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Collaborate!'s Origin Story

As a youth actor, dancer and singer, I took classes at high school, trained at two dance studios, and took singing and acting lessons in the community.  I took advantage of all of the training opportunities I could find.  They were all wonderful and helped me develop my technical skills.  I also got to meet and work with wonderfully creative people to create amazing shows.  However, there was one problem that was often hard for me to overcome.  The organizations providing the training didn't communicate with each other.  When it came time for the different showcases at the year end, it often meant I was expected to be in two or sometimes three places at once.  Unfortunately, I couldn't clone myself so this led to disappointment and frustration for me and my teachers. There were even moments of anger and I was left feeling I had let people down, even though I always told the teachers I was taking lessons from different places in the community.

 

I can remember wishing that my school and community organizations would just talk to each other about the students they share, and that they would coordinate the dates and times of their shows so all this conflict could be avoided.  It seemed like an easy way to avoid all the extra stress that was being created.   Through that wish, the initial idea for Collaborate! was born.

 

When I went to Toronto for my musical theatre training and then on to Glasgow for my Masters in Classical Theatre and Performance, I began to see a paradox in the theatre world: performances require a lot of collaboration, yet the performing arts industry has been developed under a competitive model. 

 

Dancers, singers, and actors audition against their fellow artists for roles.  For you to succeed others must fail.  The best competitors must then put aside their competitive nature to collaborate on a production.  The ego that was front and centre that got the performer their role, must be put aside for the betterment of the group.  Does that really work?  Sometimes.  When I went to the student orientation at Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto, a recent graduate spoke to us.  She cautioned us about the competive nature of the industry.  She said if your focus is on being the best dancer, best singer, best actor you lose sight of being the best person you could be.  If you hone your skill and you are supportive of others, should you get injured in your career, the people around you will support you.  However, if you are the best dancer, but you are a jerk to the others involved in the show, when you get injured, you are simply replaced, and forgotten.  

 

After graduation I had the opportunity to be involved in the professional performing arts world, as well as to observe my local community performing arts world.  I noticed there were a lot of people working in isolation.  They all believed in the importance of the arts, but they weren't working together.  There was evidence of competition between theatre companies and between studios.  As an artist, I just wanted to perform, and I wanted to use local artists to bring performances to the masses.  I began to talk to different community groups about working more collaboratively for the mutual benefit of all.  

 

When I became the managing director of Inner Fish Theatre Society, I learned how to manage a festival and how to write grants to support performance art.  And the final piece of the Collaborate! puzzle fell into place. 

 

At Collaborate!, we believe in the power of collaboration to transform the performing arts industry. Our society is dedicated to providing a platform for BC-based professional and emerging performing arts practitioners to connect and work together. Our members benefit from the mutual promotion of classes and events, and our commitment to putting students’ needs first ensures that collaboration always yields fruitful results. Additionally, our grant-writing program offers a unique opportunity to delve into transformative projects that push boundaries and inspire creativity.

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We strive to provide a supportive and collaborative environment for artists and performers of all levels. Our goal is to help our members hone their craft, connect with other creatives, and share their talents with the community at large. We are committed to providing accessible and inclusive programs and workshops that cater to a diverse range of interests and skill levels. Join us today and be a part of a community that values collaboration, creativity, and artistic expression.

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For the communities our members serve, Collaborate! represents an unparalleled offering of experiences that cannot be found anywhere else, from movement and arts practitioners spanning a wide variety of unique mediums and modalities, to the wellness professionals that support them.

 

Will Cullen, MA

Executive Director.

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Learn about our team of talented member practitioners here, or chech the bottom of our home page for a calendar of upcoming events.

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If you have a question or just want to connect with us, use the form below.

Get in Touch

#2 4402 25th Street

Vernon, BC V1T4S6

250-241-0907

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