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Fostering Excellence in the World of Performing Arts
Xwexwey’em’ Academy for the Performing Arts
What Does It Take to Present a Show?
Guidelines for Delivery of Products and Services
Xwexwey’em’ Academy for the Performing Arts is about fostering excellence in the world of performing arts for the purpose of enhancing the lives of any and all participants of its various activities. We believe that by participating in the performing arts, we can improve our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and cultural well-being. Xwexwey’em’ Academy
- serves to develop that artistry and creativity
- provides the means with which to present the outputs of that artistry and creativity
Xwexwey’em’ Academy for the Performing Arts has the following purposes:
- To encourage and foster the performing arts.
- To provide and support education and developental research in the performing arts, including syllabi and pedagogical techniques.
- To develop, manage, and fulfill performance opportunities for performing artists.
- To encourage community involvement and awareness of the performing arts through fundraising, events, festivals, concerts, shows, films, television programs, and other forms of entertainment and cultural activities.
- To help establish and maintain standards of excellence in the performing arts.
- To reach all age categories, regardless of gender and ethnicity.
Xwexwey’em’ (spelled properly in our logo and pronounced hwa–hwee–yem') means telling a story (the active process of) in Hun’q’umin’um’, which is the downriver dialect of Halq’eméylem and the traditional language of the local Tsawwassen First Nation people. (Our thanks go to the Tsawwassen First Nation for their blessing to use this word from their traditional language, and to Dr. Patricia Shaw of the First Nations Languages Program at UBC for guiding us through the translation process and for the correct pronunciation.) We believe that through the active process of telling a story through the performing arts, we can contribute to the cultural identity of our community.
We are determined that every show we present be an entertaining and cultural experience for the performers and audience alike, produced in the most professional manner possible, given the resources. As is generally the case with the performing arts, budgets are limited, so aside from a very small core of directorial and production personnel on staff with Xwexwey’em’ Academy, we must rely heavily on volunteers. Even our core directorial and production staff are essentially volunteering their time for shows. Our core staff include:
- Artistic Director
- Executive Producer; also Director of Marketing and Promotions Director
- Director of Finance; also Accountant and Bookkeeper
- Producer; also Promotions Manager, Production Manager (including Pre- and Post-Production), and Venue Coordinator
- Production Coordinator/Administrator; also Promotions Administrator, Costume Coordinator, Advertising Coordinator, and Production Clean-up Supervisor
- Production Assistant; also Front-of-House Coordinator, Tour Coordinator/Supervisor
- Graphic Designer
In addition to the core personnel, some or all of the following positions need to be filled for our shows:
- Assistant to the Director (including Pre-Production)
- Stage Manager
- Stage Assistants (2)
- Backstage Manager
- Backstage Assistants (2)
- Backstage Supervisors (4-8)
- Runners (3)
- Set Coordinator
- Prop Coordinator
- Audio/Visual Coordinator
- Costume Supervisors (3)
- Makeup and Hair Coordinators/Supervisors (3, including Pre- and Post-Production)
- Front-of-House Assistants (2)
- Head Usher
- Ushers (2)
- Security Guards (1-2)
- Transportation Supervisor
- Clean-up Crew (4-8)
- Photographer
Depending on the type of show and venue, the following personnel may also be required and thus added to the cost of renting the venue:
- Chief Technician
- Lighting Technician
- Sound Technician
- Technical Crew/Stage Hands (2)
- Head Usher
- Ushers (2)
Needless to say, much goes into presenting a show, and we are grateful for all of the support we receive.
In delivering products and services to the community, Xwexwey’em’ Academy is committed to the following guidelines:
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Everybody deserves the right to participate in the performing arts. |
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Everybody deserves to be treated fairly. Favouritism, prejudice, or any form of preferential treatment towards any individual or group will not be tolerated or accepted. |
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Once established, the relationship boundaries between individuals will be respected by all parties at all times. These relationships include teacher-student, director-teacher, administrator-customer, to name a few. |
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Nobody should be forced to tolerate or accept abuse or abusive behaviour, whether it be verbal, physical, mental, emotional, or otherwise. |
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All verbal and written communications should be expressed in such as manner that is truthful and constructive; it should not be hurtful, exaggerated, or untruthful. Gossip will not be tolerated or accepted. |
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A spirit of creativity and positiveness will be promoted at all times. A spirit of negativity will be dismissed. |
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Our business pertains to the performing arts relative to our mission and purposes. Any business decisions made by the officers, directors, and managers of Xwexwey’em’ Academy reflect our mission and purposes; therefore, as a matter of policy, we are obligated to consider all issues within the context of our mission and purposes, without favouritism, prejudice, or any form of preferential treatment, and without the influence of anger, rudeness, selfishness, resentment, greed, uncooperativeness, panic, dismay, fear, blackmail, or threats that may be directed at us. |
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We reserve the right to request the removal of any person whose conduct or speech disagrees with these guidelines. |
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