The Creative Spin

We're Moving...

2010-04-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Creative Spin is now hosted on my new webpage at www.srduncan.com. You can still subscribe to it via this feed: http://sites.google.com/site/stevenrduncanassociates/home/the-creative-spin/posts.xml
or view it directly at http://sites.google.com/site/stevenrduncanassociates/home/the-creative-spin/

Facebook Changes "Become A Fan" Button to Like

2010-04-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

I don't like the idea of making my friends become fans, and I'm not sure some of my friends have necessarily gained my respect enough to consider myself their fans. I've seen this complaint on the FB news feeds a lot!
With Facebook, suddenly any artist can have a "fan club", converting all their "friends" to "fans" and shifting how both fan and celebrity view their relationships with each other.
Well, now FB has changed the "become a fan" button to a "like" button as a way of garnering new members.
A bit deceptive, perhaps. Just because I "like" someone, doesn't mean I want to hear absolutely everything about them.
Still, the "like" button does take things down to a more rudimentary, broader level. your friends just "like" you or at least something about what you do.
For you - the artist or business owner - your job is think of how to keep people liking you. Consider what that takes when you are determining what to communicate to your audience.

Google Sites - Embed Multiple Calendars (and other things)!

2010-03-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

My friend passed along this neat little guide for embedding in Google.

http://www.steegle.com/websites/google-sites-howtos/embed-multiple-calendars

Association Of Book Publishers of BC Launches New Site

2010-01-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

All you writers out there should check out the Association's spiffy new site. Lots of resources there. The website is http://books.bc.ca/

Groups or Pages on Facebook Explained

2009-12-28T10:10:00.000-08:00

Found this useful article from Social Media Strategy and Marketing consultant Howard Greenstein. It helps to de-mystify these too FB functions. One thing he doesn't mention is how Pages also offer "Insights" about visitors to the page gleaned from what FB already knows about these members, like age and gender. Similar to Google Analytics.

“Should I create a group or launch a Page?” It’s the eternal question that gets asked as often as, “What is Twitter?” at introductory social media training classes. Ever since Facebook launched their Pages product as part of their larger advertising strategy (along with the ill-fated Beacon) in November 2007, there has been confusion over which to use. Because
Groups and Pages have an overlapping feature set, even senior social media marketing consultants are sometimes stumped as to what to tell their clients. And Facebook continues to make changes to how Pages function, complicating the matter even further.

Read more here>>>

Elizabeth Gilbert on Nurturing Creativity

2009-09-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.

About Elizabeth Gilbert

The author of Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert has thought long and hard about some large topics. Her next fascination: genius, and how we ruin it. Full bio and more links

A Simple, Slick-looking Document Viewer by Issuu

2009-09-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

It's Fringe Festival time in Vancouver and so I took myself to the festival website to check out this year's program guide.

http://www.vancouverfringe.com/2009-program-guide/

They use an interesting viewer to display their program guide which I thought was worth mentioning.
A website called Issuu lets you upload any document you want to an online Flash player which has different page display options, is intuitive and is free to use unless you want the ad-free full version.
The nice thing is that the ads are relevant to the document, employing some Google AdWords-type of platform. The Fringe site had thumbnails of other arty documents in several languages and when you rolled over one a pop-up balloon would have the name and description of the document. Some documents were in foreign languages, which gave me the impression that the Vancouver Fringe was part of a much larger and diverse community.
My one complaint was that I had no quick Table of Contents to link me to what I was looking for, i.e. a map. Instead I had to eyeball the table of contents then go through 2 sets of pages before i could get to the page I wanted.
But it still looked good and I saved a tree.
Here is the Issuu website: http://issuu.com/business

Reading on the Web

2009-05-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

First published in 97, this article about writing better website copy is still very relevant. Much of what Jakob Neilse n talks about also holds true for press releases and print promotional material as well. - Ed.

How Users Read on the Web

They don't.

People rarely read Web pages word by word; instead, they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences. In research on how people read websites we found that 79 percent of our test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word. (Update: a newer study found that users read email newsletters even more abruptly than they read websites.)

As a result, Web pages have to employ scannable text, using

highlighted keywords (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others)
meaningful sub-headings (not "clever" ones)
bulleted lists
one idea per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph)
the inverted pyramid style, starting with the conclusion
half the word count (or less) than conventional writing

We found that credibility is important for Web users, since it is unclear who is behind information on the Web and whether a page can be trusted. Credibility can be increased by high-quality graphics, good writing, and use of outbound hypertext links. Links to other sites show that the authors have done their homework and are not afraid to let readers visit other sites.

Users detested "marketese"; the promotional writing style with boastful subjective claims ("hottest ever") that currently is prevalent on the Web. Web users are busy: they want to get the straight facts. Also, credibility suffers when users clearly see that the site exaggerates.

Read the full article here >>>

Charlie Brown Ad Agency

2008-12-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

I found this fun little video that puts a new spin on "It's a Charlie Brown Christmas". Very well done!

Coffeehouses circa 1969

2008-12-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

Came across this facinating film from 1969 that shows various coffeehouses created by churches etc. to entertain and educate the young folks at the time. I like it that you can smoke in church.
One kid even got his parents to give him their entire basement to put on a coffee house. Now that's teen spirit!

http://www.archive.org/details/CoffeeHo1969

(Had to remove the player since it kept autoplaying whenever you hit the site. Got to be real annoying, really fast!)

Disturbing Deaths In the Literary World

2008-12-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

Being a writer getting you down? Take some tips from these writers who managed to find interesting ways to end it all.

Inspiration for the following list of dead literary figures came from Charles Bukowski’s poem, "Beasts bounding through time," specifically the lines "sylvia [plath] with her head in the oven like a baked potato . . . Shakespeare a plagiarist . . . the impossibility of being human." Some may call it morbid, some may call it truth - either way I don’t give a damn.

Euripides [480-406 B.C.] Greek Playwright - Mauled by a pack of wild dogs owned by Archelaus, the King of Macedonia.

Dante Alighieri [1256-1321] Italian Poet - Fell ill and died about an hour after completing The Divine Comedy.

Francis Villon [1431-1464?] French Poet - May have been attacked by a mob of bandits or hanged by authorities after a brief prison stay for murdering a priest. Take your pick. Left France at the age of 32 and was never heard from again. "Where are the snows of yesteryear?"

See the full list here:

http://www.alternativereel.com/includes/articles/display_article.php?id=00011

Don't Forget About m.twitter.com

2008-12-03T12:06:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to figure out how to get my Twitter updates away from a computer, without having them come to me as annoying and continuous text messages.
I already figured out that you can send a text message directly to Twitter by typing 21212 in the "To:" field, which is cool on it's own, but might not work for people who pay for text messaging.
Then I thought, maybe I can access the Twitter home page from my smart phone's browser, and Bob's your uncle, there it was. There is a standard view and a mobile view, and i find that the latter much faster and more compact for my Palm Treo.

By the way, if you use FireFox I found a neat little extension called TwitterBar, which lets you comment and post to Twitter right from Firefox's address bar. Pretty cool!

50 of the Best Websites for Writers

2008-11-30T22:59:00.000-08:00

Came across this resource page and thought folks might be interested in it.

http://educhoices.org/articles/50_of_the_Best_Websites_for_Writers.html

Arts News: Ballet BC Lays Off Entire Company

2008-11-26T23:44:00.000-08:00

This week's announcement from the province's top dance company has sent the Vancouver Arts community reeling. As the article linked below states, the organization's board has blamed low ticket and subscription sales - which was obvious from the low turn out for the recent remounting of the Faerie Queen. They gave away a lot of free tickets that run.
I'm sure the recent world economic unease has made all but the crustiest of the upper crust look hard at how they are spending thier discressionary funds these days. The majority of us artists who view life from the bottom of the pond certainly are watching where we throw our shekels of late. But let's face it, the company has been riddled with internal problems for the last couple of years, around the same time most of the long-term staff jumped ship with the appearance of a new ED.
Frankly, I don't think the company is making smart decisions with it's programming and the proof is showing in their numbers. The Faerie Queen is a remount, as are most of their ballets this season. Although I don't know for sure, I have a hunch that budget considerations were a large part of the equation, since it's often easier to remount a production then to premiere a new one. I'm always a little torn when things like this happen to the big "Prime Performers" in town.
When I think of the Ballet's 2.4 milion dollar budget, I weep in my Lucky Lager, imagining what any producer in my community could do with that kind of coin, but a ballet company is very expensive. The rental of the Queen Elizabeth for one run is more than most small companies spend on their entire budget.
But large companies set the bar for the arts in most cities. They create good paying jobs for local artists, and artistic tradespeople, and they spend a great deal of time nurturing the arts in younger people.
Most artists would say that art shouldn't have to justify it's existance financially,
I'm inclined to agree.
Buy Nutcracker tickets!

Here's a link to the news story: http://bcentertainmenttrivia.blogspot.com/

Thought of the Day

2008-10-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Carl Jung
The foundation of all mental illness is the avoidance of legitimate suffering.
- Carl Jung

The Almighty YouTube

2008-09-09T00:28:00.000-07:00

Over 9000 hours of video per day are uploaded to YouTube. This important tool is explained by an antropologist, Michael Wesch. Really interesting commentary. Definately worth a watch.

Also, here is the fascinating video about the evolution of web communications and the impact of Web 2.0 on just about everything - from Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University.

Lemonade Stand Marketing Lesson from a 14 Year Old

2008-07-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

I came across this neat little article on Jason Drohn's blog: MarketingHackz, and I thought I'd pass it on to you.

That’s right! Some times the best way to see marketing well done is by watching couple kids run a lemonade stand. Although you might disagree with my statement that children are marketing geniuses, it is true. We tend to ignore this fact simply because unlike grown adults they don’t have to try as hard and they just don’t. It comes to them naturally - the art of selling!

This post is based on an experiment that was run by Bob ( 14 years old ), one of the neighborhood children. The plan was to sell lemonades as you can figure that out from the title itself. It was pretty interesting to see how he successfully carried out this experiment and made money simply by working a lemonade stand. I had no hand in this experiment but Bob decided to share it with me while I was at the park. I was so fascinated by his approach I asked him to write an essay for me on how to sell lemonades and make money . He wrote one and I typed it here. Read it guys, this kid knows marketing and how to add value to an existing product.

Read the whole article here >>

Find Unclaimed Money Online

2008-07-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Bank of Canada is holding millions of dollars from dormant Canadian bank accounts, and they will return the money to its rightful owners free of charge. The Bank of Canada provides an online search tool and detailed instructions on how to claim money that is yours.

Dormant Bank Accounts in Canada

Dormant bank accounts are accounts that have no owner activity in relation to the account. Canadian banks are required by law to send written notification to the owner of a dormant bank account after two years of inactivity, and again after five years. After nine years, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) publishes all unclaimed balances over $100 in the Canada Gazette, which is available at public libraries in Canada. After 10 years of inactivity, unclaimed balances of all amounts are transferred to the Bank of Canada.

Unclaimed Balances Held by the Bank of Canada

Unclaimed balances held by the Bank of Canada are Canadian dollar deposits in Canadian banks at locations in Canada and negotiable instruments issued by Canadian banks at locations in Canada. This includes bank drafts, certified cheques, money orders and travellers cheques.

Length of Time Bank Balances are Held

The Bank of Canada holds unclaimed bank balances of $500 or more indefinitely. Unclaimed balances under $500 are kept for 20 years from the date of the last transaction - 10 years at the original bank, and another 10 at the Bank of Canada.

Search for Unclaimed Bank Balances

The Bank of Canada provides a free online Unclaimed Balances Search database for unclaimed bank balances.

How to Look Good in a Photograph

2008-07-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

Looking to get promo pictures done? I know an actress who recently spent over $300 to get shots taken. That can be a big chuck of coin for most artists, so it's important that you look your best. I came across this interesting little video at Video Jug. That I thought I'd share. It has some valuable and simple tips for you and for your photographer (should you go the cheap route).
Check it out here >>>
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-look-good-in-a-photograph

2008-06-20T11:06:00.001-07:00

HISTORY: AMERICAN ADVERTISING IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

2008-06-15T00:52:00.000-07:00

Between the Civil War and World War I, advertising grew tremendously as a field, though no one thought of it as a science. The United States experienced a boom in newspaper and magazine publishing funded largely by advertisers. Every major city had inexpensive competing dailies and a national magazine industry grew. Advertisements at this time were text-driven with perhaps an illustration of the product. Extensive information, the kind one might find on a patent application, was included, as well as information on price.

Read the rest of this fascinating article here>>>

Facebook In Real Life

2008-06-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

Facebook makes it seem like developing friendships is easy, but look what happens if Facebook seeps into the "real" world in this comedy sketch from BBC's the Wall.

2008-05-20T00:30:00.001-07:00

Twitter Explained in Plain English

2008-05-18T01:27:00.000-07:00

I am having a hard time figuring out what the hub bub is about Twitter or even why it is supposedly so useful. But this video does a good job at explaining what it is, if nothing else.

What Blogs Are All About

2008-04-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

I found this great little video that explains very simply what a blog is and why you might consider trying one for yourself.

The Ad Graveyard - Ad campaigns that didn't make the cut.

2008-04-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey Zeldman has a great collection of ads which came remarkably close to actual ad campaigns. Obviously my own dark sense of humor comes out by posting these.

See more at http://www.zeldman.com/adgraveyard/

Blogging Experts Talk

2008-04-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

I found some interesting videos by various blogging experts talking at the SMC Louisville conference, on Scott Clark's blog, Finding the Sweet Spot. The first video talks about the importance of content on a blog. I was interested in their different perspectives on posting frequency. The other looks at "linkbaiting" and "link building".
These are the experts:

Chris Pearson - Personified.com (Best Damn Blog On The Planet)
Rob May - Coconut Headsets.com (formerly of BusinessPundit.com)
Michelle Jones - ConsumingLouisville.com
David Finch - DavidSFinch.com, BusinessPundit.com
Moderated by - Jason Falls, SocialMediaExplorer.com

Go hear to find out more about the conference >>

Real-Time Referrers Tracks Incoming Traffic As It Happens

2008-04-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

What's happening on your website right now? This tool shows you the live incoming clicks, and where each visitor came from. It's useful when tweaking your marketing campaigns, or simply satisfying your curiosity. Below is a sample of what your page will look like.

It's free!
Works with any website or blog
Installs in 5 minutes or less

http://real-time-referrers.com/

By installing their code on your site, you agree that your Real-Time Referrers page isn't password-protected, so anyone might see it. You agree that this product is provided as-is, without warranties, and that it might be flawed in ways that harm you or your business. You agree that your website is not pornographic, offensive, or illegal.

Finally, If you don't understand or like their product, don't use it!

6 Traits You Need to Move From Being an Employee to Being Self-Employed

2008-03-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

From Susan Ward,
Your Guide to Small Business: Canada.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Part 1: I Lost My Job! Should I Start a Business?

I get a lot of email that starts, "I just lost my job!" Somewhere in each email, the writer goes on to ask, "How do I start a business?"

More people are getting downsized, terminated or just plain fired all the time. And because of the state of the economy, finding another job can be difficult. Creating a job of your own by starting a business looks attractive when you can't find a job - or just can't stand the job you have.

But "How do I start a business?" is not the first question you should be asking if you're in this situation; the first question you should be asking is "Should I start a business?" Before you start thinking about the different types of businesses you might start, you have to do some thinking about you.

Starting a business is not for everyone.

Being self-employed is very different than being an employee. And some people find it impossible to adjust to the differences. Let's see if you have the necessary entrepreneurial mindset to become self-employed. These are the six traits that I think encapsulate the ways you have to think and behave if you want to make a successful transition from being employed in some one else's business to starting a business of your own.

1) You have to be flexible to be self-employed.

If you start a business, you no longer have "one" job with clearly defined duties and responsibilities. You'll suddenly have multiple jobs, which will be often interrupted by unforeseen crises (particularly in the startup phase). Many employees are used to having days filled with predictable activities; many self-employed people don't.

And once you start a business, there's nowhere to pass the buck. As an employee, you may be used to passing problems up along the food chain or not be very involved in decision making. As a self-employed business owner, you're the one who will have to deal with whatever the crisis is and solve the problem. You're the one who will have to make the decisions.

2) You have to be a self-motivated initiator.

When you're an employee, other people tell you what to do, either directly or indirectly. You get used to having your actions directed by others. But you have to direct your own actions as a small business owner. You can't just sit there and hope that maybe some clients stroll in or that someone will drop by out of the blue with inventory for your retail store. No one's going to drop work on your desk or point out what needs to be done. For many people who try to become self-employed and start businesses after having a long-term full-time job, this is the hardest adjustment to make.

Read the rest of this article here>>>

Photoshop Ebook by Sherry Hutson

2008-03-24T00:44:00.000-07:00

The Painter's Guide to Photoshop, is a great resource for artists who want to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements to resize images, save them as jpg files, set the correct DPI, learn about RGB and CMYK, and more.
http://www.matanzamedia.com

The Everywhere Girl

2008-02-04T23:58:00.000-08:00

I recently stumbled upon an interesting blog entry about the "Everywhere Girl", which I think illustrates just how small the world is becoming with the internet.
This technology could be put to use by casting directors faced with the dreaded imperative: "Find someone who looks like this..."
For the actor or model, tracking their media reach just got that much simpler (anyone remember clipping services?)
Unfortunately, there are still some flaws to work out. I tried the BYO Search Lab offered on the website and got far less-than-perfect results. Check out some of the matches to my photo at the end of the blog.

Everywhere Girl, The Book

If you’ve ever worried about photos from your past coming back to haunt you, get to know the story of the Everywhere Girl. Over a decade ago she was a young actress posing for a series of stock photos. While she’s no Mona Lisa, in recent years her photos have made their way into royalty-free collections and crept into print and web designs the world over. First chronicled in Paul Hales’ technology blog The Inquirier and later by Idée’s own CEO Leila, the Everywhere Girl now even has her own blog. While fans have been compiling her images with the human eye for years, no method is better suited to this kind of task than image-recognition technology.

We indexed a series of Everywhere Girl photos using PixID our image recognition technology and have been monitoring the appearance of the Everywhere Girl. Here are the interesting results from our book cover monitoring project:

The Let’s Study Series of Christian books

Read the full article here: http://blog.ideeinc.com/2008/01/22/everywhere-girl-the-book/

My Picture Match
I used this picture in the BYO Search Lab offered on Idee.com's website.

Here are some of the more interesting results:

Mag My Pic

2008-02-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

Wanna feel like a celebrity, or turn a friend into one? Have fun with this neat little website that gives you a number of different magazine cover options then automatically superimposes them over a picture you upload.
It could also be used as a great visual motivator, to help you see where you want to be!

http://www.magmypic.com/

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Subscribe to People Magazine at a 37% discount!

Vancouver To Have Women's Radio Station

2008-01-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

Harvard Broadcasting is in the run for a new FM Station in Vancouver. JANE FM 104.1 will feature many established and up & coming BC Women Music Artists with a focus on Roots, Folk & Alt Country.

JANE FM's application is coming before the CRTC in late February - but, support has to reach Harvard Broadcasting, or Grrls With Guitars organizer Nadine Davenport or directly to the CRTC by January 23rd 2008.

On a local level – this application has great potential for Vancouver longest running Women Songwriter Showcase & Compilation Series. The key is getting a successful application & winning the bid for the FM station available. If JANE FM is born there will be an opportunity to produce Grrrls With Guitars Compilation CD's for the next 7 years. From the beginning the Grrrls With Guitars mandate has always been to showcase at the highest possible level some of this Country’s brightest emerging talent. As a multifaceted project with 14 years under it's belt, it continues to seek out new & upcoming women songwriters of all genres that will be the voice of the future. There is certainly no shortage of talent to choose from.

"It is exciting to think about a future with many opportunities for women artists in the years to come on the airwaves of Jane FM. The injection of funding by Harvard into the GWG project will breathe new energy into this grassroots indie endeavour and allow us to produce CDs on an annual basis," Davenport says.

The Vancouver hearings have been scheduled for the end of February. The applications are now public and there are 16 applicants. They are now in the process of getting letters of support and in order for these to become part of the public record they must be filed by the third week of January.

There will be a meet-and-greet tomorrow, January 9th, in Vancouver at the Hotel Vancouver. You can bring anyone you like and anyone you think might be able to help raise awareness and support for this radio service. They would like to get as many people as possible out. They will host two sessions - 5pm to 7pm and a second one from 7pm to 9pm. It will allow them ti discuss their vision of what the service will be, collect input and answer any questions that people may have.

"We will have take away information as well and hope to motivate the submission of a 1000 letters. This will be an important part of the process in convincing the Commission," according to Davenport.

For this reason, Harvard Broadcasting is asking for your support to help make JANE FM 104.1 application a success. The CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) evaluates input from the local community and businesses to determine the successful applicants.

You can also write a letter, showing your support for the application which will be presented at the license hearing the week of February 28, 2008.

Here is the procedure for filing Letters of Support for Harvard Broadcasting

1. Use the sample letter & support info ( the icons below ) to best address the needs of our application. We do encourage you to customize as much as possible or the Commission will file it as a "form letter". While this does not discount it entirely, it certainly has more force if it is seen as been inspired and constructed by the individual.

2. Insure that the application filing number (200714221) is included.

3. Please provide Harvard Broadcasting with a copy of your letter at the same time that you send it to the CRTC. Mail to 1900 Rose Street, Regina, SK, S4P 0A9 or janefm@harvardbroadcasting.com.

4. You can either fax the letter or mail it. CRTC - Ottawa, Ontario Canada, K1A 0N2
The fax number is 819-994-0218. If you fax they should retain the confirmation sheet.

5. Or you can file electronically at on the CRTC web site.

http://support.crtc.gc.ca/rapidscin/default.aspx?lang=en&applicant=n2007-12

Following the link above, click the button labeled > 2007-18
Put a check mark in the box beside ' 200714221' Harvard Broadcasting,
and click next, at the bottom of the page. Add your comments, or attach your letter and click next. Choose whether or not you would like to appear in person at the hearing, and click next. Fill out your personal information and click next. Click Submit.

6. If possible please place the letter on company letterhead.

7. If you would like to appear at the Vancouver public hearing to show your support you must state that in your letter to the CRTC.

8. Filing of the letters of support needs to be received by the CRTC by Jan 23rd, 2008.

For more information go to the Grrls With Guitars website:

http://www.grrrlswithguitars.com/

How to Download Videos Off YouTube

2007-12-27T11:13:00.000-08:00

If you've ever really wanted to download a video from YouTube to store it on your home computer, now you can easily with www.media-convert.com.

A free service.

Here is a little video that explains the process.

How To Download Videos From Youtube.com - Click here for more blooper videos

MUSIC AGAINST RACISM PROJECT

2007-12-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

Deadline: February 1st, 2008 5pm (PST)
Click HERE for the application form.

Music BC Industry Association is administering this component of the "Music Against Racism" Project on behalf of the Settlement and Multiculturalism Division, Ministry of Attorney General, and Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism. The Music Against Racism Project is a component of the "Make a Case Against Racism" activity kit which addresses Grades 4 - 7 curriculum objectives in British Columbia. This project is to promote multiculturalism, cultural diversity, and awareness of racism in BC.

Music BC is requesting song submissions from music artists from BC. Your song, should it meet the specific criteria, will be uploaded to a web page on www.musicbc.org which will be accessed by Grade 4-7 students across BC. The students will select their top 15 tracks via online voting. The 15 songs selected will be included on a compilation CD. 2000 CDs will be manufactured for promotional purposes, which will feature artwork created by the students.The manufacturing of the first 1000 CDs has been generously sponsored by CDman.The students will be notified that the songs on the website are for personal use only and that file sharing of the music and/or lyrics is strictly prohibited. The artists selected by the students will each receive $250 for a Master Use License Fee (sound recording), and $250 for a Mechanical LIcense fee (composition). For example, if the artist has full ownership of the song (Master Use & Mechanical) then they will receive the full $500 if they are one of the top 15 artists selected by the students.

For submission criteria & more info on the program, please visit the link below

http://www.musicbc.org/backstage/funding/map/musicagainstracismproject.cfm

Music and Life - Alan Watts

2007-12-16T01:45:00.000-08:00

I found this to be helpful in my own meditation on life. Thought you might like it too!

Produced by the makers of South Park.

Documentary about early marketing techniques

2007-12-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

THE CENTURY OF THE SELF

Two: The Engineering of Consent

The programme explores how those in power in post-war America used Freud's ideas about the unconscious mind to try and control the masses.

Politicians and planners came to believe Freud's underlying premise - that deep within all human beings were dangerous and irrational desires and fears. They were convinced that it was the unleashing of these instincts that had led to the barbarism of Nazi Germany. To stop it ever happening again they set out to find ways to control this hidden enemy within the human mind.

Sigmund Freud's daughter, Anna, and his nephew, Edward Bernays, provided the centrepiece philosophy. The US government, big business, and the CIA used their ideas to develop techniques to manage and control the minds of the American people. But this was not a cynical exercise in manipulation. Those in power believed that the only way to make democracy work and create a stable society was to repress the savage barbarism that lurked just under the surface of normal American life.

Here is part of this episode.

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=1641135807078400467

16 Inspirational Portrait Photography Techniques

2007-12-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

I just purchased a Canon Powershot SD1000 Elph. It has made me fully understand how powerful photography can be as a way of communicating emotion, idea and intent.
I have read a few articles from this blog by Brian Auer, and find he has a very good eye when it comes to photography and I agree with his opinions.
Check it out for yourself here.

Photo by Mireia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mireia/229249044/

News from the Music BC Newsletter

2007-11-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

Frontside Promotions Group is looking for an Intern
Frontside is a Vancouver based company with divisions handling promotions, artist management, merchandise and online marketing. We are searching for an organized, ambitious and hard working individual that is looking to get involved and gain experience in the music industry. This is a full time position for a term of 4 months.

For more information please contact Justin Wachtel. He can be reached at 604 648 2782 or you can email your resume to justin@frontside.ca

NewMusicWest 2008 is set for May 14 - 18 2008 in Vancouver, BC!
This will be the 17th year of the NewMusicWest Festival and Conference! Last years festival was a major success and generated a lot of buzz within the industry. NMW will be building off that success and bringing in more A&R from major labels as well as the largest number of Indie label reps! Showcasing artists will also receive passes to the conference and networking events.

Apply today for your chance to play at the largest NEW music festival on the West Coast of North America! With over 200 showcase spots available and hundreds of industry reps, new talent will be discovered. Go to www.newmusicwest.com to apply.

Music BC 2008 Compilation CD Sponsored by CD MAN

DEADLINE: DECEMBER 7th, 2007 at 5pm (PST)

You can download the PDF application form here

This program is open to all current paid Music BC members who are current residents of BC and who have commercially released an album or single within the last 12 months of this deadline date. A jury selected by Music BC will determine which songs to include on the 2008 Music BC Compilation CD of BC artists.

Successful applicants will have one track included in the 2008 Music BC Compilation CD at no charge to the applicant. This compilation will be made available at the MIDEM conference in 2008 in Cannes, France, and also available at various Canadian Consulates. The compilation will be available as a promotional CD only and not for sale. Applicants are advised that no royalties or mechanical licensing fees shall be payable for inclusion on this compilation. Applicants acknowledge that Music BC Industry Association may use the compilation CD following the MIDEM 2008 event to promote BC artists to international consulates, labels, Film/TV music supervisors, publishers, and other music industry companies.

ROGERS WIRELESS CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK 2008 - The Rebirth of Music
Now in its 26th year, Rogers Wireless CMW is the single longest running and premiere conference focusing on business of Music, bringing together Sound Recording, New Technology and Broadcast for one spectacular week of events... Combining informative, intensive conferences, cutting edge trade exposition, award shows & Canada's biggest New Music Festival.

By night Toronto's most popular clubs and concert halls throw open their doors to industry insiders and the general public to create an electrifying musicfest of discovery. The talented emerging new bands are music to the ears of A&R reps on the lookout for next year's stars. The Festival spans 4 nights of performances, with over 500 showcasing bands at over 40 live music venues in downtown Toronto.

POP MONTREAL
International Music Festival
October 3-7, 2007
Montreal, QC
www.popmontreal.com

CMJ 2007
Music Marathon & Film Festival
October 16-20, 2007
New York City, NY
www.cmj.com

BAND LOOKING FOR BASS PLAYER
Bass player needed for N.Delta Surrey area rock band, between 16 to 20 years old. We are a serious band with lots of original music averaging 25 shows per year. Climb on board, only serious, talented and commited musicians need reply.CD Release Party coming soon. If you previously applied to this post please do so again as our previous account is lost. Reply to: deltasurreyband@gmail.com

BASS PLAYER WANTED - THE YEARS
"The Years" is looking for a groovin' BASS PLAYER! Whether a pick or finger player, if you can groove between Flea's melodic side and Sir Paul McCartney - you are what we want! We are based in Abbotsford/Mission and some members of the band have christian faith, although we are not a 'christian band'. Check out our dynamics at: www.theyears.ca. If interested, email: theyears@groups.mac.com

DEMO RECORDING STUDIO AVAILABLE
Demo recording Studio available from local artist Richard Cummins. Richard's work has not only garnered the coveted #1 spot at review sites such as the Phantom Tollbooth, but has also beat out such artists as Paul McCartney & Arcade Fire! A relaxed atmosphere located in the fraser valley, this is the perfect studio for a singer/songwriter or developing band. Richard will record, engineer, and mix your project, and as well can be available to provide guitar, bass, drums, BG vocals, etc, to your project. Cd's will be of broadcast quality and are perfect for your myspace, demo package, independent radio and most importantly - sales at gigs! Check out: www.nectarinestudio.com

Looking for musicians? Wish to offer your services? Email your listing to info@musicbc.org FREE FOR MEMBERS!

December 5th Is International Volunteer Day

2007-11-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Canadians make an enormous contribution of time to make life better in our communities. According to the latest figures, almost 12 million Canadians volunteer with charities or organizations and contribute close to two billion volunteer hours!

Impressive as these numbers may seem, the vast majority of volunteer hours are contributed by a small group of Canadians. In terms of the whole Canadian population, only 11 per cent of Canadians contribute 77 per cent of all volunteer hours. This means that 1.3 million volunteers provide 1.5 billion hours— an average of 1,000 hours each.

Find out more here at:
http://www.volunteer.ca/volcan/eng/content/dec5/about.php

Unique Gift-Wrapping Idea

2007-11-18T22:52:00.000-08:00

The concept is a good one, even if the video is somewhat dummied down.

http://www.metacafe.com/w/711737

Eastside Culture Crawl artists on the endangered list

2007-11-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

Pulled this off of the Georgia Straight website. A definite sign of the times.

News Features By Pieta Woolley

Publish Date: November 15, 2007

Development threatens artists like Kathy Atkins (left), Dennis Brown, and Eri Ishii, who work from studios at 190 Prior Street.

Right after artist Eri Ishii hosts Eastside Culture Crawl visitors at her rental studio for the Eastside Culture Crawl this weekend, she'll go to City Hall, hoping to save her creative space and the studios of 31 other artists who work there. Christopher Bozyk Architects, on behalf of Amacon developers, has applied to the city's development permit board to turn the red-brick building at 190 Prior Street (formerly 901 Main Street) into 10 high-end apartments. The meeting takes place on Monday (November 19) at 3 p.m.

"If we lose this and any more buildings like this, we're going to be like just another North American suburb," Ishii told the Georgia Straight during an interview at her studio overlooking the Georgia Street Viaduct. "If this happens, the whole city will be dead."

Ishii and a small group from 190 Prior plan to ask Culture Crawl visitors to sign a petition against the development this weekend. Amacon did not return the Straight 's calls by deadline.

The timing is almost theatrical, but the issue is serious. According to Valerie Arntzen, executive director of the 11th annual Eastside Culture Crawl, the future of the grassroots visual-arts festival is threatened by the swift gentrification of Strathcona and Commercial Drive. Although the number of guests is growing, the crawl, which runs from Friday to Sunday (November 16 to 18), is losing artists.

Read the full story here: http://www.straight.com/article-118409/eastside-culture-crawl-artists-on-the-endangered-list

Craft Fairs - A Good Display Is Important

2007-11-13T23:28:00.000-08:00

Found this good article by Susan Ward at About: Small Business: Canada
You can read more at http://sbinfocanada.about.com/b/2007/11/07/story-equals-craft-show-success.htm

I visited my first Christmas Craft Show this past weekend - the holiday craft show season is in full swing already! It can be a very lucrative season for some who have mastered what I call the formula for craft show success. The first thing you need to sell successfully at a craft show is an attractive display that will draw potential customers to your table or booth. Learn how to create the kind of display that will turn your booth into a magnet with these Trade Show Tips.

The second thing you need to sell successfully is a good story. As About Arts/Crafts Business Guide William T. Lasley says,
"Every crafter has a tale about how they got started making and/or selling their particular product. These stories are not only interesting, but can also prove to be a powerful marketing tool for craftspeople."
In my experience, it's often the story that's the closer to a sale. Read William's article The Story Behind the Crafts to learn how to craft and present your own story.

More articles on trade / craft show success.

Review Writing Workshop

2007-11-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

Are you a writer interested in exploring reviewing contemporary arts?

RealTime, the Australian magazine focused on innovation in the arts, is conducting an intensive 10-day workshop in reviewing contemporary art practices at the 2008 PuSh Festival. The selected writers will respond to performances and events in a festival that offers the opportunity to explore the very latest in exhilarating and challenging performance.

Applications are being accepted from now until November 16. Click here to download more information and the full application instructions.

International Songwriting Competion

2007-11-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

Hi,
This is Jennifer Bair at the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). I thought you might be interested in songwriting opportunities, so I just wanted to send you a quick update about the 2007 competition.

ISC is one of the most prestigious and respected songwriting competitions in the world. ISC welcomes original songs from musicians, artists, bands, and songwriters at every level from amateur to professional. ISC gives away over $150,000 in cash and prizes, including an Overall Grand Prize package of $25,000 (US) in cash -- the largest cash Grand Prize in any songwriting competition. ISC winners also benefit from extensive press, publicity, and increased exposure.

ISC's phenomenal judging panels include some of the most legendary recording artists, most popular current performers and writers, and some of the biggest names in the music industry. There are 19 categories that cover all major genres of music, so if you're interested in different genres, click on the link below to see the list of judges for all categories, including our new comedy category (with "Weird Al" Yankovic and Arrested Development's David Cross judging).

The ISC deadline for the 2007 competition is only a few weeks away. All entries must be postmarked on or before November 19. This is your last chance to enter this year's competition. The deadline will not be extended beyond November 19. Entry forms and instructions for entering are available on our website, or call us at 615.251.4441 for more information. You may enter online or by mail.

For more info and to enter, go to: http://www.songwritingcompetition.com

Don't have time to upload your MP3s? ISC is always looking for ways to make it easier for our entrants to enter the competition, so we are excited to announce that ISC is the first major songwriting competition to allow you to enter your songs directly from MySpace.com. This means that if you already have your songs posted on your MySpace page, you can simply include the link to your page on the entry form - instead of having to send a CD in the mail or upload your songs. This will save you a lot of effort and time (so you now have more time to write songs)! Of course, you can also enter via the mail (with a CD or tape) or online (with an MP3).

For more information on this news, please visit the ISC myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/isc

Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone else who might be interested. If you have any questions about the competition, feel free to contact me at any time.

All the best,
Jennifer Bair
ISC
1307 Eastland Ave
Nashville, TN 37206
615.251.4441
http://www.songwritingcompetition.com

To be removed from this mailing list, email remove@songwritingcompetition.com

Important Craft Survey

2007-10-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION ALL EAST VANCOUVER ARTISANS AND CRAFTS PEOPLE

Hi Folks,
I'm looking into the possibility of putting on a craft fair and variety show at the Roundhouse in December 2008 - “The Spirit of East Vancouver” Artisan and Family Fun Event. This unique event is meant to showcase East Vancouver artisans and performers by exposing you to a potentially more lucrative Yaletown/Downtown marketplace. We are currently negotiating a partnership which could significantly reduce the cost of venue and table rentals which we, in turn, would pass on to you, greatly reducing your risk for participating in this event.*
*The craft fair will be juried to maintain quality.
Other planned attractions include:

A corralled children’s area with a variety of top-notch children’s performances
Strolling entertainment to support low traffic areas
A Saturday evening meet-and-greet (an opportunity for crafters to network and meet our sponsors )
A family-oriented Christmas Cabaret on Sunday night

To promote our event properly, I am proud to be partnering with Richard Forzley, Director of Marketing for Vancouver Civic Theatres (www.vancouver.ca/theatres), a seasoned performing arts specialist with more than 20 years experience in developing and implementing innovative, cost-effective marketing and communications strategies.
Marketing plans include:

500 posters and 10,000 handbills distributed in the Yaletown/Downtown area
Extensive web coverage
Regular public service announcements on Co-op Radio 102.7fm
Paid advertising in the Vancouver Courier and West Ender
Comprehensive, regular press releases to the local media

We will use our own website as an online directory and a resource for media looking for stories, and will profile as many participating vendors as possible. I hope that you will take a couple of minutes to answer the the online survey to help us with our planning and marketing for the event.
You can find this survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=mpwE_2b4v1OsRB_2b91Z7t8eNw_3d_3d

If you have any questions or would like to participate in this great event, please contact Steven R. Duncan & Associates at 604-788-8340 or email srduncan@shaw.ca.

Feel free to pass this on to anyone you feel might be interested in this.

Why I Went Back To School

2007-09-17T23:44:00.000-07:00

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands,
but in seeing with new eyes.
- Marcel Proust, French novelist

When I was a health care worker, the time came when I realised I was in a dead-end job. It had been good career while in my twenties but was starting to take it’s toll on me emotionally and physically as I got older and more frustrated with the system. The average person burns out and leaves that branch of the field after 3 ½ years. I was dangerously overweight, very unhappy and probably headed for a heart attack.

Two things kept me there so long:

Financial security
A lack of self-confidence in my skills and abilities

In regards to the former, it is difficult to justify leaving a good paying job for the sizably disparate revenues typical of the arts world. The old line “Don’t quit your day job” isn’t necessarily an insult. The key is to find a balance that allows you to be creative while covering your bills until you “make it big”.

I’ve had a ton of temporary part time jobs since finally making the break, and while some might have been unpleasant, I learned something with every one which I could take away with me and put to use in my own business.

In an attempt to address my self-confidence issue, I did two important things for myself:

First, I found out what transferable skills I had; and then, I went back to school for the skills I needed. Most of my paid work since high school would be considered unskilled labour (or so I thought). When I looked at all the things I’d learned to do through work experience, and as a part-time literary event promoter and graphic designer, I’d accumulated a lot of adaptable skills over the years. Knowing this helped me shift my mind set from a stagnated one to one that wanted to move forward with confidence and faith in my own abilities to adapt and grow.

Having a diploma was also an affirmation that I was doing something credible and worthwhile – that I was taking myself seriously. It also started revealing new opportunities to me, but more so, going back to school gave me some perspective about what I had been doing and allowed me to see ways of perhaps doing it more effectively.

While in the college program I chose, I saw that there was a real need for artists (and non-profits, for that matter) to promote themselves better and to start looking at what they do in a more business-like manner with an eye for creating income for themselves. Without spending a ton of money to do it!

As I started building my workshops, I kept this in mind. That’s why the workshops I offer through the Vancouver School Board take way less time and money than similar college level programs.

Get more info at http://smart-arts.blogspot.com

You won’t find any other classes that offer so many great benefits (like fabulous guest speakers) for so little time and money.

I wish they had these courses when I went back to school! Lucky you!

PS: When the big band music business slowed in the late sixties, Vancouver legend Dal Richards returned to school and received a Diploma of Technology in Hospitality Management from BCIT. He worked for fifteen years in the hotel business. Once big band swing music regained popularity in the 1980s, Dal resurrected his Orchestra, and the band and Dal have never been busier. He’s performing on his 90th birthday in January, 2008.

Go back to The Creative Spin

Call for Submissions: FRONT Magazine

2007-09-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

FRONT Magazine is seeking new submissions for our fall and winter issues.We are looking for artist projects, short text pieces, images and any other interdisciplinay projects that will fit on the printed page. The upcoming themes are Resolutions, due by Oct 1 and Averages due by Nov 10th. You can mail or email your submissions, please send theme related projects as low res jpegs and please keep text pieces to no more than 1000 words max. Visit our website

www.front.bc.ca/frontmagazine for more submission details.

The next themes for FRONT Magazine are:

Resolutions. Make one now to submit by October 1.

Resolutions:

A strangely fuzzy term: Is it a smoothing, or a sharpening? Or the

promisory note to self? Viewed from any angle, it points into the

future, wherever that might be these days: be it resolved then that

it is temporal. Cost is a factor, as always. And while it is insisted

that higher is greater, some things are unsavory when viewed from any

distance. Unsharp that!

Upcoming

Averages. If it's better than ... you better send it in by November 10.

A series of related or unrelated points, sifted into one thing that may or may not describe them as a whole. We're looking for a new set theory or an unset theory. Sometimes you play them it's hard to beat them. Do your worst or your best, just don't be them.

email:

frontmagazine@front.bc.ca

Contemporary Art and Ideas

Eventsetter: A Free Tool For Producers and Promoters

2007-09-03T17:41:00.001-07:00

I found this Craigslist-type event listing web page: http://www.eventsetter.com/.
It was very easy to use and I was able to copy and paste my blog post text flawlessly.

I'm not sure how many people look there, but it does have RSS capability, so you never know.

Check it out.

International Theatre Laboratory of Sergey Ostrenko

2007-08-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

Konstantin Stanislavsky

Vsevolod Meyerhold
Michael Chekhov
Theatre Methods Today

September 20-23, 2007
Riga, Latvia

To register, please send your CV and a brief letter of motivation to info@iugte.com

If you'd like to know a little more…
http://www.iugte.com/projects/TheatreLab.php

The Laboratory program was designed for professional performing artists inspired by the teachings of Stanislavsky, Meyerhold and M. Chekhov, interested to establish deeper understanding of their approach and to integrate their ideas into contemporary practical work - rehearsal process, performance and teaching. It focuses on the practical and playable aspects of theatre training, particularly in terms of exercises .

Valuable SEARCH Program Ends

2007-08-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

Funding from Service Canada has ended for the SEARCH Program, and it is no longer being offered by the Alliance for Arts and Culture. The Alliance is developing new initiatives that will build on the work of the program and address the needs of artists and other cultural workers. Please visit our website (www.allianceforarts.com) in the fall for updates on these developments.

If you require immediate assistance, you may contact the Alliance at info@allianceforarts.com or by phone at 604-681-3535.

Introducing The Arts and Non-Profit Marketing and Fundraising Mentorship Program

2007-08-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

I’m excited to be starting a new 8 session class on Saturdays at Britannia High School for people in the Arts and Non-Profit sectors who may have great ideas for their organizations but feel they need help designing and putting their plans in action. It combines my regular Marketing and Corporate Sponsorship classes (which are also happening again at JO in September) but also features an incredible line-up of guest speakers including Richard Forzley, Director of Marketing for Vancouver Civic Theatres, Terry Hunter, Artistic Director of Vancouver Moving Theatre, Rita Albano, Executive Producer of CelticFest Vancouver and Stefania Buonocore, Special Events Coordinator for the GVRD, who will share their valuable insights and look at your project and offer their feedback. Go to my Learning Events blog to get more info.

This course is part of the Vancouver School Board’s brand new L iberal Arts Certificate program.

The American Theatre Wing

2007-08-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this great site with over 400 hours of podcast interviews with professional actors, directors, producers and casting directors.

Learn How To Belly Dance

2007-07-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

at Hastings Dance Studio
828 E Hastings Street

Instructor: Venus

Tuesdays Jul 24 to Aug 21
NO CLASS AUG 14 as the studio is unavailable

Beginner 1
7:00 - 8:15pm
Price: 4 WEEKS $40 ($42 online)

Beginner 2 - technique & Repertory 1
8:30 - 9:45pm. Instructor: Venus
Price: 4 WEEKS $40 ($42 online)

Please register online or let me know ASAP if you plan to attend these classes.

Register online: http://www.venusbellydance.com/classreg_Sum_2007.htm#beg

#############################################
Venus
http://www.venusbellydance.com
info@venusbellydance.com
#############################################

Vancouver Artists' Collective Association

2007-07-23T20:14:00.001-07:00

Marketing’s next wave: How technology can bring change

2007-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Came across this interesting article in the latest Village Vibes, from Charity Village.

By Elisa Birnbaum
June 18, 2007

If someone had told you a few years ago that they produced a video showcasing their organization’s cause and were uploading it on the same site that houses Saturday Night Live sketches, political campaign speeches and amateur musicians, you would have thought they were joking. Yet, that’s exactly what Christian Children’s Fund of Canada did recently when they placed a clip with their moniker on YouTube, a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. No longer considered unusual, nonprofits are becoming increasingly innovative to get their word out in a competitive charitable marketplace. And technology, in all its incarnations, is playing a key role.

Read the full story here...

Children's Poetry Workshop

2007-06-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

World Poetry proudly presents

Children’s Poetry Workshop

For ages 8-13
multilingual participants welcome.

Within every child there is a creative poetic adventurer waiting to explore ...

This workshop features readings from children’s poetry and others, introduction of several poetic forms and interactive, fun exercises with the objective of helping each participant to create poems and present them.

Workshop Program

The workshop consists of three sessions.

Session 1

Introduction to poetry with readers from various countries.

§ An overview of simple poetic forms.

§ The brain and creativity.

§ Inspiration for writing using such tools as the treasure box, coloured pens and large pieces of paper.

§ Finding expression and creating poems.

§ Sharing the poems with the group.

Session 2

Additional poetry readings and review.

§ How to deal with critics, both external and internal.

§ Creating additional poems, sharing them with the poetic group.

§ Simple editing of poems.

§ Selection of performance poems to be read at the World Poetry Children’s Show § Performance skills for reading.

Session 3: The World Poetry Children’s Show .

§ This show will showcase the participants from the World Poetry Children’s Workshop along with a featured musician.

§ A World Poetry Certificate of Completion will be given to each participating poet.

§ Friends, parents and other family members as well as the general public will be invited.

In addition:

§ Selected poems from the workshop will be read on the World Poetry Café Radio Show on 102.7 FM and published in the World Poetry Electronic Newsletter.

§ Selected poets are invited to read at the World Poets’ Night Out Venue and at the World Poetry Reading Series at the Vancouver Public Library (Central Branch) as time permits.

The Workshop will be held over three sessions.
The first two sessions will be 2 hours long (10 minute break in between) New Westminster Arts Council, Queen’s Park, New Westminster.

Dates: August 2, 9, from 1-3 pm.

Performance: The Orange Room, 620 6^th Street, 3-5 pm.

Fee: $ 35.00 per participant for three sessions.

For more information call 604) 526 - 4729

Workshop Presenter

Ariadne Sawyer, M.A. (C. P) is a Peak Performance Plus Trainer and the CEO of Peak Performance Plus Training.

She is a former teacher and has had two private schools. Ariadne specializes in creativity and enhancing performance. She has worked with writers and performers of all ages from Canada, the US and Europe.

In her work with children and youth, she has helped them to create and present in various venues at different festivals.

Ariadne is the co-founder and co-host of The World Poetry Reading Series, Radio Show, The World Poetry Electronic Newsletter (with over 2,000 readers in 20 countries and includes a children’s section) and World Poets’ Night Out , a new venue which trains women co-hosts. World Poetry in Vancouver consists of over 300 poets, writers and musicians originally from 60 countries, including a strong Canadian and First Nations component.

Ariadne is the host and producer of Creativity Rocks! heard every Tuesday at 9:00 PM on CFRO. 102.7 FM

She is the winning recipient of the MacLean Hunter Award for Programs of Excellence for her tape: Discover Your Creative Worlds which has been played on radio stations across Canada and has had poems and writings published in anthologies and magazines.

Her new book is called: Creativity Rocks! Answers to your Creative Questions.

Artist of the Year Award 2007 by Project Cultural South.

For more information about Ariadne you can contact her at ariadnes@uniserve.com

Volunteer specialists asking "Who Cares?"

2007-06-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Linda Graff and Paul Reed, two leading experts on volunteerism in Canada, have put out a compelling new call over the internet. They want all Canadians to become more aware of the threat to our communities that is posed by the declining number of volunteers across the country.

In Canada, 67% of all volunteer work is done by just 5% of people, and those numbers are continuing to become even more lopsided. The Reed-Graff Conversations explore the data and ask the important question: "Who Cares?"

The website includes a terrific series of audio conversations and supporting text documents that highlight the issue and offer suggestions for how communities can begin to tackle it together.

Take part in the conversation yourself, and share it with leaders in your community. The website is at: www.canadawhocares.ca

Z95.3 Fades Into History

2007-06-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

Once dominant rock station rebranded with a 'new name and new direction.'

Michael Kane, Vancouver Sun

Published: Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Z is dead. Z95.3, Vancouver's dominant rock and pop radio station in the '90s -- and source of the decade's most popular bumper sticker -- is off the air, a victim of declining ratings.

The station signed off at midnight Sunday and will relaunch "with a new name and new direction" at 7 a.m. today, said general manager Gary Russell. He declined to reveal details except that the new format will be pitched to an older audience.

Read the full story here

What To Do With All That Art You Have Lying Around

2007-06-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Robert Genn is a great artist with a great, no nonsense approach to the business of art. His website, The Painter's Keys is full of useful, practical information. This article was the most recent piece from his "Twice Weekly Newsletter". Well worth the read.

Yesterday Juliana McDonald of Ottawa, Canada wrote, "I have
been a prolific painter over the last 7-8 years and my older
work, large and small, is piling up without much hope of
display or sale. I would like to invite people to buy them from
my studio at a discounted price (say half of the value, taking
off what a gallery would take) so that they can be moved on to
a new home, and I could recoup some of my investment of time
and energy. My concern is I don't want people who bought work
previously to feel that the work is devalued through such
action. Any suggestions?"

Thanks, Juliana. In professional circles the only person you
sell to at half price is your mom. All others pay at or near
the established prices. That's what keeps you professional and
dealers coming back for more. Sometimes painters find it hard
to realize that all paintings can't be sold, nor need to be.
This may be because they are substandard, but not always.
Perhaps they number too many for the market to bear. Apart from
destroying them, consider making the odd discreet gift. Life is
a gift, why then not art? Charities make noble recipients.
Giving the gift of art is a chance to show your love.

Having said all that, a possible route is to auction the work.
People understand that auctions often do not realize
"realistic" prices. Auctions generally operate outside the
gallery network. It's important not to flood this market--you
must still keep your work rare. Auctions are full of
bottom-feeders these days, as well as folks with vested
interests who want to push prices higher. Participating in the
auction world, particularly with outstanding rather than
marginal work, can actually have a beneficial effect on your
career.

Another route is to assemble a retrospective of top quality
pieces, perhaps thematic, and offer them to public galleries.
This manoeuvre opens new friendships and adds legitimacy. If
that fails, offering them on permanent or semi-permanent loan
to any number of worthy institutions is also good business.
Hospitals, clinics, tax offices, as well as the foyers of
public buildings often have a need for art. While it can be
expensive to frame and display such a project, the exercise can
be worthwhile. Finally, if you don't feel like lending, you
might consider leasing to some office or other private space.
Lessees often see art as an opportunity to deduct the cost of
looking good.

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "Love has always been the most important business in my
life." (Stendhal)

Esoterica: Many countries in the western world are currently
enjoying buoyant economic times. Art prices follow general
liquidity, and abundant cash is being thrown at substandard as
well as quality work. This is no time to lose your head. Good
times offer the opportunity to raise personal creative
standards and to learn to handle the market in a responsible
manner. Markets fluctuate, but an artist should never forget
that art is for all time. Day-to-day as well as long-term
personal integrity is all-important--and that goes for moving
your stuff too.

Current clickback: If you would like to see selected,
illustrated responses to the last letter, "Good question,"
please go to: http://clicks.robertgenn.com/good-question.php

If you would like to comment or add your own opinion,
information or observations to this or other letters, please do
so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write
rgenn@saraphina.com

Give the gift of the twice-weekly letters. We are currently
snail-mailing a free copy of The Painter's Keys (the book) to
current subscribers who go to the URL below and send us the
names and email addresses of five or more of their
creatively-minded friends. No strings, just a thank-you. We
make it easy. We even send your friends a personal letter to
let them know the twice-weekly connection is from you.
http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/giftscribe.php

It's a big world! A Premium Listing in the Painter's Keys
Directory is the most effective thing an artist can do to be
tastefully and respectably noticed. This listing--really a mini
web page--costs $100 per year--and we do all the set-up. You
can find out how well it might work for you at
http://www.painterskeys.com/art-directory.asp

Yes, please go ahead and forward this letter to a friend.

If you think a friend or fellow artist may find value in this
material, please feel free to forward it. This does not mean
that they will automatically be subscribed to the Twice-Weekly
Letter. They have to do it voluntarily and can find out about
it by going to http://www.painterskeys.com

(c) Copyright 2007 Robert Genn. If you wish to copy this
material to other publications or mail lists, please ask for
permission by writing rgenn@saraphina.com Thanks for your
friendship.

Free Workshop: Basic Chapbook Design and Marketing

2007-05-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

Free

Workshop Date: June 12, 2007

Time: 2:30pm - 4:30pm

Place: The Gathering Place -609 Helmcken Street

ATTENTION ALL WRITERS, PERFORMANCE ARTISTS AND SMALL PRESS ENTHUSIASTS:

Basic Chapbook Design and Marketing

Be your own publisher. Join the ranks of literary giants like Hunter S. Thompson and Ray Bradbury and learn how to create a “chapbook” (your very own professional-looking published booklet) step-by-step, from editing through basic graphic design, right through to distribution. This unique, hands-on workshop starts by getting each participant to assemble their own text book!

We go on to:

Þ look at the benefits and pitfalls of self-publishing!

Þ offer various modern and rare examples of this ancient type of publication!

Þ give you tips for marketing and publicizing your book on a shoestring budget!

A basic knowledge of computers and word processing programs like Microsoft Word is required.

Reference material provided.

Facilitated by poet, performer, and long-time graphic designer, S.R. Duncan.

To register contact Irene Brooks at 604-257-3847 or email her at irene.brooks@vancouver.ca
Space is limited.

Literary: Calls For Submissions

2007-05-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

New Calls for Submissions

Celebrating UNESCO's Rumi's 800th Anniversary year, the Arabesques Review is now accepting submissions for two special issues on themes:

Vol 03, Issue 04 Peace & Humanity

>>> Submissions Deadline: August 15, 2007

Vol 04, Issue 01 Rumi in Love (a special issue dedicated to love in poetry and

english literature)

>>> Submissions Deadline: September 30, 2007

We would be very honored to read and consider your contribution for these upcoming anthologies

To SUBMIT TO THE ARABESQUES REVIEW <http://www.arabesquespress.org/journal/>

Click here <http://www.arabesquespress.org/journal/guidelines.asp>
to check out our submission guidelines.

For more details, see our web site at: http://www.arabesquespress.org/

or email us at: submissions@arabesquespress.org

Call For Submissions: Fearless Festival Needs Talent

2007-05-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

The 1^st Annual Vancouver Fearless Festival is looking for live entertainment to perform at one of our venues in and around Pigeon Park and up Hastings to Carnegie Centre on Canada Day (July 1) from 3-9pm.

We will be celebrating the people, the history, the music and art of the extraordinary people of the Downtown Eastside.

We want musical groups, theatre, dance, spoken word, children’s performers and entertainers of all types to help us turn the Downtown Eastside into a fun party for people of all ages.

Please send any promotional material to Steve Duncan, Event Coordinator either by email at srduncan@shaw.ca, or by dropping of attention of Steve Duncan at the 3^rd floor administration office,

Carnegie Community Centre
401 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6A 2T7

We will be offering a limited number of small honorariums (yet to be determined) for acts used on our stages, but we also are encouraging talent come out and try busking along Hastings street and join us in the day’s festivities.

For more info call 604-788-8340, email srduncan@shaw.ca or check out the Fearless Festival blog at http://fearlessfest.blogspot.com.

Audition: Singer/Actors Needed

2007-05-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

Carnegie Opera
Condemned - a work in progress
will be holding auditions to replace two of the original actor/singers in our production at the Firehall Arts Centre in June. Rehearsals for individual singers will begin immediately with Musical Director Earle Peach. Group rehearsals with Earle and Stage Director John Cooper will begin May 28th. The performance dates are June 21 - 24.

The two roles available are: "Joe" and the "Fire Chief".
We are also seeking a tenor saxophone player.

Auditions will be held on May 18th,
3 - 5 PM, in the Carnegie Theatre.
Please come out to lend your voice to singing this story.

Job Posting

2007-05-08T22:44:00.000-07:00

SHORT-TERM JOB AVAILABLE
Volunteer Coordinator
Fearless Festival / Downtown Eastside

Interested persons are invited to submit resumes to Steve Duncan, Fearless Festival Event Coordinator, NO LATER THAN NOON MONDAY MAY 14.

The Fearless Festival is a Downtown Eastside celebration of art and theatre, music and diversity,
history and hope.

It will be held from 3 to 9pm on Canada Day, July 1, 2007.

It will involve community art and performers on stage at Pigeon Park, and in nearby venues. It will involve professionals and volunteers at every level. It will be led by an Event Coordinator.

The Volunteer Coordinator we seek will:

1. find, train, and support volunteers at every level of the Festival;

2. assist the Event Coordinator in fundraising and publicity; and,

3. generally advise and assist in the overall design of the Festival.

The Volunteer Coordinator will be paid an honorarium of $750, and start work on Wednesday May 16, 2007.

INTERESTED IN THE JOB?

Please submit a ‘Letter of Interest and Experience’ and resume to Steve Duncan,

c/o

Carnegie Centre,
401 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6A 2T7
Fax (604) 606-2736
srduncan@shaw.ca

NO LATER THAN noon Monday, May 14.

Be advised that only winning candidates will be notified.

My List of Top Internet Marketing Sites

2007-05-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Podcasting

Rules for YouTube: Make Art, Not Bore - washingtonpost.com

YouTube turns two this month, which presents a fitting opportunity to decry it. The video-sharing Web site -- whose name has come to stand for every other such site on the Web -- has clearly emerged as the great new media drain catch, an uncurated museum of everything from dumb home movies to slick...

http://web.mac.com/johnchavens/iWeb/Site%2025/InstaCast%20Tutorial.html

Blogging Info

Web Logs - Blog Blogs Weblog Weblogs - A Comprehensive Resource on Web Logs

Web Logs (or blog / blogs / weblog / weblogs) site here at About.com is your entry page to learning all about blogging and bloggers. You can find the meaning of the term 'blog' and other web log related words. There are web log tutorials, blog articles, blog reviews, web logs glossary and more on blog software, weblog tools, RSS, RSS feeds, and other blog-related topics.

Seven Blogging Tools Reviewed

Choosing a good blogging tool can be confusing. In this report, we’ll take a detailed look at the top blogging tools and outline key considerations for selecting a platform.

Technorati: Member Sign Up

How Do I? | Google Groups

corporate blogging - The E-mediator blog - The boomerang effect of corporate executive blogging - CEO blogging as an organisational change mechanism

About Corporate blogging, New PR and Social Media

Beta Blogger For Dummies

Beta Blogger for Dummies

Ping-o-Matic!

Technorati: Ping Form

RSS (file format) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

RSS Submissions
Submit RSS files to the following sites and location to expedite content syndication.

How Can I Do That?

I post blogging tutorials for Google, Blogger/Blogspot, Picasa, and monetizing blogs

Dummies Guide to Google Blogger Beta: How to Customize your Header?

Complete help for the New Blogger, blogger Hacks, Blog design, Blog Template, SEO, Adsense, Blogging Tips and Tricks, Making money through blogs, PPC, Contextual Advertising, Social Media Optimization, Web design

Diva Marketing Blog - Marketing blogs and corporate social media strategies for innovative companies

Autoresponder info

FreeAutoBot Free Autoresponders that follow-up leads automatically

FreebieList.com: Free Autoresponder Services

FreebieList.com has the best free auto resonders on the Internet plus a huge collection of freebies and freeware.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

FeedBlitz provides RSS and blog email subscription services. Offering RSS by email provides greater reach for feed publishers, and gives easy RSS subscription services to blog readers and RSS consumers. Better than Bloglet, FeedBlitz takes all the headache out of converting RSS feeds and blog posts into customizable email digests.

Marketing examples

Get death date and go to "delay your death"

The Death Clock - When Am I Going To Die?

Death Clock: The Internet's friendly reminder that life is slipping away...

ArtsJournal: Daily Arts News - AJBlogs

The Dos And Don’ts For Driving Traffic To A New Website » Connected Internet

OneTipADay.com

What will you learn today?

Calendar Net Setup Instructions

Create a Free Calendar but first you really should print and read this page, which is revised weekly.

MARKETING CULTURE AND THE ARTS

CaFÉ System Overview

Butts In The Seats

A blog of theatre and arts management techniques and other musings

http://www.artsmarketing.org/marketingresources/links-view.cfm?category=Marketing%20Blogs&subcategory=Welcome%20to%20Blog%20Land

Arts Marketing

White House Anti-Drug Ads Trigger "Boomerang Effect," Study Says - NORML

Google Alerts

Josh - Origins of Marketing 24-1-07 : theideafeed.com

The Publicity Hound’s Blog » Flower magazine to debut March 15

Free publicity and public relations tips, tools and strategies

SurveyMonkey.com - Powerful tool for creating web surveys. Online survey software made easy!

SurveyMonkey.com is a revolutionary new tool to create and publish custom surveys in minutes, and then view results graphically and in real time.

Search Engine Optimization -- FREE!

Webmonkey's insider guide to getting and keeping the most traffic from search engines.

Brand history

Playwriting Contest Annouced

2007-05-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Oh Writers, Playwrights, Actors and Directors!

Theatre In the Raw is pleased to announce

It’s fifth biennial 2007 Play Writing Contest

Entry Rules and Fee

The Play must be:

• An original one-act play (comedy, tragedy, drama or radio-play), unpublished and unproduced.

• No longer than 25 double-spaced typed pages equal to 30 minutes, with no more than 6 characters, presented in proper stage-play format, and scripts MUST have page numbers. (Please include a SASE for return of script. Send copies only of script. NO original manuscripts.)

• There is an entry fee of $25.00cdn for each one-act submitted to Theatre In the Raw. (For two plays $40.00cdn) (FEES ARE IN CANADIAN FUNDS, FOR U.S. & FOREIGN ENTRIES, CONVERT AT CURRENT EXCHANGE RATES)

• Please make cheques payable to Theatre In the Raw, bearing the submission date and name of play entry and author on cheque memo line.

(Note: Plays w/o the entry fee check or funds will be returned unread.)

Contest Deadline

• December 31, 2007

• Winners will be announced on March 31, 2008

The Winners Will Receive

First Prize: A $150.00cdn cash prize. At least one dramatic reading or staging of the play at a Theatre In the Raw cafe/venue or as part of a mini-tour program for the One-Act Play Series Nights.

Second Prize: A $ 75.00cdn cash prize.

Third Prize: A $50.00cdn cash prize.

Honorable Mentions: No cash prize, but constructive critique returned with note of appreciation.

Social Issue Plays Recognition: No cash prize, but constructive critique returned with note of appreciation.

*Theatre In the Raw must reserve the right to workshop and to play-edit scripts, in consultation with the playwright, before production or presentation.

Please forward submissions to:

Theatre In the Raw

Artistic Director/One Act Play Contest

3521 Marshall Street

Vancouver, BC Canada

V5N 4S2

office phone: 604-708-5448

website: www.theatreintheraw.ca / e-mail: theatreintheraw@telus.net

Editors' Association of Canada—BC Branch Meeting

2007-04-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

Editors' Association of Canada—BC Branch Meeting
Wednesday, April 18, 7:30 pm
Welch Room, 4th Floor, YWCA Health & Wellness Centre
535 Hornby Street, Vancouver

Book Exchange – Free Admission

At our April 18th meeting, we will be holding a Book Exchange for EAC
members and guests. So, start weeding out your home library now and bring
any unwanted books to the exchange, whether they pertain to editing or are
of a literary nature. You know the adage—“One editor’s cast-off is another
editor’s treasure.”

We will also be selling off the remaining reference books from our EAC
book-table sales inventory, including some hard-to-find titles. Rumour has
it that prices will be good.

This will be an informal meeting with lots of time for mingling and
networking over complimentary light refreshments. Do come out for what
promises to be an enjoyable evening of browsing and socializing with
like-minded people. You might even go home with a few treasures in hand.

Please join us! Admission is free to all.

Shelly Windover, Programs Chair
Editors’ Association of Canada—BC Branch
bcprograms@editors.ca http://editors.ca/branches/bc

Is Your Music Ready for Hollywood?

2007-04-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

As part of the Career Development Series, Music BC is presenting its Music & Film seminar, providing a unique opportunity for the British Columbia music industry professionals to learn about how to get their music featured on TV or film from industry experts.

L.A.-based Music Supervisor & Soundtrack Producer PJ Bloom will open the panel as the keynote speaker. TV and Film music industry experts, Natasha Duprey, Jane Ashworth and Matt Safran, will give a presentation on how musicians can get their music on TV or film. With years of experience finding, listening, composing and placing songs in TV and film, they will share their knowledge about the industry. Three lucky draw attendees of the seminar will receive professional feedback from panelists on the suitability of their music for TV or film.

PJ Bloom is a Music Consultant for HBO Films since 1998, overseeing major successes like ?Angels In America?. He has been involved with film & TV music and soundtracks since the early 90's, including stints at Columbia Records and Arista Records, creating and producing soundtracks for major studio features, independent films, network and cable television, video games and commercials. Having worked with filmmakers and television producers such as Michael Mann, John Frankenheimer, and Ridley Scott, among others, his recent projects include Sony Pictures? ?Running With Scissors? and Golden Globe award-winning television series ?Nip/Tuck?. PJ also consults for Disneyland Theme Parks for music driven rides and attractions.

Natasha Duprey is the Music Supervisor at MX Solutions, a local company that provides music editing, tracking and composition for film and television. She has over a decade of experience in the music industry ranging from artist manager to video producer. Natasha has recently worked on the Showtime lesbian drama 'The L Word', the hit USA Network series 'The Dead Zone', Canadian series 'Godiva's 'and many others. Natasha has also recently completed the feature films 'Fierce People', Bruce MacDonald's latest 'The Love Crimes Of Gillian Guess' and the documentary 'Small Town Gay Bar? which just premiered at Sundance.

Matthew Safran started working in the music industry as an indy music publisher. Pitching music for film and TV, and the administration of these licenses, were the aspects of publishing that Matt liked best, so becoming a music supervisor was a natural progression. As the owner/operator of Filmusic Services, Matthew is currently working on the Insight Productions science fiction series ?Painkiller Jane?, an on-line animated series called ?The Seeker?. He has just completed a second season of ?Robson Arms?, CTV?s sophisticated set-in-Vancouver comedy.

Jane Ashworth is part of Music Supervision Services team at S.L. Feldman & Associates, which has rapidly become a leader in its field, supervising countless hours of film and television projects working with a broad and diversified range of genres, budgets, and production companies. This division, which includes Sarah Webster (VP-Film Music), Stacey Horricks and Jane Muckle, also represents a select roster of talented score composers in Vancouver, Toronto, and Los Angeles.

The Music BC Career Development Series is just one of many Music BC program initiatives and benefits that it offers to Music BC members and members of the British Columbia music industry.

"BC music professionals who want to know how their music can be featured in TV or film, will have a chance to hear it from the experts," says Bob D'Eith, Executive Director of Music BC. ?Getting your music placed into film and television projects can be a huge boost for an artist?s career. Not only can it be a great source of revenue, it is some of the best exposure an artist can get for their music ? just look at BC artist Daniel Powter and his song ?Bad Day? on American Idol. The song has become a huge hit worldwide and has propelled Daniel?s career. Music BC?s Music in Film seminar is a must see for any aspiring artist "

Representing the BC music industry, Music BC is a non-profit society, providing information, education, funding, advocacy, awareness & networking opportunities to nurture, develop and promote the spirit, growth and sustainability of the BC music community. Please visit www.musicbc.org for more information.

Music BC?s Career Development Series: Music & Film
Date: Saturday, May 19, 2007
Time: 1-4pm (with half an hour of question and answer after the panel)
Place: Tom Lee Music Hall (3rd Floor, 929 Granville St, Vancouver)

Pre-register at info@musicbc.org or 604.873.1914.
Music BC Paid Members - Free
Music BC Basic Members - $15
Non-members - $25 (See www.musicbc.org)

Call for Submissions: Pivot Launches Housing Solutions Contest

2007-04-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Vancouver - Pivot Legal Society announced today it will award $2,000 for the winning essay in a contest to find the best and most practical solutions to the housing crisis in Vancouver .

The top six papers, judged by a panel of professional developers, government planners, and academics, will be published by Pivot in a Special Report on Housing Solutions for the Downtown Eastside. The report will be presented at a public meeting to discuss solutions to the housing crisis in Vancouver in the Fall of 2007.

Winning 4,000-word research essays focusing on progressive international best practices on issues facing the Downtown Eastside, and policy proposals based on that research, will receive an Award for Policy Innovation.

"Homelessness is one of the most challenging issues facing today's Vancouver ," says SFU Professor, Nick Blomley, one of the panel judges. "These essays will hopefully allow us to think outside the box a little, and offer practical as well as innovative ideas and solutions."

Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside provides low-income housing and a network of social services to more than 5,000 of the Vancouver’s poorest residents. However, the neighbourhood is facing rapid erosion of that housing as a result of development and gentrification pressures.

The housing solutions contest is looking specifically for policy proposals that:
- have been implemented and are successful in other jurisdictions;
- involve partnerships between government and developers; and,
- respect the needs of the existing low-income community in the area and do not displace, either directly or indirectly, that community.

The essay contest deadline is Monday April 30, 2007. For more information about the contest, visit http://www.pivotlegal.org/pdfs/PolicyInnovationAward.pdf

For more information call Pivot Legal Society on (604) 255-9700 or e-mail policy@pivotlegal.org.

Job Posting: Green Thumb Theatre

2007-04-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

Green Thumb Theatre is seeking a Production Manager.

This is a full time salaried position.

Green Thumb Theatre produces 3-6 school tours plus 1-2 mainstage productions per season. Producing mainly original scripts we develop work for elementary and high school performances, touring across BC, at least one tour per season also tours across Canada and into the USA.

We are seeking an individual with experience in production management/technical direction for a full time position. Working schedule in the off season is flexible and the position may be seasonal full-time if suitable for the right candidate. Hours during the season are somewhat flexible, again to meet the needs of a suitable candidate.

Qualifications:

Post secondary training in theatre production
Working experience in technical theatre for a professional company
Knowledge of the CTA
Experience as a Technical Director and/or Production Manager in a professional company a definite asset
Experience in touring a definite asset

Responsibilities:

Reporting to both the General Manager & Artistic Director, the Production Manager is a key player in season planning and works closely with the AD in planning all creative aspects of our production.

Duties Include:

Contracting of all production personnel &/or contracts
including, design, scenic construction, properties, costumes and stage
management.
Production planning & scheduling for all productions
Coordination and operation if required for all production
elements for events, showcase presentations etc.
Supervision of construction of all productions

In conjunction with the Company Manager, organization of

tour logistics including but not limited to:

Van pack, technical riders and coordination with venues, ATA carnet, freight & transportation planning.
Budgeting & expenses management for all production related costs, including capital equipment
Upkeep & maintenance of all production equipment including ensuring all vehicles are maintained to highest standards and vehicle modifications conform to highway traffic act, and the company's own safety expectations
Responsible for Health & Safety in the workplace.
Other production related duties

Compensation is negotiable based on experience, starting minimum salary

$31,000. Green Thumb offers an extended health & disability benefit

plan.

Candidates should forward a resume and covering letter stating salary expectations to:

Production Manager Application or by e-mail in Word, Wordperfect or pdf formats only to:

Green Thumb Theatre

jobs@greenthumb.bc.ca

1885 Venables St.

Vancouver BC

V5L 2H6

Closes April 20, 2007 Start date negotiable.

More info at: www.greenthumb.bc.ca (who we are / employment)

The Importance of Visuals

2007-03-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a great article about the use of visuals to promote your performance with some useful sites for uploading photos and videos:

http://junglewebs.blogspot.com/2007/01/arts-marketing-visuals.html

Stay tuned for my own take on the subject in an upcoming Creative Spin post.

Musings of Fire: The Tao of B.I.T.S. (Butts In The Seats)

2007-03-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

Musings of Fire: The Tao of B.I.T.S. (Butts In The Seats)

This is a great article which I think really puts Performing Arts Marketing in perspective.

ARTS MARKETING of THEATRE
(or... the Internet - it's not just for porn anymore)
by Marcel Nunis (Theatre J'Nerique)

As a playwright, director and producer in the theatre I was plagued for years with these nightmare questions:

How do I push the show without "selling out"?
Will I compromise my "art" by marketing my show aggressively?
How do I compete with big media for an audience on a budget?

Let us first admit to our own sins. Yes, there does exist a snotty "holier than thou" attitude in the world of the arts. We roll our eyes over a marketing budget and campaigns. We protest with excuses like... "That's going to cost too much!" or "This show is brilliant enough to sell itself!" Then we capitulate "within reason" insisting on "traditional arts marketing" (posters, flyers and press releases) and exercise care not to "go overboard and compromise our art" through "aggressive and crass" commercialization. Our show opens and performances are barely selling a third of the house with audience members made up mostly of family, friends and "supporters". Our show eventually closes and we are relieved that it broke even.
Read the whole article here..
http://theatreventoux.blogspot.com/2007/03/tao-of-bits-butts-in-seats.html

Local Arts Notes

2007-03-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

A recap of Arts news from various sources taken from the Alliance For Arts & Culture's great newsletter, Synergy.

Arts purse strings loosened ahead of federal budget
CBC.ca
March 16, 2007

Heritage Minister Bev Oda has made a flurry of arts funding announcements in the past week, ahead of Monday's federal budget. On Friday, she had $389,000 for Toronto's Harbourfront Centre and $316,167 for Vancouver record company Mint Records. Read more...

Arts Notes: UBC scene shop runs out of money
Georgia Straight
March 15, 2007
By Jessica Werb

The head of UBC's department of theatre, film, and creative writing has voiced concern over the possible closure of the Great Northern Way scene shop, which is set to run out of funding by June. Read more...

Arts Notes: North Vancouver streamlines cultural affairs office
Georgia Straight
March 15, 2007
By Jessica Werb

Members of North Vancouver's arts community have expressed cautious approval of the March 5 decision to create a bimunicipal office of cultural affairs that will serve both the District of North Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver. Read more...

All ready on the reno front - except the money
Vancouver Courier
March 9, 2007
By Cheryl Rossi

The city of Vancouver says extensive renovations to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre are scheduled to begin in April. But it doesn't yet have the money to pay for them. Read more...

City of Vancouver is right to opt for a balanced budget
The Vancouver Province
Thursday, March 01, 2007

Deciding on the kind of society we wish to live in involves a delicate balancing act. If we direct the bulk of our resources toward our police, for instance, we might expect to benefit from less crime. But if as a result we have to cut funds for libraries, the arts and cultural festivals, we cannot argue that we have improved our overall quality of life. Read more...

Develop creative neighbourhoods using 'inner artist'
Daily Commercial News and Construction Record
February 21, 2007
By Peter Kenter

Developers need to embrace their inner artist to help build communities where creativity can flourish. That was the message to delegates at the recent Canadian Urban Institute conference, The Path to Culture-led Regeneration: Who's Leading the Way? While new condominium and commercial developments often trade on the creativity of the neighbourhoods in which they're built, they can also destroy the creative character of those communities. Read more...

Cultural Human Resources Council Launches New Career Website

2007-03-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) has launched Careers in Culture Online in order to provide the knowledge and cover the skills that are required for a career in the arts and culture sector.

The website offers job search strategies, training requirements, job interview tips, interest and aptitude quizzes, examples of cover letters and resumes, instructions on how to create a demo or portfolio, and live testimonials.

The CHRC brings together representatives of arts disciplines and cultural industries in the cultural sector to address the training and career development needs of cultural workers - artists, creators, technical staff, managers and all others engaged professionally in the sector, including the self-employed.

http://www.culturalhrc.ca/careersinculture/default-e.asp

No money for BC Arts Council in Provincial Budget

2007-03-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

From the Alliance for the Arts Synergy newsletter

Despite a recommendation from the Provincial Standing Committee on Finance “for a significant increase to the core funding provided to the BC Arts Council to support arts and culture in BC leading up to the Olympic Games,” the provincial budget released on February 20^th offered no new investment for the sector.

The Alliance for Arts and Culture, in conjunction with Arts Future BC, will continue to work to encourage Minister Stan Hagen to take action to secure increased core investment in the BC Arts Council, fostering growth diversity and sustainability, values we share with the provincial government.

Music BC Showcase Opportunity - Act Fast!

2007-03-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

We're Looking for 4 Acts:

Music BC is organizing another Showcase at New Music West (May 2-6, 2007)and we are looking for the hottest acts in BC to perform. THIS MEANS YOU!!

Only 4 spots available! Open to all genres! Date & Venue To Be Announced!

How to apply:
1)Click Here to access the online form or copy the following link into your browser:
www.musicbc.org/form_showcase.html
2) Email 1 MP3 file to Nathan@Musicbc.org
3) $10 Application Fee

Deadline for submission is Friday March 30th at 5PM (We told you to act fast!)
If you have any questions, please contact us at 604.873.1914 or Nathan@musicbc.org

Now celebrating its' 16th anniversary, New Music West is the largest and most influential new music festival on the west coast. Past event performers have included Matthew Good, The Flaming Lips, Liz Phair, Nickelback, Run DMC, Gene Simmons, Marilyn Manson, Hot Hot Heat, Sam Roberts, My Morning Jacket, Stars and The Lowest of the Low. May 2-6, 2007
www.newmusicwest.com

Of Interest to Musicians

2007-03-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Of Interest to Musicians from Music BC

2007-03-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

MUSIC BC SHOWCASE!
Act Fast! Music BC is seeking 4 acts to perform at our Showcase during New Music West (Date & Venue To-Be-Announced). All Paid members are eligible to apply. We are looking for the HOTTEST, MOST TALENTED acts to represent this province, so why look any further than our members! Open to Paid Music BC members in all genres and at all experience levels.

To Apply: Fill out the online form Here & email 1 MP3 file to Nathan@musicbc.org. Deadline March 30th!

SONG SWAP SUNDAYS
Song Swap Sundays continue! Sessions are lead by Ron Irving and space is limited! Both writing tips and song critiquing are offered. Bring 3 copies of the lyrics, play CD or live. No pre-registration is required, 10.00 at the door, everyone welcome!!
Sunday March 25, 2PM at the Douglas Rec Centre, 206 and Fraser Hwy in Langley. For more info phone 604 514-2865.

ADOPT AN INSTRUMENT!
The Lord Roberts Elementary School Music Program is seeking donations of new or used musical instruments (or cash) to help save their music program! Music BC's charity wing The BC Foundation for Music Assistance will offer a charity tax receipt for the Fair Market Value of any instrument. For more informaion, email Savry@musicbc.org or phone 604.873.1914. All instruments in working condition will be accepted!

Bob D'Eith was recently interviewed on CKNW about the program. Listen Here!

PACIFIC CONTACT MARCH 30 - APRIL 3
Attention Performing Artists! Agents! Presenters! The BC Touring Council offers five days of professional artist showcases, networking and workshops March 30 - April 3, 2007. Including over 50 Artist Showcases, Contact Room/Exhibition Hall, Professional Development Intensive, In-Conference workshops, Meetings, networking and hospitality events and MORE! For full information and registration visit: www.bctouring.org/pacific-contact/index.html
**BONUS** If your group would like to attend Pacific Contact (6 People or more), you are eligible for a 50% Single Day Discount! Email Nathan@musicbc.org for more information

DO A SURVEY, WIN AN IPOD!
We need your feedback! Music BC is currently undertaking a study to assess the effectiveness of our Provincial MITAP (Music Industry Travel Assistance Program) Funding. We are looking for your comments, and as a reward, one lucky member will win an iPod Shuffle! Please note that if you have already been contacted to fill out a survey, please notify us and we will add your name to the contest (1 entry per person). Click Here to take the survey. Questions? Contact Nathan@musicbc.org

JOB OPENING AT MUSIC BC
Music BC is currently seeking a Membership Services Coordinator (Full Time) to start May 1st. Please apply by email only to Savry@musicbc.org. No phone calls please. Click Here for the full job description.

Call for Short fiction Submissions

2007-03-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Ottawa literary publisher Chaudiere Books is seeking submissions by Canadian writers of short fiction of no more than 1,500 to 2,000 words for an upcoming anthology project. Seeking vibrant, engaging works perhaps more language than narrative, but not exclusively. Please send works no later than August 15, 2007 to Chaudiere Books, c/o 858 Somerset Street West, main floor, Ottawa Ontario K1R 6R7 (include s.a.s.e. if you expect work returned) or over email to rob_mclennan@hotmail.com

For more information on Chaudiere Books, check out www.chaudierebooks.com or www.chaudierebooks.blogspot.com

Call for Poetry Submissions

2007-03-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

New Call for Submissions

Celebrating the International Poetry Day, the Arabesques Review is now accepting submissions for two upcoming special issues:

Vol 03, Issue 02 Contemporary Women Literature

>>> Submissions Deadline: April 30, 2007

Vol 03, Issue 03 Globalization

>>> Submissions Deadline: June 30, 2007

We would be very honored to read and consider your contribution for these upcoming anthologies

To SUBMIT TO THE ARABESQUES REVIEW

Click here
to check out our submission guidelines.

For more details, see our web site at: http://www.arabesquespress.org/

or email us at: submissions@arabesquespress.org

Blogging Tips

2007-03-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

It's nice to know that my artist friends are beginning to take my advice and are starting to blog for themselves.
As you begin to let people know about your blog, undoubtedly you will start to receive emails commenting and complimenting you on your efforts. Encourage them to leave comments on the actual blog. This helps because it makes your blog seem more active to search engines and RSS readers which are on the look out for changes in website content. People are also more likely to return to a site if the content remains fresh and up to date.
Most blogging services like Blogger have an option in the blog settings that activate back-links. You will want to turn this option on because this makes it easy for people who like what you've written to reference it on your blog. It also sends them to that specific article, without bunching it in with all the other posts to come before and after it.
Also, if you want comments, end your posts with questions. People are more likely to respond if they are asked to. Don't they?

How to Market for Theatre

2007-03-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a site where this question was posed by the Business Unit Manager at Siemens Energy and Automation:

Does anyone have advice for Marketing for a non-profit community theatre?

As a volunteer consultant on this service project, my team is looking at the marketing strategies of a small community theatre in a neighborhood of Atlanta. We have a lot of creative ideas, and of course typical MBA-style to drive the strategy. But -- As all my experience is in business marketing - any advice on non-proft or arts marketing would be very welcome! This project is part of the CCT "Community Consulting Team" program.

I think this query illustrates that, just because people have a corporate background, it may still be necessary to educate them on the intricacies of marketing in the not-for-profit world. The response received is worth noting too:

I'm assuming for the purposes of this reply that "non-profit community" translates into "very little, if any, marketing/advertising budget."

I'm also assuming that you know:
1) what "call to action" you're driving (i.e., "buy tickets to our event" or "volunteer your time")
2) who you're trying to reach (i.e., you know the demographic of your customers)

I would do anything I can that's free... including making sure you're sending press releases about your events to local media, to leaving business card drop boxes at places where you can have people drop their card, and giveaway one free set of tix. For the other cards, you've got contact info now for a mailing list or email list. But you might try some cold calling of those cards: "Sorry you didn't win, but we can offer at half off" or something like that.

Also, make sure every one who comes to one of your events has a reason to come back and bring someone with them... these are people who already know about you and your events and are the best source of bringing new customers back with them. Give them some incentive to come back, and some incentive to bring a friend.

If this doesn't help, read anything by Seth Godin (he has free e-books on the web called "Knock Knock") and also try reading "Shameless marketing for brazen hussies."

-Adeena

Great News For Coquitlam Artists!

2007-03-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

My Arts Marketing Crash Course on May 5 at Form & Forum has just gotten even more affordable. We're knocking $5 off the registration price, which means you get a bunch of great shoestring marketing tips and a copy of my book Marketing, Publicity and Corporate Fundraising for Small Enterprise for just $25!

Register by calling this no. 604.464.0248
or emailing
info@formandforum.ca
Form and Forum Sculpture Company http://www.formandforum.ca/
90-2710 Barnett Hwy, Coquitlam, (Located across the highway from Anducci’s, Milestones and Subway)

For complete course info, follow this link...

Corporate art idea

2007-03-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

Making a Passion into a Business Venture

Natural Mandala
Originally uploaded by cindymreese.

Epicorp tenant Darryl Butler is about to add Mandala Maker to his diverse repertoire of creative talents.

Darryl, who has assisted numerous Epicorp businesses develop their corporate identities and websites, decided last year to embark on turning his passion for mandalas into a serious business sideline. The inspiration came while working on the website of fellow Epicorp tenant, arts marketing expert Wendy Shanley, of KIKU ARTs.

Darryl, the mastermind behind Itchybrain Productions, discovered from his discussions with Wendy that there is a demand for artists producing corporate art. That gave him an incentive to push forward with his "hobby" knowing that someone else would take care of promoting, exhibiting and selling his unique artworks.

Read the full article here...

Patron Technology Blog

2007-03-10T09:41:00.000-08:00

Came across this cool blog by Gene Carr that I thought people might find interesting.

http://patrontechnology.typepad.com/

Events, Workshops and Deadlines from BC Writer's Federation

2007-03-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

SAW Reading & Fundraiser
Central regional representative Kay McCracken is organizing a fundraising event for SAW (the
Shuswap Association of Writers) featuring Garry Gottfriedson, Michael Blackstock, Jeff More,
Alex Forbes, Karen Bissenden, John Vivian, Howard Brown, Marilyn McAllister, Maureen Egan,
Patsy Alford, Lois Higgins and Kay McCracken on Saturday, April 21, 7 to 10 pm. at the Art
Gallery in Salmon Arm. Live music by the Dust Puppets. Refreshments. Book sales. Door prizes.
Admission: $10 for SAW members, $15 for non-members, $5 for students.

The Sidney Reading Series
Long-time Fed members Pauline Holdstock and M.A.C. Farrant hare resurrected their popular
reading series which ran from 1994 to 2001. The new Sidney Reading Series is held each month
at the Red Brick Cafe, 2423 Beacon Avenue, Sidney, and includes musical guests and book draws.
The next event takes place on Friday, March 16, 7:30 pm. and will feature Arthur Black and Susan
Juby. Admission is $3. More info: 250-656-4446. Fall 2007 presenters include Derek Lundy, Wade
Compton, Caroline Adderson, John Gould, bill bissett, Carla Funk & Wendy Morton.

The RAW Exchange
Thursday, March 29, 7:30 pm at the Vancouver Public Library, Peter Kaye Room.
M.A.C. Farrant (The Breakdown So Far), Trevor Carolan (The Pillowbook of Dr. Jazz) and
Steven Price (Anatomy of Keys) will read from their books and participate in a panel discussion
on "Writing in Unreaderly Times: Finding Fresh Topics" with Moderator Rodney Clarke. Free
admission.

**************************

Federation Workshops & Presentations
Pre-registration is required. Limited seating. To register,
contact the Fed office at 604-683-2057 or email bcwriters@shaw.ca
Registration Deadline: Saturday, March 3.

A Model for Testing When a Poem is Finished
March 10, 1 to 5 pm.
Alliance for Arts & Culture, 938 Howe Street, Vancouver
Instructor: Betsy Warland
Cost: $50 for Fed members, $75 for non-members
How do you know if your poem or poetry collection is ready for submission? Betsy Warland,
the Director of The Writer's Studio at SFU, will present a model for assessing when a poem
is finished. Several exploratory exercises will be applied to your poem(s) to assist you in
determining when the poem is finished (on all levels) and ready to be submitted to journals,
competitions, or -- if you have a manuscript in progress -- when it is ready to include in your
manuscript. Selected "test" poems will be taken through five exercises: the first two exercises
will be audio-based, one done without having a copy of one another's poem to refer to and
one done with a copy of the poem to check as we hear the poet read it. The third exercise
will be assessing the poem for what might be missing (from a punctuation mark to significant
content). The fourth exercise will assess the poem for where we might need less. The fifth
will check the poem for general presentation. Depending on the size of the group, some of
these exercises may be done in the group and some may be done in smaller groups or in pairs.

About the instructor
Betsy Warland is the author of ten books and one of Canada's leading experimental, feminist
writers. She is the Director of The Writer's Studio at SFU's Writing and Publishing program
and has taught a variety of courses incuding A Poet's First Book and Realizing Your Manuscript.

Framing, Voice, and Colouring: Key Skills in Creative NonFiction
Saturday, May 12, 10 to 3 pm.
Room 141, Okanagan College, Salmon Arm Campus
Instructor: Harold Rhenisch
Cost: $50 for Fed members, $75 for non-members.

In this hands-on workshop, you will learn three key techniques for exploiting some of the genre's
key strengths: how to frame inserted materials; how to bridge material, foreshadow, and develop
themes through colouring; and how to develop and extend voice. Feel free to bring a work in
progress (not mandatory).

Harold Rhenisch is the author of twenty books, including four books of creative nonfiction, most
recently the humorous bird watching memoir Winging Home, and The Wolves at Evelyn, a
reassessment of British Columbia's place in twentieth century history. He is the winner of the
Critic's Desk Award, the B.C. & Yukon Newspaper Association's Arts & Culture Writing award, and
the Malahat Review Long Poem Prize. He will be teaching memoir this summer at the Victoria School
of Writing.

**************************

SFU Summer Publishing Workshops
The 2007 schedule for the SFU Summer Publishing Workshops is now online www.sfu.ca/pubworks.
With more than 35 workshops in all areas of book and magazine publishing SFU is mounting the
largest array of workshops yet. The SFU Summer Publishing Workshops are nationally recognized as
the top professional development program in publishing in Canada and each year enjoys increased
enrollment and demand. Application and registration forms can be downloaded directly from the
site. Please note that the financial assistance opportunities are limited and are distributed on a first
come, first serve basis. More than 35 workshops in all aspects of publishing in books, magazines
and new media are being offered this year. The Summer Publishing Workshops at SFU in Vancouver
focus on four topic areas-book publishing, magazine publishing, editing, and design. The workshops
are developed in association with Canada's foremost publishing professionals.

Douglas College Summer Institute in Historical Fiction
Immerse yourself in your passion for historical fiction this summer at Douglas College. Start the day
with English 1106, Studies in Fiction, emphasizing historical novels and short stories, and move onto
Creative Writing 1105, Introduction to Historical Fiction Writing. A cohort of 21 students will study
models of historical fiction, then practice writing it themselves. Students may draw inspiration from
any historical period they wish. The day-long Institute will include opportunities for lunch time
socials, and special events including featured speakers and field trips. Instructors: Jill Maclachlan,
English; Andrea Macperson (When She was Electric, and Beyond the Blue), Creative Writing.
Fridays, May 11 to August 3
English 1106, 8:30-11:30AM
Lunch
CRWR 1105, 12:30-3:30PM
NB: Students must register separately for both classes. www.douglas.bc.ca
Contact Mary Burns, Chair, Creative Writing, at 604-527-5289

**************************

subTerrain
Deadline: March 15, 2007
www.subterrain.ca
Theme Issue #47 (Summer/Fall 07): Sports. Be sure to identify on the envelope the theme issue
for which you�re submitting. Fiction: 2,000-3,000 words. Creative nonfiction: to 4,000 words. No
unsolicited poetry, unless it is specifically related to a theme issue. No electronic submissions, and
you MUST include a self-addressed envelope if you want your work to be considered. Send both
general and theme-related submissions to: P.O. Box 3008, MPO Vancouver, BC V6B 3X5.

The Okanagan Short Story Contest
http://www.okstorycontest.org/
Deadline: March 16, 2007
All residents of the Southern Interior of British Columbia are eligible to enter the Okanagan Short
Story contest this year. Prizes are $500 for first prize, $200 for second and $100 for third, with
publication in a limited edition chapbook. The contest is sponsored by the University of British
Columbia Okanagan, Okanagan College, CBC Radio One Kelowna and the Central Okanagan
Foundation. For rules and guidelines, as well as information about the contest, see the website.

Borderlines Poetry and Flash Fiction Contest
Deadline: March 31, 2007
www.ascentaspirations.ca/borderlines.htm
Ascent Aspirations Magazine seeks poetry and flash fiction for its fourth anthology, Borderlines,
to be published in Fall 2007. Prizes include cash and publication. Contest fee for poetry is $10 for
three poems. Contest fee for flash fiction is $10 per piece of flash fiction. Multiple entries will be
accepted. Full details on the website or email publisher David Fraser at ascentaspirations@shaw.ca

Event Magazine
Deadline for entries: Postmarked by April 16, 2007.
Three winners will each receive $500 plus payment for publication in Event 36/3. Other manuscripts
may be published. Final Judge: TBA. Writers are invited to submit manuscripts exploring the creative
non-fiction form. Note: Previously published material, or material accepted elsewhere for
publication, cannot be considered. Maximum entry length is 5000 words, typed, double-spaced.
The writer should not be identified on the entry. Include a separate cover sheet with the writer's
name, address, phone number/email, and the title(s) of the story (stories) enclosed. Include a SASE
(Canadian postage / IRCs / US$1). Douglas College employees are not eligible to enter.
Entry fee: Multiple entries are allowed, however, each entry must be accompanied by a $29.95
entry fee (includes GST and a one-year subscription; make cheque or international money order
payable to Event). Those already subscribing will receive a one-year extension. American and
overseas entrants please pay in US dollars.

Send entries to:
EVENT
The Douglas College Review
PO Box 2503, New Westminster, BC
Canada V3L 5B2
Phone: 604-527-5293 Fax: 604-527-5095
Email: event@douglas.bc.ca

The Writers' Union of Canada presents the Writing for Children Competition
Deadline: April 24, 2007
$1,500 Prize
Entries of the winner and finalists will be submitted to three publishers of children's books. Canadian
citizens or landed immigrants who have not been published (in any genre) in book format are eligible
for entry. Entrants must not have a contract with a book publisher. Eligible entries will be in
English, up to 1,500 words, and not previously published in any format. The deadline is April 24,
2007 and the entry fee is $15. For more information visit www.writersunion.ca

The Seven Wonders of Mernac Writing Contest
The Legends of Mernac, an online inter-active community for High Fantasy writers & artists, is
holding another fantastic writing contest with a grand prize of $500 US. It's free to enter. For
contest rules and additional details, email the Fed office and I'll forward the freaky-looking email
announcement to you.

NAUGHTY BITS
The First Annual Victoria Erotica Festival Story Contest
Deadline: Friday April 20, 2007.
www.victoriaeroticafestival.com
FREE to enter! Send us a scintillating story or prose poem--a fetish fantasy, a do-me dream,
some titillating anecdote, perhaps a snippet of overheard intimate conversation, shopping lists
for the sex shop, lists of things to pack for a dirty weekend, what you did on the dirty weekend,
a furtive feel-up or a very public coming of age. Entries will be judged on their heat-and-moisture-
inducing merit alone by Lynne Van Luven , writer, columnist, reviewer, editor and UVic Professor,
and an equally discerning male judge yet to be disclosed. 300 words maximum. Authors must be at
least 18 years old. Send typed entries, along with your name, address and phone number ON A
SEPARATE SHEET to
Naughty Bits
P.O. Box 30034 - 3989 Quadra St.
Victoria BC V8X 5E1

City of Vancouver Announces Inaugural Poet Laureate

2007-03-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

George McWhirter, Professor Emeritus of UBC’s Creative Writing Program, is named the City of Vancouver’s Inaugural Poet Laureate. Mayor Sam Sullivan will introduce McWhirter to Vancouver City Council on Tuesday March 13th.

During his honourary two-year term, McWhirter will act as a champion for poetry, language and the arts, and create a unique artistic legacy through public readings and civic interactions. With plans to establish a civic web page for poetry and an anthology of local poets, his mandate is to raise the status of poetry in the everyday consciousness of Vancouverites.

A Vancouver resident since 1968, George McWhirter was born in Belfast where he received his B.A. from Queen's University. His extensive teaching experience has taken him from Kilkeel, Bangor, County Down to the University of Barcelona's Escuela de Idiomas to Port Alberni and finally UBC where he was Head of the UBC Creative Writing Department from 1983 until 1993 and where he earned a Killam Prize for teaching. An author of six books of poetry, two poetic works in translation, five short stories and three novels, McWhirter has been the Advisory Editor for PRISM international magazine and has edited several anthologies.

McWhirter will receive an annual stipend of $5,000 which is funded by a $100,000 donation by Dr. Yosef Wosk. Dr. Wosk’s donation, matched by the BC Arts Renaissance Fund and held in trust by the Vancouver Foundation, ensures a sustainable poet laureate position in the City of Vancouver.

The Poet Laureate was chosen by an independent assessment committee from the literary/poetry community that included ABPBC Executive Director Margaret Reynolds; City of Victoria’s Poet Laureate Carla Funk, poet and non-fiction author Gary Geddes and was supported by representatives from the Vancouver International Writers Festival, Vancouver Public Library and the Office of Cultural Affairs, part of the City of Vancouver Cultural Services Division.

Arts Marketing Crash Course

2007-03-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

Course Date: May 5 6-8pm

Want to raise your public profile sell more art?

In this two hour intensive workshop, we’ll look at several simple, proven ways to get your name out there and bring customers to you. Whether you are a writer, painter, sculptor, potter or musician, here’s your chance to learn how to creatively stretch your meagre advertising budget and hit your target audience all at the same time!

We’ll look at:

Press releases and media relations
Graphic design essentials
Internet tools
Shoestring marketing tips

Admission includes a copy of Steven R. Duncan’s Marketing, Publicity and Corporate Fundraising for Small Enterprise.

Form and Forum Sculpture Company http://www.formandforum.ca

90-2710 Barnett Hwy, Coquitlam, (Located across the highway from Anducci’s, Milestones and Subway)

Cost: $30

To current and Former Ottawa residents, Workers and Students:

2007-03-06T22:34:00.000-08:00

March 15, 2007 is the deadline to submit poetry for the April issue
of Bywords.ca.

**Please consult the guidelines on www.bywords.ca** then send poems
to submissions@bywords.ca.

Poems published on bywords.ca between September, 2006 and August,
2007 will be considered for the 2007 John Newlove Poetry Award. This
year's judge is George Elliott Clarke.

Thanks to everyone who's submitted poems!

For poetry, literary events, news, links and hard-to-find poetry
collections and chapbooks by Ottawa writers, please go to the on line
store at www.bywords.ca .

Amanda Earl
Managing Editor
www.bywords.ca
PO Box 937
Station B
Ottawa,On
K1P 5P9

Last Chance for Candidates for a New Literary Award

2007-03-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

"The Voice Electric / La Voix électrique"

The Voice Electric award was created in 2006 by two Montreal- based organizations: Les Filles électriques and Wired on Words Productions. The award is given for high achievement by a Canadian performance poet or spoken word artist during the course of his or her career.

With a value of $2000.00, the prize will be awarded annually to French and English-language artists in alternate years. Artists from Canadian First Nations who present their work in their own language are eligible at any time. For the first two years, the Award is being sponsored by a private donor.

The Voice Electric / La Voix électrique award will recognize literature by an artist who creates and performs his or her own work on stage. It will celebrate the artist´s creative path and contributions to the development of the discipline. The Selection Committee-working under the direction of D. Kimm, Executive and Artistic Director of Les Filles électriques, and Ian Ferrier, co- founder and Director of Wired on Words-will evaluate candidates based on factors such as originality in the creative process, mastery of the genre, innovation, the use of new technologies, contributions to the community, the quality of the writing, and openness to diverse voices.

Current Status of the Prize

Our initial desire was to award this prize during the course of the 2007 Festivale Voix d´Ameriques, but this turned out to be a bit too ambitious. We feel have not reached all the candidates we´d like to see in this competition, and for this reason we are extending the deadline to the 7th of March 2007 and attempting to reach all qualified candidates across the country. The prize will be awarded on World Poetry Day, the 21st of March 2007 during a cinq-à-sept (5-7PM event) at the Casa del Popolo in Montreal.

Spoken word artists interested in applying for the inaugural award should submit a covering letter, curriculum vitae, press clippings, audio and visual clips, and letters of reference from members of the community. The letter and portfolio should be sent to the offices of Les Filles électriques, 5143 boulevard St-Laurent, Montréal, H2T 1R9. For further information: (514) 495-1515.

Les Filles électriques is a non-profit organization whose mandate is to create, distribute and archive multidisciplinary works and events in oral, written and electronic literature.

Wired on Words is a recording label specializing in the distribution of literature in performance. It also organizes the monthly Words & Music evenings at the Casa del Popolo.

For further information:
Les Filles électriques / (514) 495-1515 / d.kimm@electriques.ca

from the Words&Music label
Wired on Words
http://wiredonwords.com

Workshop: Use Your Dream World to Enrich Your Writing!

2007-02-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

FIRST FRIDAY AT THE JAVANET, March 2, 3436 W Broadway

7:30 Open Mic will be followed by a workshop by Ariadne Sawyer:

Use Your Dream World to Enrich Your Writing! (30 minutes). Learn how to: create a dream poetry/writing journal, remember your dreams, use daydreams as a bridge to the unconscious, do a day dreaming poetic/writing exercise. Free. (Donations accepted for World Poetry.) Ariadne Sawyer, MA, CP, has spent 12 years studying the brain and human behavior. She specializes in creativity and has worked as a consultant to musicians, writers, painters, poets, dancers and even photographers. She is the host and producer of the popular short radio program Creativity Rocks on the World Poetry Café, CFRO. 102.7 FM which is heard around the world by internet and satellite. Her new book is The Best Of Creativity Rocks! Answers to Your Creative Questions by World Poetry Publishing.

For more information: ariadnes@uniserve.com or www.ariadnescoaching.com.

GoodStorm Improves on Good, with Their T-Shirt Wizard’s New Features

2007-02-27T10:08:00.000-08:00

Application enables sellers to set price, choose theme, upload designs, and brand checkout process. Wizard can be installed on any website and allows users to upload their own designs, create custom text, and add their uploaded images to a community gallery.

Hand in hand with GoodStorm, customized on-demand apparel takes a step in a good direction as GoodStorm adds new features to their popular T-Shirt Wizard. The “design and buy on the fly” custom T-shirt creator already boasts many features that makes creating your own apparel easier. The Flash-based application allows anyone with a blog or website to sell custom t-shirts on their site, set their prices, and keep 100% of the profit for every shirt sold. Though an early release of the T-shirt creator has proved popular among bloggers and t-shirt sellers, GoodStorm improves on good by adding more features in response to seller feedback.

The newest feature added is the community design opt-in, which allows visitors using the creator to share their uploaded designs with the seller. This new feature creates a unique, creative exchange between the seller and shopper. It also empowers both participants, as the visitor can share his or her unique t-shirt designs with the seller’s larger community, and the seller can earn more money by selling those new designs to his or her audience.

GoodStorm’s T-Shirt Wizard is perfect for bands and fundraisers. Bands and student organizations can customize and install the T-Shirt Wizard for free on blogs and websites. This new launch will revolutionize the way bands and organizations make money, as such features will throw a very creative spin on art class and band merchandise. Turn your class’s art project into a money-making fundraiser for your next trip to the art museum. Bands can use this feature to ask for design submissions and engage their fans while earning money needed for their next tour.

In keeping with GoodStorm’s slogan “Capitalism Done Right,” there is still no up-front cost for installing or selling with the T-shirt Wizard, and users keep 100% of the profit. Turning traditional commerce rules on their head, GoodStorm proves once again that you really don’t need to spend money to make money.

The same features that made GoodStorm’s original T-Shirt Wizard so revolutionary remain as before: T-shirt sellers still have the options of setting their prices, uploading their own designs, and installing their wizard anywhere on the web If the seller doesn’t have a blog or web page, GoodStorm will host the wizard on a GoodStorm.com URL for them. With this option, the user can create a custom URL within GoodStorm.com and upload a banner to be displayed. . T-shirt sellers also have the ability to choose from over a dozen themes and color styles to match the T-shirt Wizard to their brand or website.

About GoodStorm
At GoodStorm.com (http://goodstorm.com), individuals can launch online stores and sell custom t-shirts featuring their own designs. GoodStorm handles all inventory management, billing, shipping, and customer support, so sellers can focus on creating innovative designs, earning substantial profits, and building a community with people who share their values. GoodStorm offers the lowest based prices for custom, on-demand T-shirts on the web, while sellers keep 100% of the profit from each sale.
GoodStorm's services are free and apparel is printed and shipped on-demand. There are no upfront or maintenance costs for opening and running a store on GoodStorm.com.

Please contact Marco Ceglie for more information.
201.709.7550
Press@GoodStorm.com

www.goodstorm.com (http://goodstorm.com) | Sign up for the GoodStorm T-shirt Wizard Reseller at http://tshirts.goodstorm.com/

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra - Employment Opportunity

2007-02-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

Artistic Operations Assistant position

We're especially interested in people who have a music background with stage managing experience. Please visit the website at www.vancouversymphony.ca, click on the "ABOUT US" menu and go to "Employment Opportunities."

http://www.vancouversymphony.ca/ab_employment_detail.cfm?&CFJOBNO=ad29

Thank you for your assistance.

Cheers,

Stephanie Wallin
Manager of Educational and Community Programs
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

T: 604.684.9100 ext. 245 F: 604.684.9264

Art and Aging

2007-02-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

This great article is used with permission from Surrey, BC, painter Robert Genn. Check out his informative and inspiring website www.thepainterskeys.com and consider becoming a subscriber.

If your horizons are going coo-coo, if things don't form up as
well as they used to, or you're having trouble finding your
colours, it may mean the advance of painterly senility. Not
fully reserved for the elderly, this can also come about at any
age by doing too much, too little, not looking, not caring, or
not being in touch with your muse.

While beginning artists may do poor work because of undeveloped
skills, mature artists may do poor work because they are losing
facilities. Somewhere in between there's a period of
proficiency and relative fulfillment. Most artists agree that
this middle period should be dragged out as long as possible.
At the same time, most of us have observed aged artists who are
sharp and proficient right up to the last ambulance. Genes play
a part, but it's mostly about attitude and lifestyle.

Success in hanging onto your artistic chops may be hard to
measure, but a related faculty, the maintenance of memory, is
well-documented. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School have
some suggestions for you:

Keep learning. Keep challenging and exercising the brain in
order to stimulate communication between the brain cells. It's
important to keep learning new skills.

Don't smoke. Smoking harms the brain as well as the lungs and
heart. Smokers perform worse than non-smokers in studies of
memory and thinking skills.

Be social. Close ties with others can improve mental
performance. Social relationships provide support during
unpleasant times.

Exercise. What's good for the heart is good for the brain.
Getting your juices flowing gets your creative juices flowing
too.

Eat your vegetables. Even better than fruit, researchers find
that veggies are vital to brain function. It's the vitamin E in
the greens, and the oil in the dressing.

Manage stress. Stress distracts from learning, memory,
thinking, and creativity. With stress, brain chemistry changes
and your hippocampus can become damaged. There's nothing worse
than a damaged hippocampus, I always say.

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "I do not wish to become senile before I've finished what
I've undertaken." (Paul Gauguin)

Esoterica: Many creators have given thought to art and aging.
Some have concluded that art itself extends life. "With age,
art and life become one." (Georges Braque) "Great work can come
at any stage." (Will Barnet) "None are so old as those who have
outlived enthusiasm." (Henry David Thoreau) "I cannot die until
I have made the most of my talent." (Kathe Kollwitz) "With
creative work, you don't have age or time." (Louise Nevelson)
"How much music can I make with the time I have left?" (Itzhak
Perlman)
"For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress,
And as the evening twilight fades away
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day."
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Current clickback: If you would like to see selected,
illustrated responses to the last letter, "On climaxing," about
getting climaxes into works of art, please go to:
http://clicks.robertgenn.com/climax.php

If you would like to comment or add your own opinion,
information or observations to this or other letters, please do
so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write
rgenn@saraphina.com

Give the gift of the twice-weekly letters. We are currently
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current subscribers who go to the URL below and send us the
names and email addresses of five or more of their
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make it easy. We even send your friends a personal letter to
let them know the twice-weekly connection is from you.
http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/giftscribe.php

It's never too late. A Premium Listing in the Painter's Keys
Directory is the most effective thing an artist can do to be
tastefully and respectably noticed. This listing--really a mini
web page--costs $100 per year--and we do all the set-up. You
can find out how well it might work for you at
http://www.painterskeys.com/art-directory.asp

Yes, please go ahead and forward this letter to a friend.

If you think a friend or fellow artist may find value in this
material, please feel free to forward it. This does not mean
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Letter. They have to do it voluntarily and can find out about
it by going to http://www.painterskeys.com

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(c) Copyright 2007 Robert Genn. If you wish to copy this
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permission by writing rgenn@saraphina.com Thanks for your
friendship.

Vancouver Poetry House AGM

2007-02-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

The Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Poetry House Society will be held Monday, March 12, 6:30-7:30pm at Cafe Deux Soleils, 2096 Commercial Drive. All current and past Vancouver Poetry House members, and people interested in becoming members are welcome. Memberships are up for renewal at $2 for one year.

For more info contact Randy Jacobs at rjacobs@cknw.com

Arabesques "The War & Poetry" Issue is Online

2007-02-26T10:33:00.000-08:00

*International Literary and Cultural Review*

Arabesques is proud of its tradition of featuring the work of many established and emerging international writers in its most current issue analysing the theme of "*The War & Poetry*". Writers such as:

Duane Locke, Kirby Wright, Susan Rich, Marjorie Maddox, Michael Rothenberg, J Glenn Evans, Ysabel de la Rosa, James R Whitley and many others have all make the pages of this new anthology.

To read our submissions guidelines for next issues or all contributors of the new issue, click here:

*http://www.arabesquespress.org/ <http://www.arabesquespress.org/journal/>
*

Music Professional Development

2007-02-26T10:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some excerpts from the recent Music BC newsletter...

FREE MUSIC WORKSHOP SERIES
Stylus Music School is presenting a free workshop series March 7-8 demonstrating recording and production techniques, discussing features of newly released music software and hardware, and reflecting on changes in music career trends and opportunities. All music enthusiasts, producers, engineers, musicians and composers are welcomed. Register today by phoning 604-523-2969 or online at www.stylusmusicschool.com/workshop. Limited Seating.

WORLD VISION ARTIST ASSOCIATES PROGRAM
World Vision's Artist Associates program offers a unique alternative to traditional backing by providing financial tour support for performers who take the message of hope to the stage. At their concerts, performers invite their audiences to make a difference by sponsoring a child. World Vision provides display materials about child sponsorship at the performance venue so audience members can become a child sponsor. In addition to financial support, World Vision will provide artists with video presentations, brochures, picture folders, etc. For more information, visit www.worldvision.ca

JOB OPPORTUNITY AT SHAPE
SHAPE (Safety & Health in Arts Production & Entertainment) is seeking an outstanding Occupational Health and Safety professional who is passionate about the arts to join their team. The ideal candidate will take a leading role in working with arts organizations, artists and production workers to achieve change. If you are looking for the chance to build a successful career in a small but dynamic organization, please read the Job Description and forward your resume, cover letter and salary expectations by March 12 2007 to resume@shape.bc.ca

Songwriting Circle (full)
Feb 21st, 6-8PM, Music BC Office - #501-23 West Pender St, Vancouver
Email Nathan@musicbc.org to register

Stylus Music Workshop
March 7th-8th, 6:30-8PM , Stylus Music School - #60 8th St. New Westminster
Register at stylusmusicschool.com/workshop/

Music Across Borders
March 24th, 1-4PM , Tom Lee Music Hall - 3rd Floor, 929 Granville St, Vancouver
Email Nathan@musicbc.org to register

Music & The Law
March 21st, 6-8PM, Music BC Office - #501-23 West Pender St, Vancouver
Email Nathan@musicbc.org to register

Publishing 101
April 25th, 6-8PM, Music BC Office - #501-23 West Pender St, Vancouver
Email Nathan@musicbc.org to register

Touring The U.S.
May 16th, 6-8PM, Music BC Office - #501-23 West Pender St, Vancouver
Email Nathan@musicbc.org to register

Your Music in Film & TV - Part 2
May 19th, 1-4PM , Tom Lee Music Hall - 3rd Floor, 929 Granville St, Vancouver
Email Nathan@musicbc.org to register

Canadian Music Week
March 7-10, 2007 Toronto, ON
www.cmw.net

New Music West
May 2-7, 2007 Vancouver, BC
www.newmusicwest.com

Music & The Internet
June 2nd, 1-4PM , Tom Lee Music Hall - 3rd Floor, 929 Granville St, Vancouver
Email Nathan@musicbc.org to register
All Music BC Workshops are FREE for Paid Members, $15 for Basic(free) members and $25 for Non-Members

Vogue Theatre Makes Heritage Canada's Top 10 "Endangered Places" List

2007-02-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) has released its Canada's Endangered Places Report Card for 2006. The report card includes the top ten most endangered places and worst losses lists, and takes stock of the federal government's performance in 2006. "It's been a tumultuous year," said Natalie Bull, HCF's executive director. "With the loss of the federal Commercial Heritage Properties Incentive Fund and the Auditor General's second warning that heritage buildings are still at risk, the federal government once again gets a failing grade in its overall commitment to heritage conservation."

The "Top Ten" list of endangered places in Canada includes: British Columbia's Art Deco Vogue Theatre in Vancouver; the modernist Central Pentecostal Tabernacle in Edmonton; the Royal Canadian Legion building in Saskatoon; Winnipeg's King Building; the former lamp factory at 48 Abell Street in Toronto; the historic Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine House in Montreal; Nova Scotia's Seal Island lighthouse; the town of Tilting - a national historic site - in Newfoundland; and the Yukon's Herschel Island, an important cultural heritage site threatened by conditions attributed to global climate change. To download the complete report card in PDF format, visit: www.heritagecanada.org.

The proliferation of nonprofits: Is competition an opportunity or a threat?

2007-02-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

This is an excerpt from a recent article by Louise Chatterton Luchuk published on www.charityvillage.com which i thought might be of interest.

There are 161,000 nonprofit and voluntary sector organizations in Canada...and counting. To ask the question, “Is the proliferation of nonprofits an opportunity or a threat?” is a little like asking if the glass is half full or half empty. Depending on who you talk to, or what aspect of competition you are discussing, the answer will be different.

There’s no question that when it comes to funding the proliferation of nonprofits poses a real challenge because there are only so many grants to be disbursed or donors to be tapped. Huge amounts of time, energy and resources go into competing for funding. The Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations has studied funding issues in some depth. President and CEO Katherine van Kooy sees a growing awareness among funders in Calgary that their contributions per funded project are not sufficient. That fact undermines the sustainability of funded organizations. “The big dilemma,” she points out, “is that there is a finite pool of money - that’s the issue.” In Calgary, some community-based funders are deliberately supporting organizations at a level that is sustainable but, in turn, they have to make decisions about the number of organizations that they can support.

Then there is the related challenge of competition for fundraisers. In Alberta, says van Kooy, the supply does not meet the demand. Smaller organizations don’t have the same dollars to pay for fundraising professionals and this causes imbalance among nonprofits.

Read the full article here...