Virtual Salon #38: The World as Studio: Resources for Emerging Designers
For designers who are entering the field of theater, there are a wide range of resources available beyond an educational institution. From collectives, to space, to unions, listings, and beyond. Join Wingspace and Design Week for an event that brings together folx who are leading efforts to create more access to resources for theatremakers, including The Tank, Production on Deck, Design Action, Local USA 829, and Artcube Nation. This space is intended to provide tools for emerging designers as well as an opportunity to form connections with peers from across the nation and designers currently working in the field.
Panelists: Natalie Robin, Meghan Finn, David “Dstew” Stewart, and more.
Moderated by Wingspace
Produced in partnership with Design Week
Sunday, May 22nd, 7pm ET / 4pm PT via Zoom, Facebook Live
Register in advance for this salon: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0lc--grT0tGtbFgAJHl9O61H9He-oWNpslhttps://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0lc--grT0tGtbFgAJHl9O61H9He-oWNpsl
Wingspace is committed to inclusivity and we are dedicated to increasing accessibility for all our events. If you have questions or concerns centered around access or accommodations we strongly welcome you to please reach out to us via DM or email: salons@wingspace.com
About the Organization:
The Tank is a small, Manhattan-based non-profit arts presenter and producer serving emerging artists. Our goal is to remove economic barriers from the creation of new work for artists launching their careers or experimenting within their art form, while being inclusive and accessible. We keep ticket prices affordable, expanding the creation and attendance of the arts for a broad and diverse community. Founded in 2003, The Tank champions emerging artists engaged in the pursuit of new ideas and forms of expression working across all disciplines, including theater, comedy, dance, film, music, puppetry, and storytelling. From the company’s two-theater home on 36th Street, The Tank serves over 2,500 artists every year, presents over 1,000 performances, and welcomes 36,000 audience members annually. The company fully produces a curated season of 13-18 theatrical World or New York premieres each season.
“Production on Deck (PoD) began as a resource to consolidate the many tools used across the country to identify talent from marginalized communities and has grown into a full-fledged talent and consulting firm for theatrical production roles. Six months ago, Production Manager, David ‘dstew’ Stewart and partner Sarah Lozoff, formally created Production on Deck, LLC and have hit the ground running conducting talent acquisition searches finding positions for a number of production people. They, along with consultants called Seekers, seek to expand the traditional idea of the talent pipeline, and increase pathways for marginalized communities to access jobs in the theatrical production field. With a focus on inclusion, diversity, equity, and belonging, PoD broadens the definition of ‘the best person for the job’ to one that welcomes the whole of an individual into a room. Also it should be noted that the PoD website has 36 links to lists and databases that is an incredible resource for the industry. Stewart, currently Production Manager—Disney Live Entertainment and Lozoff, currently an intimacy director for both American Ballet Theatre and RudduR Dance, recently spoke with Stage Directions about the work of PoD.” - Projection Lights and Staging News
Design Action is an intergenerational coalition of BIPOC and white designers. Working to end racial inequities in the North American Theater by confronting racism in our workplace and forging new pathways into the industry for rising designers of color. Read the 5 principles document here: https://www.design-action.com/new-page-1
United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE, is a labor union and professional association of Designers, Artists, Craftspeople, and Department Coordinators, organized to protect craft standards, working conditions and wages for the entertainment and decorative arts industries. The members of Local USA 829 work in film, theatre, opera, ballet, television, industrial shows, commercials and exhibitions. The current active membership totals over 5,000. Objectives of the organization: To foster and adopt ways and means for the continuous improvement of the working and living standards of the members of United Scenic Artists; to secure legislation in the interests of our members; to bring about higher wages, shorter hours and better working conditions for them; to influence public opinion by peaceful and legal methods; to promote, encourage and bring into existence satisfactory contractual relationships with employers in the industries from which our members are drawn; to advance and maintain better relations between our members and their employers; and to otherwise enrich the lives of our members, all other working men and women, and all mankind. To promote their individual rights in the prosecution of their trade or occupation, including creative property rights. Local USA 829 establishes wages for Designers and Artists, and negotiates with employers to secure the best possible terms and conditions of employment as well as access to Health Insurance and Retirement benefits through employer contributions of Pension, Welfare, 401(k) and Annuity benefits.
ArtCube Nation is the Professional Social Network for The Art Department. At ArtCube Nation, we have a mission to harness the power of community and connection to solve the issues we face in our industry. As former Art Department Coordinators and Prop Stylists, founders Eva Radke and Liz Minot found the old ways of getting the job done expensive, wasteful and time consuming. ArtCube Nation is a powerful tool made up of a workforce that spans every level. Our members can find what they need in minutes with the ease of submitting a post. Be it an assistant in another part of the world, an available fabricator for a last-minute build or new homes for no-longer needed production assets, such as materials or furniture. It's easy, fast and we continue to grow our members and add features that will further add to the ease of getting the job done.
Panelist Bios:
Natalie Robin (she/her) is a Philadelphia-based lighting designer, educator and organizer whose design work focuses on new American plays and musicals, contemporary dance and site-specific performance. She believes that design is dramaturgy and is interested in how the generative text for work can be found in movement as much as in language. Her work expresses emotional narratives through light as an ephemeral and time-based medium. She loves musicals. Natalie is currently the Program Director of Theater Design & Technology in the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Eastern Region of United Scenic Artists /IATSE Local USA 829 where she aims to advocate for transparency, inclusion and deepened organizing within the union and community.
Meghan Finn is the Artistic Director of The Tank. She previously served as the Associate Artistic Director at 3LD Art & Technology Center. Her directorial work has been seen at the Tank, the V&A, Serpentine Galleries, The Wexner Center, SCAD, The Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago, Museo Jumex Mexico City, The Power Plant, Canadian Stage, Carnegie Mellon, Brooklyn College, MIT, NYU, the Great Plains Theater Conference and others. Under her leadership, The Tank has established itself in a two theater complex on 36th Street, doubling its artistic programming and annual revenue since FY17. She has overseen the growth of the staff and artistic output working with the organizational leadership and artists to seamlessly establish CYBERTANK, a virtual platform for artistic work in the wake of the pandemic. In 2020, The Tank was awarded an OBIE AWARD for institutional excellence, under Finn's leadership as Artistic Director.
David “Dstew” Stewart is co-founder for production on Deck. He is a Production Manager with Disney Live Entertainment. Produced works at Disney include: WDW 50th Anniversary, DJ’s Ready, Set, Party Time! (Hollywood Studios), Wonderful World of Animation (Hollywood Studios) Joyful! (Epcot), National Association of Black Journalists (Miami). Prior to working for Disney, David worked for the Guthrie Theater as Director of Production, University of Texas at Austin, University of Wisconsin – Madison. He had the honor of being the Stage Manager for His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. AEA stage manager for Madison Repertory Theatre, Studio Arena Theatre, St. Louis MUNY, Kansas City Starlight Outdoor Musicals, The Little Theatre on the Square and Vienna Austria’s English Theatre. In addition, Stewart was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Achievement award from Webster University. He currently serves as the Chair for the People of Color Network at USITT, sits on their board of directors, as well as co-founder of the highly successful Gateway Program. He has two nationally published articles on diversity in theater production, is the technical editor for two theater management books, and holds a 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.