TORONTO DANCE THEATRE

Artistic Director APPLICANT INFORMATION PACKAGE

Contents

Introduction / How to Apply 1 The Company / About Toronto Dance Theatre 2 The Role / Job Description 5 The Person / Key Qualifications and Terms & Conditions 6 Application Form 7

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Toronto Dance Theatre - Artistic Director Applicant Information Package October 2019 Introduction / How to Apply Dear Applicant, Thank you for your interest in the Artistic Director role at Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT). Please find information about the role and the personal specifications in the following pages. Before you fill out an application form, please read the information included here as well as the notes at the top of the application form. If you would like further information, support with accessibility requirements or an informal chat about the post, contact Jane Marsland at 416-968-3698. Please send your application to Jane Marsland at adrecruitment@tdt.org. Alternatively, you can return it via mail to: Jane Marsland, TDT Artistic Director Recruitment, H-25 Madison Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2. All applications must be received by Thursday, November 7th, 2019 at 4 P.M. EST. No applications submitted after this date and time will be considered. Successful shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview with the Search Committee to be scheduled at the end of November/early December 2019; secondary interviews are due to take place in January/February 2020. The location, in Toronto, for the interviews will be provided at that time. We want to open this opportunity out as far and as wide as possible and therefore are not using a recruitment agency or a head-hunter to fill this position. Jane Marsland’s role is only to coordinate the receipt of applications and to answer any questions, in confidence, that applicants may have regarding the recruitment process. The new Artistic Director will help lead TDT as it begins its next 50 years. TDT is in strong financial health and is an artistic catalyst in the local and national dance landscape — the new Artistic Director will be stepping in at a point when there is opportunity to achieve even more than ever before. This important milestone presents new opportunities for the incoming Artistic Director to lead the organization and inspire people to take creative risks to shape the future. We look forward to receiving your application and are looking forward to working with the person who will take this ambitious organization forwards. Yours sincerely, Board of Directors, Toronto Dance Theatre

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About Toronto Dance Theatre Context Founded in 1968, Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT) is one of Canada’s largest and most active contemporary dance organizations. The company has produced a unique body of original choreography during its fifty-one year history and has contributed to the artistic development of hundreds of dancers, choreographers, and other artists from across Canada and abroad. TDT performs annually in Toronto at the Harbourfront Centre and at the company’s own Winchester Street Theatre. As a touring company, TDT has had a significant impact on the development of audiences for dance in Canada and has performed in the USA, Mexico, Europe, South America and Asia. The cultural and political context in which we work today is rapidly changing. Toronto's arts community is growing exponentially, fed by a new consciousness of the ethics of representation and of social justice issues. Much of this new work is collaborative, cross- disciplinary and experimental. Our city has become one of the most multicultural in the world, and the overwhelming presence of the digital universe continues to impact on almost every aspect of our daily lives, including ways in which the population considers culture. In response to these shifts, TDT's work has become more critically engaged and we have broadened the range of the publics we serve and the conversations in which we participate. Mission/Vision/Values Toronto Dance Theatre’s mission is to make a significant contribution to Canadian dance through the following activities:

● The creation and production of new works, and the revisiting of works from TDT’s repertoire that engage with fresh and resonant aspects of choreographic expression.

● The presentation of these works in Toronto and on tour across Canada and abroad. ● The nurturing of a resourceful and creatively engaged ensemble of performers through

shared experiences in research, training and performance. ● The facilitation of activities that provide creative opportunities for and encourage the

ongoing development of dancers, choreographers and other artists from Toronto, across Canada and abroad.

● The cultivation and empowerment of existing and new audiences for dance and the arts, including young audiences, through effective outreach and education activities.

● In collaboration with The School of TDT, the stewardship of our facilities at 80 Winchester Street as a vital centre for creation, production, training and the exchange of ideas.

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Currently, TDT's first principle is that creativity is best served by a company-wide engagement with new ideas. Discoveries flow when there is a sense of adventure and shared purpose informed by research and debate taking place around the world. We approach each project as a collective learning experience, repurposing our rich history as a lens through which to view the future. The company itself is an overarching work of art shaped by our ongoing dialogue with the times in which we live, with every artistic and organizational decision measured against its potential for supporting our goals. TDT's work engages–through the body– with questions and controversies around liveness, community, form, craft, beauty, gender, queerness, otherness, age, agency, obedience, failure, sensuality, empathy and the ethics of art practice itself. We have redefined virtuosity to include new possibilities such as virtuosities of attention or of collective engagement. We are committed to foregrounding the liveness of performance. Each performance is prepared for and entered as a singular event, with the performers tasked with discovering the truth of each moment at the same time as the audience. Our goal, even in the most set work, is to show evidence of real-time collective choreographic thinking. As a company we derive strength and creative flexibility from the fact that we own and manage, in partnership with the affiliated School of Toronto Dance Theatre, the studios and facilities at the Winchester Street Theatre. As a repertory company with an ensemble of artists who are both highly skilled and passionate about the creative process, we embody a resource of significant and increasingly rare value. Nurturing this ensemble is of paramount importance to us, as it has become one of the company's greatest strengths.

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Organizational Structure Financial Model Toronto Dance Theatre is a charitable organization with an annual revenue of approximately one million dollars. This represents a varied mix of public and private revenue sources including: ticket sales, touring fees, fundraising from Board-led initiatives, donations from foundations and individuals; corporate sponsorships; and public investment from The Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council. We are looking for an Artistic Director who will play an active role in these income generating aspects of the company by being an advocate and champion of this work – providing leadership in this area by inspiring funders and sponsors to support TDT. Studio and Theatre Facilities Toronto Dance Theatre operates out of a designated historic building located in Toronto’s Cabbagetown, sharing occupancy and ownership with the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. The building comprises a number of rehearsal spaces, dance studios and a 125 seat blackbox theatre. TDT, in concert with the School, under the auspices of The Toronto Dance Foundation, have recently received public funding approvals to build a ramp for greater accessibility into the building. As a member of the management team, the Artistic Director will play key a role in making decisions to the future health and operations of the Winchester Street Theatre. Governance Model Toronto Dance Theatre’s Board of Directors is presently made up of nine members, chaired by Charles Pavia, meeting 6-8 times per year (or as required). The Artistic Director, alongside the Managing Director, reports to the Chair, therefore a good working relationship with the Board is of the utmost importance. The Artistic Director will be expected to build a relationship which is based on trust, transparency, and collaboration in order to ensure that the Board are able to effectively support TDT. The Artistic Director, in collaboration with the Managing Director, is responsible for reporting to the Board regarding the artistic, creative, operating, and financial health of the organization. The management team is the key link between the Board and the rest of the organization and therefore requires strong leadership.

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The Role The responsibilities of the Artistic Director include:

● Determining the artistic vision of the Company and engaging in the long range planning necessary to realize this vision.

● Selecting repertoire, including both new works and revivals, which reflect the artistic vision of the Company.

● Commissioning new work for the repertoire from other sources including resident and external artists.

● Casting of dancers and determining the most appropriate training program for them ● Hiring artistic staff, including rehearsal staff and teachers. ● Selecting, in consultation with the Managing Director, all technical staff. ● Providing input to the Managing Director on artistic and creative financial requirements

during the budgeting process. ● Collaborating with the Managing Director on activities relating to the overall public

profile of the Company, including areas such as fundraising, sponsorship, marketing and publicity.

● Maintaining positive relations with the various Company stakeholders including foundations, corporations, government bodies, the media, and the general public.

● Engaging in dialogue with The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and The Toronto Dance Foundation on all areas of mutual interest.

● Collaborating with the Managing Director and Board of Directors to champion the organization’s values and principles and to ensure a healthy working culture.

● Attending all meetings of the Board of Directors and selected Board Committees as an advisor and providing input on the overall operations of the Company.

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The Person Key Qualifications

● Experienced dance practitioner with existing relationships within the local and national dance community. (International relationships will be seen as an asset.)

● A genuine commitment to Toronto Dance Theatre’s core purpose/mission. ● An awareness of the social, economic and political context in which Toronto Dance

Theatre, and the arts in general, operates. ● A compelling vision for Toronto Dance Theatre’s future. ● An inspirational ability to articulate Toronto Dance Theatre’s artistic vision to a range of

stakeholders including the Board, staff, artists, funders, media and the public ● An ability to play an active role in fundraising. ● The ability to successfully manage both risks and opportunities and possessing an

entrepreneurial approach. ● An organized and flexible approach, which enables the Artistic Director to keep on top

of the many demands of the job. ● Comfortable networking and representing the work of Toronto Dance Theatre in public

engagements. ● Sound financial understanding in order to be able to proactively engage in the delivery

of Toronto Dance Theatre’s business model ● A strong and effective team leader with the ability to motivate, inspire and take action. ● Resilience and a proactive approach in the face of challenges. ● A commitment to transparency at all levels of the organization, as well as understanding

when the utmost discretion is required. ● Experience working with Boards is desirable.

Terms and Conditions Salary: $65,000 - $75,000 + benefits Contract Length: 3-5 year term initially Preferred Start Date: June 2020

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TORONTO DANCE THEATRE Artistic Director Application Form Please fill out this form either by typing or writing clearly in black ink. Send your completed application form along with your resumé and cover letter to Jane Marsland at adrecruitment@tdt.org as either a .docx or .pdf file. Alternatively you can return it via mail to Jane Marsland, TDT Artistic Director Recruitment, H-25 Madison Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2. NOTE: You will get an acknowledgement that your application was received. All applications must be received by Thursday, November 7th, 2019 at 4 P.M. EST. No applications submitted after this date and time will be considered. If you have any difficulty completing this form or have other questions please email Jane Marsland and she will arrange a phone call if necessary. Personal Details

First Name(s): Surname(s):

Current address:

Postal Code:

Contact Tel No: Email:

Correspondence address (if different from above):

If appointed, when could you start work?:

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Why are you applying for this position? Tell us your vision for Toronto Dance Theatre, providing details of your previous experience and achievements as supporting evidence for your ideas. Include an assessment of TDT’s current vision and and how this fits with your own vision, highlighting where there are any material differences. Maximum 750 words in this section. Tell us about what kind of leader you would be at Toronto Dance Theatre – and provide details of your previous experience and achievements as supporting evidence for your ideas. Maximum 300 words in this section. Tell us the things that excite you most about being Artistic Director of Toronto Dance Theatre. Maximum 300 words in this section.