Presenters Training Gaps Analysis - Conseil des ressources ...

Presenters training gaps analysis – final report
Skills acquisition
Understanding how presenter skills are acquired at present is relevant to assessing training gaps.
Skills acquisition tends to happen through five main channels:
• Post-secondary education – Post-secondary education occurs widely in the profession.
However, most post-secondary education received is not from programs specifically designed
to teach presenting (since they do not exist). Traditional university humanities programs such
as theatre, music, and the performing arts will continue to contribute professionals entering
the industry; as such students are often individuals passionate about developing a career in
the performing arts. Arts management, business administration, and technical theatre
programs, although not geared towards presenters, teach many skills presenters require.
• Experience – Presenting is learned through experience; informants reiterate this fact. Some
presenters have backgrounds in the arts, or are artists themselves, and develop into the role
of presenter gradually as they become involved in putting on performances. Understanding
of performance arts is developed through time spent on the job, experience, trial and error,
successes, and setbacks. This practical experience is crucial to the skills acquisition
process.
• Professional development – Presenters participate in professional development activities in
the form of workshops, symposia, and one-off course offerings, often organized in
conjunction with conferences, showcases, and Contact events. Professional development is
discussed in greater detail below under the section Training offerings.
• Provincial arts and touring organizations (e.g., BC Touring Council, CCI, etc.) arrange
Contact events throughout the year to provide presenters opportunities to meet artists,
agents, managers and programmers. At these events, presenters can watch various live
performances and network with peers. An important feature of Contact events is the
“contact rooms” which allow presenters to talk directly to the artists about the
performance, venues and the artists’ availability.
• These events help showcase the performing arts on tour in Canada. Presenters often
come to Contact events to book performances for their venues. Examples of Contact
events include: BC Contact offered by BC Touring Council, Contact Ontario offered by
Réseau Ontario, and Contact East offered by the Atlantic Presenters Association.
• Networking – Presenters emphasize the importance of on-the-job learning networks to this
profession in particular. Peer feedback and appraisal is valued, and close cooperation is
sometimes necessary. Presenting fosters learning through networking events such as
Contact events (regional and national), booking conferences, showcases, symposia, festivals
and other performances. Presenters’ networks and touring association networks are
appropriate channels to deliver training.
Direct contact with knowledgeable peers is the best way to cultivate industry knowledge. It
helps to develop an appreciation of new genres and keep abreast of new trends and
audience tastes. Presenters also rely heavily on networks of trusted peers to manage artists
and plan event logistics; those who have either presented an artist in the past or are familiar
with a genre can help mitigate the financial risks of a performance for presenters who operate
under budgetary constraints (particularly at the volunteer or community level).
June, 2007
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