ELANews

The Newsletter of the English-Language Arts Network

Director's Message

ELAN's first year was devoted to establishing a solid web-based network, and that work will be complete by the end of 2006. Now ELAN is ready to take on the larger mandate of becoming a people-based network. This was the main reason for creating ELAN—bringing artists together to share ideas, resources and know how. During the past year many of you have expressed the desire to get involved in a hands-on way. To get the ball rolling we are creating four members groups that will be launched at the 2nd Annual General Meeting on Monday November 13th.

  • A Professional Development Group to plan and organize workshops/seminars.
  • A PR Group to look at ways to create opportunities for promoting artists, events and venues.
  • An Outreach Group to make contact with potential allies like the Education sector and to increase dialogue with francophone colleagues.
  • A Social Events Group to organize activities purely on a social, schmoozing networking basis.

ELAN was created by artists to build a stronger community. Membership now exceeds 800 and the future success of this network depends on how we channel all that talent and energy. Please think about which of these four groups you may want to participate in at the AGM. This is the beginning of ELAN expanding beyond the vision and efforts of a handful of people to becoming a true member-driven organization.

AGM agenda—Monday 13 November

3:30–4:00:
Registration
4:00–4:30:
Presentation of the full range of web-based resources
4:30–6:00:
Establishment of four Members' Groups
6:00–7:15:
AGM Business Meeting & Election of new Board
7:15 +:
Party Time (networking, member performances, music, dancing, refreshments)

Guy Rodgers
Executive Director

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What's New?

Member Promotion Opportunity at AGM

All ELAN members are invited to bring flyers, post cards, and any other promotional material to the AGM for display and sharing with fellow members throughout the evening. They will be displayed on tables and offered to members during the business meeting and the party that follows.

Call for Member Performances at AGM

ELAN invites members to wow their colleagues with short performances throughout the evening's party. All disciplines and manner of creativity are welcome, though pieces should be around 5 minutes in length. If you'd like to share your talents with your colleagues by performing at the AGM, please contact monika@quebec-elan.org at your earliest convenience. We look forward to having our socks knocked off!

Nominations for the Board of Directors

Remember that the final date to nominate a colleague for ELAN's board of directors is November 8th. If you did not receive the AGM package in the mail, call the office and the information will be emailed to you.

ASK (Arts Services Kit)

The four employees of the Arts Services Kit project have been busily contacting dozens of service providers and the data bank is starting to fill up with translators, web designers, accountants, financial planners, entertainment lawyers and many other valuable services specifically relevant to artists. If you know people who provide services that are useful to artists, please encourage them to enter their information on the page provided on ELAN's website. We will be making a presentation of the new Arts Services Kit at the AGM and the service will be fully operational by the end of December.

Funding Cuts

Many members have asked what ELAN is doing about federal cuts in funding to the arts, museums and literacy. This is a complex issue that affects many people. It will be addressed at the AGM and an action/lobbying group will be formed.

RAAV workshop

ELAN has been working closely with RAAV (le Regroupement des artistes en arts visuels) over the past year to provide better support for English-language visual artists. Significant parts of RAAV's website are now available in English. This fall RAAV is offering the first ever professional development workshop in English. If you are a visual artist, see details below and take advantage of this important new opportunity.

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Opportunities for Artists

Call for Submissions—Six NFB Scholarships

The National Film Board of Canada is pleased to offer six Quebec emerging independent filmmakers from ethno-cultural or Aboriginal communities a chance to participate in Doc Circuit Mtl at the Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal (RIDM) next month. A co-venture of RIDM and DOC Quebec, Doc Circuit Mtl is a two-day documentary film market with panel discussions, face-to-face meetings, project pitches and workshops with producers, broadcasters and distributors from across Canada and around the world. The event will take place at the Cinémathèque québécoise on November 13 and 14.

Applications must be received by Friday, November 3, 2006 at 5:00 PM.

Candidates must provide the following:

  • CV/résumé with full name and contact information, including e-mail, phone and mailing address.
  • A bio of professional experience as a cultural/audiovisual entrepreneur (director, producer, writer/researcher).
  • A letter of intent explaining what the applicant plans to contribute and gain from DOC Circuit, how it will further the development of their film project and how it will help in their career.

Selected applicants will be announced on Thursday, November 9, 2006. All recipients will be required to submit a post-event evaluation for the NFB and DOC Circuit, detailing their experience and outcomes from the event.

Send applications to:
NFB Scholarships at DOC Circuit MTL at RIDM
c/o Mahalia Verna
3155 Côte-de-Liesse Road
Saint-Laurent, QC, H4N 2N4

For further information, please contact:
Annmarie Martin
NFB Media Relations
(514) 283-9459
ann.martin@nfb.ca

Music Teacher Wanted

Christmas Park Elementary School (Lester B. Pearson School Board) is currently looking for a music teacher to take a full-time replacement post for an employee who is on maternity leave. This post begins the first week of November and will run until the end of this school year. There is a music program already in place for each cycle. Anyone interested in applying for this post or seeking more information may call Christmas Park School at 514-695-0651. Please ask for the principal, Ms. Lorna Aiken.

QAAL (Quebec Association for Adult Learning) Scholarship—Adult Education

Riva Heft Hecht Scholarship for Excellence and Innovative Practice in Adult Education

Purpose: To acknowledge the role of adult education practitioners in the fields of formal, informal, and non-formal adult education.

Who Can Apply? The award will be granted to adult education practitioner(s) who contribute to and support the diverse learning needs of Quebec English language adult learners in formal, informal and non-formal settings.

What is the Award? $500 will be awarded at the AGM in May 2007 to the applicant(s) who meet the criteria, complete the registration form, and submit a written account of the project in which they have had a leadership role.

For more information about how to apply, please call the QAAL office at 514-848-2424 (2036) or email to qaal@alcor.concordia.ca

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Member News

Want to know what your fellow ELAN members are up to? This month, we have info about the following members:

G. Scott MacLeod was recently interviewed by Stephen Patrick Clare for the Epoch Times. To read this interview, please go to: stephenclare.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_stephenclare_archive.html.

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Workshops & Seminars

Performing Arts

Mask Workshop: An Equity Member Initiative

A mask workshop with University of Calgary professor Brian Smith will be held at the Bain St-Michel (5300 St-Dominique) from Nov 14–19. Anne Day-Jones, Alain Goulem, and Carolyn Guillet (among others) had the good fortune to work with Brian at the Manitoba Theatre Centre, and have now applied for Equity Professional Development Funds to bring Brian and his inspirational methods to Montréal actors. Actors will be accepted on a first come first serve basis (with priority given to Equity members).

For the schedule, registration or information on fees, contact Carolyn Guillet at 514-281-7997 or cjguillet@videotron.ca.

Visual Arts

Life Drawing Classes with Jason Jenkins

Are you interested in the portrayal of the human figure, the beauty of a gesture or an expression, the secrets of life and strength locked within the human form? Do you simply enjoy the act of drawing? Do you want to brush up on your skills? I am offering figure drawing classes to students of all skill levels. The classes will be held at the McAuslan Visitors Centre in St. Henri's, with an ongoing enrolment.

Classes will have a live model in attendance, focusing on portraiture, the nude figure and the semi-nude figure. The approach of these classes will not be heavy-handed, with a rigid agenda attached to a strict timeline. I want the classes to, of course, be educational, but also enjoyable and accommodating. Bring your skill level, whatever it may be, and your drawing medium of choice. We will draw and we will discuss technique. I will offer demonstrations and examples as issues arise or requests are made. Donkeys/easels will be provided with the space and the model. Classes will cost $40.00 per session, with one session of three hours each week, payable at the beginning of each month. To enquire, discuss scheduling, or register, you can contact me (Jason Jenkins) at 514.831.0427 or fourinchbrush@yahoo.com.

For more information on my work and professional arts background, please go to jasonjenkins.netherhaven.com/drawing or www.jasonjenkins.ca.

RAAV (Regroupement des artistes en arts visuals) – Low Cost Courses for Visual Artists

Important: This is the first time that RAAV is offering courses to English-speaking visual artists. So far RAAV has not received enough applications and it is feared that the courses might have to be postponed, or even canceled. These courses, due to the grant received from Emploi Québec, are offered at a very low cost and are of high quality:

A. Individual Coaching on Techniques and Developing Your Artistic Practice

The objective of this training is to enable artists specializing in the visual arts to acquire knowledge of a practical, technical nature in an area complementary or related to their own, so that they can develop their practice according to a personalized program that meets their particular needs.

Participants suggest the training they would like to receive and the instructor or expert (after contacting the individual) they would like to work with. If the individual's qualifications are recognized by the selection committee, the participant's choice of instructor will be granted. Otherwise, the committee will recommend available resources.

Deadline for receiving applications: October 30, 2006 (For application guidelines please contact RAAV—see details below)

Training period: between November 21, 2006 and February 15, 2007
Length of session : no more than 16 hours per artist
Fee: 75 $

B. Copyright and Contract Negotiation in the Visual Arts

Two main laws will be examined: the Copyright Act (federal) and the Act respecting the professional status of artists in the visual arts, arts and crafts and literature, and their contracts with promoters (Québec). Related matters, such as collective administration, taxation and succession, will also be discussed.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Mme Vivianne De Kinder is a lawyer specializing in copyright and contract negotiation.

September 30th–October 1 2006 , RAAV's office
Length of training: 14 hours, from 9 am to 5 pm
Fee: 45 $

C. Taking Care of Taxes …

The objectives of this workshop are to:

  1. Allow participants to develop a basic accounting system for effective financial management.
  2. Differentiate the various sources of income.
  3. Pinpoint the tax deductions artists are entitled to make in calculating their income.

About the instructor
Since 1996, Pascale Chèvrefils has been a lecturer at HÉC Montréal, where she teaches accounting management in arts endeavours in the graduate program in Cultural Organization Management.

The workshop will take place on January 27–28 2006.
Length of training: 14 hours, from 9 am to 5 pm
Fee: 45 $

For more information, and application guidelines, please contact:
MARIE-HÉLÈNE PARANT, Professional Development Coordinator
Email: formation@raav.org | Web site: www.raav.org
Tel: 514-866-7101, ext. 23 (Tuesday and Wednesday)
or visit our web site: www.raav.org (see "Formation")

Writing / Publishing

"Say more with less": How Metaphor Rules
A workshop for poets & prose writers with Goran Simic

Saturday, November 18, 2006 10am–4pm

The morning session will be devoted to an analysis of a writing sample from each participant. It will focus on how to find the best and most metaphorical way to make a literary text express the author's intention, and how to make beauty and precision work together. Participants will be encouraged to read their own work out loud to learn how to emphasize essential lines. Particular attention will be paid to tracking the form and authenticity of a literary text as well as to controlling or conveying the writer's individual imagination. In the afternoon session, each writer will present his or her own work, with feedback from Simic and from workshop participants. At the end of the session each participant will receive a mystery present from the workshop leader. Enrolment is limited and pre-registration is required.

Location: The Atwater Library 1200 Atwater, Westmount H3Z 1X4
Tel: (514) 935-7344
Fax: (514) 935-1960
info@atwaterlibrary.ca Contact: Tanya Mayhew
Cost: $80.

Please send in registration package (which must be received by November 15, 2006) containing: $80 cash or cheque made out to Goran Simic and two samples of writing, maximum 2 pages each, accompanied by a cover letter containing name, address and contact information.

Goran Simic was born in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1952. He came to Canada as a landed immigrant in February 1996 under the auspices of PEN Canada. Over twenty books of his poetry have been published in the former Yugoslavia, as well as in Canada, England, Poland, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, etc.

Screenwriting Seminar — Nov 4

In this one-day intensive seminar, you'll learn the basics of scripting your half-hour story from narrative structure to characterization to dialogue and more. During the day, we go through the three stages of writing: synopsis, treatment, and script. You'll come away with the tools to begin writing your own short film, in whatever genre you're interested. This one-day seminar is $95 and goes from 9:30am to 4:30pm. No previous experience in screenwriting is needed. The location is the Mile End area, easily accessible from Place des Arts, Laurier or Mont Royal Metro.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Elizabeth Johnston has been teaching for over a decade at schools such as York and Concordia. She writes for various publications including The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, and POV: The Art and Business of Independent Filmmaking. Currently, Elizabeth is busy on a book about the cultural importance of the potato, for which she received a Canada Council grant. www.explore-the-possibilities.com

Please contact information@explore-the-possibilities.com for more information.

Writers' Workshop in Provence
June 10–16, 2007

Montreal writers Tess Fragoulis, Kent Stetson and Marianne Ackerman are heading up next year's Writers' Workshop in La Roque Alric, France. A one-week intensive, plus fine foods and wines in the heart of Provence. Memoirs, fiction and drama.

Open to unpublished writers and professionals. For more information, see our soon-to-be revised website at www.marianneackerman.com. For immediate info, call (514) 278-5038.

Interdisciplinary / Other

Artscape Creative Hub Development Workshop
November 22–24, 2006, Ottawa, Canada

Looking to develop and sustain creative habitats in your community? Artscape's Creative Hub Development Workshop provides hands-on training and practical tools focused on each of the critical phases of development planning and project implementation for multi-tenant centres focused on creative activity.

Led by top practitioners, participants will be provided with in-depth instruction over 3 days on topics from project planning to capital fundraising, governance models to tenant relations, in addition to an on-site tour and presentation of the Ottawa Arts Court facility.

CONTACT US: To register today or to get more information, please contact Kelly Willson Harvey, Delegate Relations Coordinator at 416-392-1038, x21 or kellywh@torontoartscape.on.ca.

You may also go to www.torontoartscape.on.ca/ccdp for more information and to download the Registration Form in Word format.

Place and Space Workshop
led by Eddie Ladd at Studio 303

6–10 Nov., Mon–Fri, 9:30am to 12:30pm

75$ (Emploi-Quebec) / 90$ (VIP)* / 100$ (regular)

* Please note that ELAN members are eligible for the VIP rate. Simply state that you are a member upon registration.

The workshop looks for ways to make work about place and its impact on physical movement. Class begins with physical warm-up. The role of language will be explored as a subject matter (as fundamental to identity, its status in a colonial society and so on), and as a "music score" for performance, if this is relevant to the participants. Work will happen in the Studio, and possibly outside. The workshop will in the end combine movement, text (some of it written by participants), music and location to produce solo, duet pieces and group work.

Eddie Ladd draws on contemporary culture to create works that use visuals and new technologies without sacrificing strong characters and performance. She sometimes chooses to subvert established notions of gender by playing male characters. Hailed by critics as an "exceptional talent", Eddie Ladd makes cross-disciplinary performance work which has toured internationally and features theatre-based and site-specific pieces. Its concerns are cultural imperialism and the survival of small nations. She has taught at the University of Wales, and has often taught specialised workshops whilst on tour.

For more information, please contact Eva Asselin of Studio 303 (www.studio303.ca) at 514-393-3154.

YES Workshops
Accounting: Practical Steps to Keeping Your Records Straight — Dec. 4

Whether you're starting a business or working as an independent artist, keeping track of your transactions is crucial. Meet the accountant and learn how to set up your accounting system: which records to keep, which files to set up and how to manage your cash flow. Cost: $15

Grants & Loans Information Sessions

Nov. 15, Nov. 29, Dec. 13

Cost: FREE

Are you an artist wondering what grants are out there? Are you a young entrepreneur looking to start a business? Come to our session, which gives an overview of the grants and loans available.

Legal Information Clinic — By appointment

YES invites you to take advantage of our free legal information clinic for entrepreneurs. Our legal information officer is available to provide information and to answer questions on business issues such as business structures, contract law, taxation or intellectual property. To book an appointment, a $20 refundable deposit is required.

Networking: Putting your best face forward — Nov. 20

Have you ever felt uneasy at a networking event, or been left tongue tied when meeting a new contact? This workshop will enhance your networking savvy and prepare you to put your best face forward when meeting new and existing contacts. Cost: $15

Starting Your Own Business — Seminar Series

Tuesday evenings, 6:30pm – 8:45pm, beginning Nov 7th

Cost: $65 for the series (5 workshops)

These seminars, developed as a full series and designed to complement each other, are suitable for both novice entrepreneurs and those wishing to strengthen their business knowledge. These seminars will teach you the basic theory behind each of the business elements described below. The workshops are given by professionals and specialists in the field.

  1. The Nuts & Bolts of Starting Your Own Business
  2. Conducting Effective Market Research
  3. Financing Your Business
  4. Marketing Your Venture
  5. The Business Plan—Your Roadmap to Success
The Yes Mentorship Programs

These programs facilitate the passing on of skills, knowledge and wisdom from an experienced individual (a mentor) to a less experienced individual (a mentee). A mentor acts as a guide, a role model and an advisor for a mentee, who is willing to learn from their mentor's experiences in order to develop his/her career or business. The development of a successful mentoring relationship requires an investment of time, the ability to be open and honest, and a commitment to personal development and learning.

For information regarding any of these sessions, or to register, call: 514-878-9788 ext. 313, or visit www.yesmonteal.ca.

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ELAN Classifieds

Artist Seeking Day Job

Artist in need of funds is seeking day job, can help you organize your clutter around the house, has ebay site to sell your items, can also teach house painting, faux finish etc. Good references. Employment experience includes: web work, stores, small office, warehouse, shipping and receiving, mailroom, working with seniors, computers, graphics, music recording with loops etc. Speaks French & English. Looking for anything! Please contact Mario at jova@vif.com.

Items For Sale

Vitrines For Sale

Must sell cheap, I need the studio space. Wood and glass vitrines, professionally built, various sizes from about 24″ × 36″ to 12″ × 60″. $30–$60 OBO. Please contact hallstevenson@sympatico.ca.

Artists' Business Guides for Sale
Business Skills For Creative Souls: The Montreal Artist's Handbook

This handy guide, published by YES, includes tips based on interviews with over 50 local artistic celebrities, including Steve Galluccio (Author/Playwright), Josée Nadeau (Internationally Renowned Painter), Jamie Elman (Actor) and Lorraine Klaasen (Singer). Topics covered include marketing, accounting, law, employment and business basics, and funding for artists. The handbook also includes a resource listing of over 75 non-profit organizations that provide support for artists, including organizations that offer funding programs. Cost 19.95$ Available at YES or by calling (514) 878-9788 ext. 313.

Online Advertising

Trinity Enterprise Inc.'s LOONIE LINK offers a world of entertainment choices in one destination.

If you have a retail store or if you are an artist, author, musician – anyone who has for sale an art or entertainment product—you can join our LOONIE LINK family for $1.00 (One Dollar) Canadian. We reduce the risk, contracts, red tape and lots of aggravation for the artist. Trinity is passionate about promoting all types of artists through the book industry distribution channel.

Contact Kim at kim.cookson@trinityenterprise.ca. For more information, you may also visit www.trinityenterprise.ca/loonie.cfm.

Retreats

Escape to Artscape Lodge

Artscape Lodge is a unique service for professional artists working in all disciplines that provides affordable short-term studio rentals & accommodation in a stunning, natural setting at the Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts on Toronto Island, only a 10-minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto. Whether you require a week or a month to escape life's distractions and focus on your work, Artscape Lodge has an artist retreat package for you.

Artscape Lodge is open year-round and has provided an inspiring and productive artist retreat to hundreds of artists from Toronto, across Canada and around the world. The 30-Night Studio & Bedroom package is available at seasonal rates, with shorter stays and custom bookings also available. All studios are fully equipped with wireless access. Rentals at Artscape Lodge consist of a furnished private studio and private bedroom. Writers can enjoy the quiet of our writers' wing studios. Amenities include a fully-equipped common kitchen, shared bathroom, laundry facilities, and bicycles for on-island excursions.

30-Night Studio & Bedroom Packages

November–April: $475
May–October: $650
*rates are subject to change

For more information on Artscape Lodge contact us at bookings@torontoartscape.on.ca, 416-392-7837, or visit www.torontoartscape.on.ca/artscapelodge.

Studio to Share

Interesting old industrial space, high ceilings, good light. 500 sq ft (46.5 sq m), for a great price. Utilities, insurance and taxes.all included. Looking for artist—painter, sculptor—to share work space. Near downtown, old port, Peel Basin, canal, bike path. (Ann & Wellington) Buses: #107 from Peel Metro, #61 & #168 from McGill and Sq. Victoria Metros. NOT LIVE IN. Available Dec. 1. Please call 1-514-992-1567 for further information. For photos, please go to www.berlazarus.ca and click on "Studio to Share".

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