1.How do you participate in the SummerWorks Performance Festival, and why is your job important to it?
I am the Program Director of S.L.I.P -which is the SummerWorks Leadership Intensive Program. S.L.I.P is a two week intensive for emerging artists that focuses on the business of the arts. Michael Rubenfeld and I co-created the program four years ago.As the Program Director I organize, curate, administrate and dream up every detail pertaining to the program. The job (and the program) is important because we get to help emerging artists learn about a side of the industry that is often not talked about in traditional arts schools - the business side of the industry. We bring in the best of the best to speak to our participants about topics like budgeting, marketing, publicity, grant writing, fundraising and more. The program offers participants practical skills and connects them with some of the most sought after professionals in the arts. S.L.I.P is a groundbreaking program and many of our participants come out of the program feeling prepared to take on a career in the arts.

2. Why do you engage with the SummerWorks Performance Festival? What has it taught you as an artist?
I engage with SummerWorks because it is one of the most unique festival's in the country. I wouldn't be able to run a program like S.L.I.P at just any festival.  SummerWorks allows for and encourages possibilities. It's an environment where anything can happen. As an artist, the spirit of the Festival has taught me to dream big and plan well.

3. What advice would you give to a newbie SummerWorks attendee so that they really get a feel for the festival?
Try to see a show at every venue. Try to see something at the Performance Bar, Live Art Series and Music Series. Stay and have a drink with other attendees. Stay and have a drink with the artists involved in the Festival. And...pace yourself.

4. Why do you think SummerWorks is important to the Toronto, and national, arts scene?
The Festival showcases work by some of the most established and the most emerging artists in the city and across Canada. Quality of work is always at the forefront and yet the Festival insists on maintaining a sense of play. The work is serious but there is also room for magic.

5. There's never enough time to flesh out all we want to in our jobs, so what do you wish you had more time to do with your job?
We have 12 participants in the program this year. A number of them are coming in from out of town (Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal). This has given me a taste for how the program could have a real national presence.  I wish I had the time to find more funding which would enable us to bring in even more artists from out of town.

6. Female, artistic/creaitve influnences; who were yours?
A few are: Kelly Thornton, Hannah Moscovitch, Gina Wilkinson, Joan MacLeod, Judith Thompson, Diane Flacks, Kristen Thomson, Leah Cherniak, Nina Lee Aquino, Naomi Campbell, Leslie Lester, Yvette Nolan, Sherry Bie...and my mother.

7. Finish this sentence: If the SummerWorks Performance Festival were a woman, she would _____
What do you mean 'if.'

8. Money, (wo)man power, and time aren't issues: what do you want SummerWorks to do next?
Each year, we invite over 30 professional artists to speak to our  S.L.I.P group. I would love to bring more artists in from outside Toronto to speak to our participants about art that is happening across the country.

1.  How do you participate in the SummerWorks Performance Festival, and why is your job important to it? 

I am working on a piece for SummerWorks called Invitations/Into/Traces (or) all I want to do is invent a machine, which creates surprises. It is a piece that explores the relationship between audience member and performer. In the words of the creator & performer Cara Spooner: “I’m trying a new approach to making performance. Rather than me doing some stuff in front of you while you sit in the dark, I’m attempting to create something with the audience’s experience in mind. It’s a show about you and me : you, the audience and me, the performer. 
                                                                   It’s about how we interact and how we see each other.”

My role is the producer, which means I have been helping Cara develop and distribute all the promotional materials for the show, including posters, flyers, a social media campaign on Twitter & Facebook, press releases, and interviews. I also helped create and manage our budget based on our estimated ticket sales, fundraising, and costs to develop and put on the show.

I think the role of producer is valuable because it allows the performers to focus more of their attention on what they do best: creating great art. I have a theatre and music background, but my formal education is in business, so I try to use those skills in a way that is complementary to the artists I work with. I try to help find the balance between creative integrity and commercial success. 

2.  Why do you engage with the SummerWorks Performance Festival? What has it taught you as an artist?
I was invited to support Cara in the roll of Producer for this production, so my engagement in SummerWorks is directly through her. I think it’s a really exciting opportunity for artists to present their work to a new audience, but also to meet and perform alongside other incredible artists doing great work. Producing a piece for a festival can be difficult, as you are one of many options for audience members to choose. It is important to find ways to stand out, especially with so many renowned artists participating. For us, we are one of the only dance/movement based pieces in the festival, and we are also one of only three pieces chosen as an ‘off-site’ work (the show takes place in the beautiful Gladstone Hotel), so I hope that will catch people’s attention. 

3. What advice would you give to a newbie SummerWorks attendee so that they really get a feel for the festival?
I am a SummerWorks newbie too – so ask me again in a few weeks! I have been an audience member in the past, and would usually just read up on the reviews or ask friends for recommendations. I think what is exciting about this year’s festival is all the great, non-theatre pieces – Bry Webb is part of the music series, the Performance Bar is being curated by Erin Brubacher (who totally rocks), and I think this is also the first year for a live art series which should be very interesting. This year I plan on hanging out a bunch at the Gladstone for the performances of Invitations/Into/Traces, and asking our audience members for recommendations of what else they’ve seen and loved.

4. Why do you think SummerWorks is important to the Toronto, and national, arts scene?
SummerWorks presents audiences with some really fantastic options for new and interesting works. Because the festival is curated, you know there will be a beautiful mix of genres, mediums, and subject matters addressed festival-wide. And it puts Toronto on the map for performance-based art; not just theatre or music.

5. There's never enough time to flesh out all we want to in our jobs, so what do you wish you had more time to do with your job?
I would love to engage more with other producers and PR experts to learn from their successes and challenges with producing festival shows. I would also love to find ways to engage more with our audience members through social media before & after the show. That’s something I’m very interested in.

6. Female, artistic/creative influences; who were yours? 
I am very fortunate to be able to surround myself with incredible female artists who live their artistic dreams every day.  Local artists currently inspiring me: Cara Spooner herself, fabulous roommates and creators of great art Emilee Nimetz & Nicola Atkinson, and Miss Ashley Rowe (reporting live). Non-local artists who always inspires me: my mother.

7. Finish this sentence: If the SummerWorks Performance Festival were a woman, she would...  definitely be invited to my next dinner party.

8. Money, (wo)man power, and time aren't issues: what do you want SummerWorks to do next?
Provide more opportunities for artist collaboration, learning, workshops, etc. – create more chances to learn from each other and create together, outside the scope of the planned performances.  

PR expert Daniela Syrovy gives us the scoop on the hectic lifestyle of doing PR for a theatre fest - and why she's always coming back for more.

1.How do you participate in the SummerWorks Performance Festival, and why is your job important to it?
I take care of the publicity for the festival. We accredit all the incredible media that come out to review shows and write about SummerWorks. It's important because it's one of the key ways that we let the city and the country know about all the amazing programming SummerWorks offers. We help create some buzz surrounding all the different things the festival does.
We service the press and we also service SummerWorks. This festival is one of my favourites to work with and for. At ClutchPR (www.clutchpr.com) we're used to handling film and television and lifestyle so getting a chance to represent one of the country's best theatre fests is a great honour.

2. Why do you engage with the SummerWorks Performance Festival? What has it taught you as an artist?
I engage with this festival because it connects me to a world of artists that I'm not normally engaged with. It's a very exciting fest in that it connects theatre with music, dance with visual arts and everything in between. There is lots of cultural cross pollination which always results in exciting work. 

My favourite part of the job is when I know that I helped someone discover the festival for the first time. Every year gets better and better. Not sure that I would call myself an 'artist'  although I've always loved the idea of me being one. From that perspective SummerWorks has taught me that risks are a good thing, that anything is possible and that the level of talent in our country is astounding.

3. What advice would you give to a newbie SummerWorks attendee so that they really get a feel for the festival?
Get yourself the gorgeous printed brochure. See at least five theatre shows and two music shows. Drop into the Performance Bar anytime on Aug.10th,11th,12th,16th,17th and 18th from 8pm onwards. The Performance Bar will be the social hub of the festival and is offering some really original shows. It's also Pay-What-You-Can. 

4. Why do you think SummerWorks is important to the Toronto, and national, arts scene?
Its important to Toronto because it uses the city in an interesting way and livens up the city for 11 days. There are six major venues, three offsite venues and a slew of other spots featuring crazy cool performance art pieces as part of the Live Art Series. SummerWorks injects electricity into the city. It's crucial to the national arts scene because it brings artists in from across the country. The pedigree of talent involved with the fest is renowned.
This year alone names such as Daniel MacIvor, Richard Greenblatt, Arisinee Khanjian, Nina Arsenault, Anton Piatigorsky, Brendan Healey, Tania El Khoury, Maeve Beaty, Gord Rand, Ravi Jain, Rosmary Dunsmore, Tamsin Kelsey, Ame Henderson, Ron Pederson are involved with Summerworks. These are renowned artists who have presented works around the world. 

5. There's never enough time to flesh out all we want to in our jobs, so what do you wish you had more time to do with your job?
I wish I had more time to see more shows. More time to get to know all the artists involved in the festival in a personal and intimate way. 
I wish I had more time to pitch every. single. journalist on the planet so they could be made aware of the sheer awesomeness of this festival.

6. Female, artistic/creaitve influnences; who were yours?
I love women and am inspired by them every day. Every woman I know plays a million different roles and is a professional juggler.  My mother is my hero. Other females that I have a great deal of respect for some of the city's top PR professionals including Debra Goldblatt at rockit promotions and Andrea Grau at TouchwoodPR. Also most of the woman you've featured in your column here have influenced me in one way or another. 

7. Finish this sentence: If the SummerWorks Performance Festival were a woman, she would _be the life of the party.

8. Money, (wo)man power, and time aren't issues: what do you want SummerWorks to do next?
I want SummerWorks to expand programming and expand sponsorship efforts. I would love the festival to have a year round home - a theatre hub for workshops, for shows, for artists of all walks to call home and to meet in and work at.  I'm confident that SummerWorks will soon be the best theatre festival in the world.  Regarded by industry professionals as the per-eminnent place to see new Canadian works and top tier talent.
I say this in all honesty ---I have never seen a SummerWorks show that didn't move me in one way or another. The quality of work astounds me every year. I'm so proud to be involved with it. 
Next stop: taking over the world one show at a time!

All-round artist (but newbie playwright!) Tanisha Taitt gives us the goods on the SummerWorks fest, and all the women who make her artistically tick.



1. How do you participate in the SummerWorks Performance Festival, and why is your job important to it? 
I am the producer and playwright of VIOLENT BE VIOLET.  I also play the title character. 

2. Why do you engage with the SummerWorks Performance Festival? What has it taught you as an artist?
I absolutely love SummerWorks.  It's the perfect-sized festival and you really have the opportunity to take it ALL in if you choose to.  This is my fourth year involved in some way, and it has taught me so much about community, collaboration, consciousness.  In 2010 I was part of the SummerWorks Leadership Intensive Program (SLIP) and it was one of the most valuable experiences of my career thus far.

3. What advice would you give to a newbie SummerWorks attendee so that they really get a feel for the festival?
I would recommend seeing a wide variety of shows, including things that you regularly wouldn't choose to see.  You could be very pleasantly surprised.  I remember coming out of I WAS BARBIE in 2010 thinking "Holy crap."  It wasn't something that I normally would've checked out, but I had to see it as part of SLIP.  It ended up being one of my Top 5 festival experiences that year, out of 37 shows that I saw. Be open to the unknown.  If you can't afford to see many shows, try to at least see one thing that's outside your comfort zone.  You may find that your comfort zone expands, which can change your life from that point forward.

4. Why do you think SummerWorks is important to the Toronto, and national, arts scene?
SummerWorks is my favourite event on the annual Toronto theatre calendar.  It is a wonderful opportunity to be exposed to new theatrical voices, and diverse ones, in a short and exciting burst of time and energy.  I have become fans of actors and directors whose work I was unfamiliar with before as a result of the festival.  I love that it's juried, and juried by interesting and acclaimed artists who want to present a truly dynamic smorgasbord of high-quality theatre.  The National Series is a valuable chance for Canadian artists outside of Toronto to showcase their works to audiences here.  Also, being a singer-songwriter as well as a theatre artist, I appreciate the Music Series a lot.  I love the combination of music and theatre in this festival.  There are also some compelling panel discussions.

5. There's never enough time to flesh out all we want to in our jobs, so what do you wish you had more time to do with your job?
As an actor I think that if you have too much time, your performance can start to die.  I absolutely believe that there is such a thing as too much rehearsal.  For all of the nuance and precision and things you can add, you can also lose the spontaneity and the sense of curiosity that should always be there.  And as a playwright, albeit a new one, I'm a big believer in writing the piece and getting it onstage.  Many writers wish they had more time to edit and dramaturge and rewrite and workshop -- I'm the opposite.  I believe that you write it as best you can and then give it to an audience.  That's where it's meant to live, not on your hard drive or in a room endlessly with only one half of the equation present.  If it works for other people that's just fine; each artist works in his or her own way.  That way doesn't work for me.  I say let it be a snapshot of where you were as a writer at that time in your life and be proud of what you were capable of doing at that point.  Then move on to the next one and allow what you've learned to make that one better.  I'm not into the idea of workshopping the same play for years -- by the time it's produced you're not the same person you were when you wrote it and its urgency in your life has often diminished.  I wish I had more time to write, but I'd be writing several pieces fairly quickly as opposed to belabouring each one.

6. Female artistic/creative influences; who were yours? 
Because the beginning of my artistic life was as a musician and not a theatre artist, my primary female artistic influences come from that realm.  I learned a lot about lyricism as a child from Joni Mitchell, Roberta Flack and Carole King; the fluidity, ease and richness of good lyricism shares a commonality with good playwriting.  I am obsessed with words and the inherent musicality of language.  My mom was an English grammar and usage teacher, which I'm very thankful for.  As I got older I learned about telling poignant stories from more female songwriters -- Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Alanis Morissette, Tracy Chapman, Annie Lennox... gifted storytellers who act when they sing and paint when they write.  Brilliant non-writing vocalists like Barbra Streisand and Gladys Knight taught me about interpreting and embodying words that aren't my own.  I was also influenced by Margaret Atwood.  As an actor there are so many that I can't name them all, but I will say that I find Emily Watson and Lili Taylor mesmerizing in anything they do.  I am inspired by strong black female playwrights like Suzan-Lori Parks and Lynn Nottage, who can play English like a classical concerto and balance strength and subtlety with a deft hand.  Eve Ensler is not only an artistic influence but an everything influence.  I want to be her when I grow up.  And Harper... dear Harper Lee... writer of my favourite novel of all time.

7. Finish this sentence: If the SummerWorks Performance Festival were a woman, she would ______
Make waves in the morning, theatre in the afternoon, music in the evening, and love at night. 

8. Money, (wo)manpower, and time aren't issues: what do you want SummerWorks to do next?
I love what they're doing now.  Sometimes festivals feel that to stay interesting and current they need to keep adding new elements, which often become so disparate that they do nothing but start to change the feel and spirit of the festival, and not for the better.  SummerWorks so far has been very interesting and creative but has always stayed true to its primary mission, and that's one of the main reasons why I admire it so much.

Excited for SummerWorks? You're not the only one. 
Lucy Eveleigh is making her General Manager debut at the SummerWorks Performance Festival and her enthusiasm for the next eleven days is evident.  
Check 'er out below  - and then check out the fest!





1.How do you participate in the SummerWorks Performance Festival, and why is your job important to it?
I am the General Manager - I oversee the entire administration of the festival. My job is important because without someone to oversee every aspect of the festival it might be sheer chaos. If you have a question about the festival I should have the answer. 

2. Why do you engage with the SummerWorks Performance Festival? What has it taught you as an artist?
This is my first year with the festival, but since I moved to Toronto from the UK I have always attended the festival and thought it was an incredibly important part of the tapestry of the city. So far it has taught me how supportive the artistic community is here.  

3. What advice would you give to a newbie SummerWorks attendee so that they really get a feel for the festival?
I would say see as much as you possible can, come to the info booth (The LOT -100 Ossington Ave.) and ask a ton of questions and alternate between the Performance Bar and the Music Series. Talk to everyone and understand that in 11 days you will get very little sleep but it will be totally worth it. 

4. Why do you think SummerWorks is important to the Toronto, and national, arts scene?
I think it allows for artists and audience to take risks that they wouldn't necessarily be able to take. We use venues across Toronto and engage the city in a way that is completely unique. 
For eleven days art is everywhere.

The festival allows the public to see shows for $15 and some for pay-what-you-can or free, which makes it incredibly accessible. This is key to our success.  If we can encourage people who maybe don't go and see the arts usually to come and check us out, then we are taking a tiny step towards inspiring them to make the arts a part of their lives. 

We are always growing and this is especially true of the National Series and some of the national and international artists presenting at SummerWorks.  Being able to bring companies from across Canada here is wonderful as well as expanding our invitations to professional presenters and press from across the country squarely makes this one of the preeminent fests for top theatre and musical talent.

5. There's never enough time to flesh out all we want to in our jobs, so what do you wish you had more time to do with your job?
Just more organisation - I want to spend some quality time with databases and filing cabinets. 

6. Female, artistic/creaitve influnences; who were yours?
For me, from an admin point of view my favourite ladies are the ones who give you their time and who are patient and calm. That is what I strive to be. People who care about what they do and want to share their knowledge because they want to make things better - Denyse and Kelly from Nightwood, Camilla Holland, Jane Marsland and Jacoba Knaapen are a a few ladies who have taken their time for me and it is a gift.

7. Finish this sentence: If the SummerWorks Performance Festival were a woman, she would __nurture the hell out of Canadian arts____
Ha! She already is (a woman)!       

8. Money, (wo)man power, and time aren't issues: what do you want SummerWorks to do next?
I don't know if I can say that yet - I am pretty proud of what we are already doing and I want to make sure that everyone involved is constantly learning and discovering, and above all, having a good time. If we can keep that going then who knows what is around the corner. 
As soon as I have recovered from this festival, I'll start thinking about the next.