The Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) is excited to present Critical Condition: A National Check-In About Theatre Coverage in Canada on Thursday April 3rd, at 3pm ET.

Across the country and around the world, media coverage of the performing arts has been in decline over the past several decades. Fewer and fewer legacy outlets regularly run reviews and feature articles, with independent bloggers and patron reviews becoming the only source of outside response to productions in many Canadian theatre markets.

If you are concerned about this decline and its effects on Canadian theatre, this PACT roundtable is for you. We will make space for speaking about the current state of affairs, but also talk about practical solutions and opportunities for collaboration.

Questions we will address include:

What is the reality on the ground for theatres across Canada in terms of getting coverage for their work?

How can the theatre sector come together to address this decline, in partnership with journalists, independent and legacy media outlets, and academics?

What initiatives are already underway to foster new approaches to publishing, to bring new voices and perspectives into criticism, and to analyze and evaluate this changing landscape?

During the session, we will be using breakout rooms to discuss the following:

Existing funding sources for coverage and criticism

Advocating for more/better funding for coverage and criticism

Training and mentorship initiatives, and how the professional theatre sector can get involved

Cross-disciplinary collaborations between other areas of art practice (eg, visual art, film) around coverage and criticism

Host:

Karen Fricker, Editorial Advisor, Intermission Magazine

Speakers:

Chelsea Haberlin, Artistic Director, Neworld Theatre (Vancouver)

Kate Smith, Artistic Director, A Company of Fools (Ottawa)

More speakers to be announced.