AWARDS GUIDELINES

1.Mission

The Saskatoon and Area Theatre Awards recognize, celebrate and promote professional theatre artists and organizations of all sizes in Saskatoon and surrounding area (up to a 100km radius). The core activity through which this is fulfilled is an annual awards program that involves Saskatoon’s professional theatre community in a critically assessed selection process.

2.Background

The Saskatoon and Area Theatre Awards Ceremony (“The Gala”) is an event that allows the public and the theatre community to recognize and celebrate the excellent professional theatre that takes place on Saskatoon’s stages throughout the year as well as the artists and companies that create that work. The Awards strive to be a positive influence in the advancement of professional theatre in Saskatoon and surrounding area through promotion and advocacy. The administration of the Awards is the responsibility of the Steering Committee. The assessment of the awards is by a assessment committee that is separate from the Steering Committee, made up of members of the theatre community including patrons and supporters. The Saskatoon and Area Theatre Awards Season runs September 1st to August 31st annually.

3.Production Registration

It is each theatre’s responsibility to fill out the SATAwards Application Form if the company wishes to have its work assessed by the assessment committee. While the SATA Committee will send reminders to known producers, it is ultimately the responsibility of producers to register their productions. The Production Registration Form should be submitted at least twenty-five (25) days prior to the first public performance of the production, to ensure assessment panel members are able to schedule their attendance.

4.Production Eligibility

Productions applying for SATAwards consideration must:

a. Be structured in the pursuit of financially compensating all of the artists involved. Canadian Actor's Equity Association contracts including CTA, ITA, DOT, & ACP are an industry standard. If this is not the case for your production, please make note of your structure in the application.

b. Eligible Productions must be open to the general public and have, at least, 5 public performances, to allow enough opportunities for assessment panel members to attend a production.

c. Be produced or presented by locally based theatre companies. Productions from outside Saskatoon and area (within 100km) that are being presented (i.e., purchased/brought in from elsewhere and performed in Saskatoon and area) are ONLY eligible in a specific ‘Presentation’ category at the discretion of the assessment panel. Presenters are still required to register these productions should they wish to participate. This does not include co-productions involving Saskatoon companies, or presentations of locally-produced work, which are eligible in all award categories.

d. If a production does not meet the above criteria, an exemption may be granted based on unique circumstances. A case must be made on the Production Registration Form for the waiving of certain criteria. The SATA Steering Committee will assess the application and may deem the production eligible with two thirds (2/3) majority of the vote. Please submit applications in a timely way so that special requests can be discussed by the Steering Committee.

e. The SATAwards assessment panel cannot be asked to assess work from other disciplines, such as film or visual art. If such work comprises a distinct and separate part of an interdisciplinary production, only the theatre elements of that production will be assessed. “Theatre” is defined as a performance given by one or more persons who are physically present in the space. Film, visual art, and other art forms that are an integrated part of the live performance will be considered design/production elements and will be assessed accordingly. It is the responsibility of the producer to determine the eligibility of these elements by consulting with the Steering Committee before the assessment panel attends the production.

f. We are unable to adjudicate Fringe shows due to the nature of a Fringe Theatre run and our inability to fairly accommodate and coordinate this with the assessment panel.

g. For reproductions and remounts of eligible productions in the catchment area, only previously unassessed or new elements will be deemed eligible for recognition. It is the Steering Committee’s responsibility to make known to the assessment panel any previously assessed elements in a reproduction or remount.

h. Presenting companies agree to provide one (1) complimentary ticket to each eligible production for each assessment panel member. Complimentary tickets for assessment panel members are not transferable and may be used only by current SATAwards assessment panel members. Assessment panels are typically between 5 – 9 individuals.

i. Presenting companies agree to provide a single contact at their company to be a liaison to the Awards, and to distribute Awards information to staff and artists as needed.

5. Award Categories

There can be multiple recipients in a category, or no nominees in a category, at the discretion of the assessment panel. The below are recommendations made to the assessment panel by the steering committee but ultimately the assessment panel is responsible for determining which awards will be presented. These awards are intended to reflect the work created in our community. The awards are a barometer for the work that is happening.

As examples of:

THE OUTSTANDING EMERGING ARTIST AWARD

THE ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE IN DIRECTION

THE ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE IN CHOREOGRAPHY AWARD

THE ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE IN PERFORMANCE AWARD

THE ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN

THE TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

THE OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE AWARD

THE EXCELLENCE IN THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

THE OUTSTANDING TOURING PRODUCTION AWARD

THE EXCELLENCE IN NEW WORK AWARD

THE OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION AWARD

6. Special Award Categories

Other awards may be created by the assessment panel should the occasion arise. Some examples might be Outstanding Ensemble, Puppetry, Mime, Musical Direction, Award for Innovation, Projections, or anything else the assessment panel thinks is worthy of recognition but which may not happen frequently enough to warrant its own category.

While the assessment panel is responsible for adjudicating and awarding the awards annually, two Special Awards are adjudicated by the Steering Committee: The Henry Woolf Award for Continuing Achievement and the Community Building Award.

7. Henry Woolf for Continuing Achievement Award

Named after Henry Woolf, one of Saskatoon’s most accomplished theatre artists, the award honours an individual or group in the Saskatoon area for outstanding contribution, dedication, and achievement within the theatre community. Eligible recipients will have shown a significant contribution to theatre in Saskatoon and area. There is no limitation placed on to whom this Award may be presented (directors, performers, administrators, stage managers, technicians, patrons, etc).

This Award may be presented to a member of the community from any background (directors, performers, administrators, stage managers, technicians, patrons, etc). The Steering Committee will accept nominations in writing (including email) from the public and from the theatre community. The deadline for nominations will be August 31 of each year unless otherwise announced in any given year.

Please keep in mind that this nomination is not for an individual’s work in a particular show that you saw – the assessment panel will take care of that – but for continuing achievement in any area.

Upon selection of the Recipient, the Steering Committee will announce the Recipient in advance of the Awards Ceremony.

8. Community Building Award

Like the Henry Woolf Award for Continuing Achievement, this award is presented to an organizational or individual member of the Saskatoon theatre community who has shown significant dedication to championing the theatre community throughout their lifetime or the lifetime of a project in the case of an organization. As with the Henry Woolf Award, the Community Building Award may be presented to a member of the community from any background (directors, performers, administrators, stage managers, technicians, patrons, funders, etc). The Steering Committee will accept nominations in writing (including email) from the public and from the theatre community. The deadline for nominations will be August 31 of each year unless otherwise announced in any given year. Upon selection of the Recipient, the Steering Committee will announce the Recipient in advance of the Awards Ceremony.

9. Assessment panel

Decisions on awards are not directly influenced or voted on by the steering committee. The SATAwards steering committee stands by the decisions made by the assessment panel and stewards the voting process.

To that end:

a. The Steering Committee will select a minimum of five (5) or a maximum of nine (9) members for the assessment panel from the theatre community and its patrons. The assessment panel is chosen to reflect a balance of different disciplines, ages, experience and genders.

b. The assessment panel attends Eligible Productions throughout the year and meets after the end of the theatre season (post-August 31st). At that meeting the assessment panel members will collectively decide who will receive recognition in each of the categories. Members of the Steering Committee will be present to mediate the selection process but, as above, will not directly influence or vote as members of the assessment panel.

c. The official call for assessment panel members will typically begin in June with the assessment panel for each upcoming season set in place by August 1st. Members of the theatre community may voice their

interest in joining the assessment panel at any time throughout the theatre season, but will not be added to the assessment panel until the next official call to ensure fairness for all producing companies in a given season.

d. An orientation meeting of selected assessment panel members will take place between August 1st and 31st of each year to ensure assessment panel members are aware of their responsibilities for the upcoming season.

e. Assessment panel members may serve two (2) consecutive seasons on the assessment panel. No more than two (2) members of each assessment panel may serve consecutive seasons.

f. Assessment panel members are volunteers and receive no compensation for their work.

g. The SATAwards committee will not publicize or divulge the names or other information of assessment panel members. Anonymity of the assessment panel is encouraged but not guaranteed.

h. Assessment panel members are to see all productions throughout the theatre season. The SATAwards Steering committee will ensure that assessment panel members go through anti-bias training as part of the orientation meeting and that assessment panel members are aware that attendance of all eligible productions is of high importance.

i. If an assessment panel member is unable to attend a production, their complimentary tickets may not be transferred to an individual who is not on the assessment panel. Complimentary tickets may be used by current assessment panel members only.

10. Steering Committee Role

a. The Steering Committee oversees all operations and administration of the Awards.

b. Steering Committee members are volunteers and receive no compensation for their work .

c. The Steering Committee will meet as needed to discuss the operations and administration of the Awards.

d. Steering Committee members are chosen to reflect a balance of different disciplines, ages, experience and genders. Skill sets of potential members are also taken into heavy consideration.

e. The Steering Committee is charged with replenishing its retiring members with new members who can serve to fill vacated duties of the Committee. Five (5) to nine (9) has been deemed the optimal number of Steering Committee members.

f. Members of the theatre community may voice their interest in joining the Steering Committee at any time to any member of the Steering Committee.

g. New members may be voted onto the Steering Committee with a majority vote by the current Steering Committee members. Voting can take place at any meeting of the Steering Committee or digitally by email.

h. Questions or comments about any aspect of the Awards can be posed directly to any Steering Committee member.