be supporting the art and the work of Saskatchewan's live performing arts practitioners.
Happiest of holidays, everyone.
Your biggest fans,
Mark & Judith at SATP