Producer

Company Overview

Founded in 2001 by Joyce Lam, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct) first began as a community theatre. Over the next 12 years, vAct collaborated with over 500 Asian Canadian theatre artists, and produced over 40 shows. In 2013, Donna Yamamoto was appointed as the Producing Artistic Director. Thus began vAct's rapid transformation from a community theatre to one of the most exciting diversity- mandated professional theatre companies in Canada. In the Western Canadian theatre community, vAct plays a unique role. We are one of the only professional theatre company in Western Canada to consistently premiere new works by Asian Canadians. Following Donna’s retirement in 2022, Derek Chan took over as Managing Artistic Director, bringing with him over a decade’s experience in creating, developing, and producing original intercultural, multilingual works within BC, across Canada, and internationally.

Past productions include Ga Ting by Minh Ly; Dirty Old Woman, and The Ones We Leave Behind by Loretta Seto; Empire of the Son, 1 Hour Photo, and Kuroko by Tetsuro Shigematsu; Bad Parent by Ins Choi; My Little Tomato by Rick Tae. Empire of the Son and 1 Hour Photo have gone on to have national tours. Empire of the Son has toured to thirteen different cities across Canada and over 20,000 audience members have seen the show. In 2021, 1 Hour Photo was presented online on a virtual tour to eight different theatre companies across Canada and the US and over 1,000 people attended. Our productions have consistently broken box office records at The Cultch in Vancouver.

Vision: An inclusive and equitable human experience.

Mission: Cultivate stories from Asian Canadian perspectives to foster community.

Values: Equity, Community, Respect, Courage, Rigour

Job Description

Position: Producer

Term: One-year, part-time contract position, with the option to renew annually

Start Date: Mid- to late-April 2024, with some flexibility

Fee: $15,000

Hours: 10 hours per week on average. Tasks and duties may shift depending on the needs of the projects. Any changes will be discussed with mutual consent and ample notice.

Location: Vancouver, BC (Hybrid remote/in-person)

Reports to: Managing Artistic Director and General Manager

Supported by: Associate Artistic Producer, Marketing Coordinator, and other staff & contractors when applicable.

Application Deadline: February 15th, 2024. Candidates will be interviewed as we receive applications.

Qualifications include, but are not limited to:

• Prior experience in producing and/or managing with an arts organization, preferably a theatre/live performance arts organization;
• Strong writing and communication skills;
• The ability to work self-directed and independently with minimal supervision, as well as work in collaboration with a team;
• Detail-oriented and organized, with an aptitude for juggling deadlines, timelines and schedules;
• A passion for new performance work from Asian perspectives.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Oversee producing aspects of the Company’s programming (scheduling, space booking, marketing, project budgets, etc.), with support and collaboration from staff and other contractors;
• Liaise with contracted artists, venues, and vendors;
• Schedule regular updates with management (or attend staff meetings) as needed;
• Attend, set-up, and take-down events, with support from staff.

**Please note that contracting and accounts payable are not part of this position, and are handled by the General Manager. Projected budgets will also be provided beforehand to be consulted on.

Overview

vAct (Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre) is looking for a part-time Producer to oversee and execute our upcoming 2024/25 programming. We are a mid-sized arts organization mandated to develop, present, and produce stories and performances from Asian perspectives.

Working with a range of vAct staff and contractors, this position is suited for producers who are passionate about new work and approaching each process with care and consideration, covering tasks such as scheduling artists and venues, budget management, timeline planning, and overseeing marketing/box office status. Through this position, the Producer will also have the opportunity to learn about curation, facilitation, and to meet future collaborators.

For most of our programming, templates and process guides will be available to the Producer. In general, we aim to have a clear delineation of tasks across departments. The Producer is expected to work independently and delegate tasks accordingly, but we work collaboratively according to each person’s skills. For example, the Producer may be expected to oversee (lead) an entire project, but they will be supported by the Marketing Coordinator for executing publicity/marketing/box office tasks. The Managing Artistic Director and General Manager will also be available for support.

Tentative Project Timeline & Example Tasks

2024

April: Onboarding

May: Presentation (3-4 performances over 1 week)

• Support (onboarding. Most liaising has been done by the artist and Managing Artistic Director)

Late summer-fall: Springboard professional development series (5-7 workshops)

• Lead: artist (facilitators and participants) communications, venues, budget, etc.
• Supported by Associate Artistic Producer, Marketing Coordinator, and management

June-December: New Play Development Lab writers’ sessions (around 6 meetings plus two local residencies)

• Lead: artist (facilitators and participants) communications, venues, budget
• Supported by Associate Artistic Producer, Resident Dramaturg, and management.

September: vActory cabaret series (two performances)

• In collaboration with Managing Artistic Director and Associate Artistic Producer

October-December: New Play Development Lab workshops (9 workshops plus 3 readings)

• Lead: artist (facilitators and participants) communications, venues, budget
• Supported by Associate Artistic Producer, Resident Dramaturg, and staff.

November: Presentation (2-3 shows over 1 week)

• In collaboration with Managing Artistic Director

September-December: Mainstage Pre-production

• Lead
• With support/collaboration from management, staff, and contractors

2025

January-April: Mainstage Production

• Lead
• With support/collaboration from management, staff, and contractors