Gatherings: Archival and Oral Histories of Performance
A Partnership in Development through a SSHRC Partnership Development Grant Organizational Structure and Schedule of Activities (2018-21) 

Organizational Structure

The Supervisory Committee / Committee-of-the-Whole consists of all Co- Investigators and Collaborators on the project, as well as representatives from each of our three Institutional Partners. This is the final arbiter for all project decisions, and the pool from which all members of the Executive Committee and Chairs of the Task Forces (listed below) are drawn. The Supervisory Committee provides direction and oversight for the project, meeting quarterly (in Years 2 and 3) to review, approve and advise. Chair: Chosen from the Members. Roberts Rules apply. 

The Executive Committee consists of the Principal Investigator (Chair), a Budget Officer, a Liaison Officer (Co-Investigator in charge of internal communications for the project); a Project Manager (an appointed and salaried position); and any others required, selected ad hoc by the PI. The Executive Committee answers to the Supervisory Committee. It administers and distributes budgets; manages schedules and overall timelines and resources; handles all internal communications; and provides the initial public face of the project through its website, newsletter, among other resources. It also provides initial supervision of any paid assistance, including Research Assistants and Postdoctoral Candidates. Finally, it assigned the Chairs for all Task Forces, with the approval of the Supervisory Committee. Decisions are made by the Chair on advice from the Committee. 

Task Forces are created to pursue specific goals on behalf of the project, including but not restricted to Archives and Collections Liason; Individual Research Project Support; Publications Planning; Curatorship and Exhibitions; and Outreach. The focus of Task Forces may change during the life of the project, and will be reviewed by the Executive Committee regularly. Two Co-Chairs are assigned to each Task Force, who can then name others members at their discretion. 

Task Force Duties and Members as of June 2020:

Members of the Executive:  

Stephen Johnson, Lisa Aikman, Kelsey Jacobson, Sasha Kovacs, Matt Jones, Justin Blum.

Advisory:  Everyone will 'advise.'  The Executive will meet monthly, and will rotate invitations for different Task Forces to attend those meetings, highlighting their work in our discussion.  Minutes will be circulated to the Supervisory Committee.

Knowledge Mobilization:

The day-to-day ‘outreach’ for the project—oversight  of the website, newletter, listserve, etc. This is de facto the task of the Executive Committee, but with assistance from others.. 

Co-Chairs:  Kelsey Jacobson (Co-I) and Lisa Aikman (Postdoctoral, Project Director)

Advisory:  Executive, which will ask others for specific input as needed.

RAs (2018-21):  Sarah Robbins, Caitlin Gowans

Timelines:  Activity is ongoing.  I would note here that this task force is involved in any online results generated by the Symposia (see below).

Online Gatherings Gallery/Pilot Projects, and Liaison with Co-Investigator Research Projects: This groups together all of the smaller and on-going web-based projects created by all Participants, and coordinates these with everyone's primary programs of research. 

Co-Chairs:  Matt Jones and Jimena Ortuzar

Advisory:  Executive; Justin Blum; Jenn Cole; Martin Julien

RAs (Online):  Sarah Robbins, Caitlin Gowans, Sanja Vodovnik

RAs (Co-I RA):  Myrto Koumarianos; Dave DeGrow

Timelines:  Activity is ongoing; individual Co-Investigators and other contributors will be encouraged (and assisted) in making a contribution, drawn from their own research projects.  

Virtual Exhibition: 

This will make use of a range of activities undertaken by our participants.  This Task Force will also begin planning for other, physical exhibitions, that we would propose for a later grant.  

Co-Chairs:  Sasha Kovacs, Seika Boye

Advisory:   Michael Wallace, Amy Bowring, Jenny Salisbury

RAs:  Marjan Moosavi; Anna Paliy

Timelines:  A culminating production for the first three years of the Gatherings Project.

Symposia and Public Events: 

General oversight for Events will be taken on by the Executive; this should also include oversight of related grant applications (Connections, university grants), and any online and a publication aspect to these events.  Liason with the Knowledge Media task force above, and the Outcomes task force below, is essential. 

Overall Liaison and Coordination:  Executive

Toronto Symposium:  Seika Boye, Kelsey Jacobson, Jenny Salisbury

Victoria Symposium:  Allana Lindgren, Sasha Kovacs, Priyanka Chatterjee (UVic RA)

Lethbridge Symposium:  Justin Blum, Gabrielle Houle, Heather Fitzsimmons-Frey

DCColloquium/CATR/SQET:  Jill Carter, Jenn Cole, Lisa Aikman

  Other Symposia and Events TBA.

Timelines:  This is a 'rolling' timeline, of course, but we will attempt an on-line recognition of any event three months after its end.  

Archival Policies and Collections: 

The primary role of this Task Force is the creation of the appropriate policies, permissions, forms, and instruction packages for the accumulation (and dissemination) of oral histories and documents.  Going forward, there will have to be discussion about our relationship with archives and archival repositories, building polices for that as well:  Our Co-Investigators and RAs are accumulating materials, and many of of us have been offered materials by interviewees, research subjects, and colleagues--even if we discourage it. In addition to other tasks, we require the means to put individuals together with possible archival repositories. 

Co-Chairs:  Gabrielle Houle, Mark Turner, Matt Jones

Advisory:  Michael Wallace, Amy Bowring

Additional Advisory: Heather Fitzsimmons-Frey, Kelsey Jacobson, 

Martin Julien, Jill Carter

RAs:  TBA; we need to discuss needs, and skills.

Timelines:  There will be a posting of materials related to the accumulation of materials, and permissions, based on the work done to date.  Work with the 'Online' task force above, and the 'Three Lists' below, will mutually inform this work.   A focus going forward will be on the core Gatherings participants, though also reaching out to selected other contributors.  We want in particular to find ways to integrate 'exceptions' to the processes we already have in place (pre-existing oral histories and archival materials, for example), reinforcing any necessary support for contributions, and a coordination with archival repositories.  

The Three Lists & Outreach: 

The lists planned for the website do seem like a discrete ‘set of tasks'.  We associate this with 'Outreach' to like-minded scholars, archivists, curators, and the general public more generally, though these might be separated out. 

Chair:  Stephen Johnson; with Mark Turner; Allana Lindgren

Advisory:  Executive

Other Projects List:  Lisa Aikman (Postdoctoral, UoT)

Other Archives:  Matt Jones (Postdoctoral, UoT)

Other Arts Organizations:  Carolyn Clare (Postdoctoral, SFU)

RAs:  Sarah Robbins; Anna Paliy; Myrto Koumarianos; Dave DeGrow

Timelines:  A basic list using our own Participants, and pre-existing historical lists, can be used as a basis, for a 'roughed in' list for each; and a template for 'submission' by others who want their work included, and who have knowledge of archives.  

Outcomes Coordination and Print Publications: 

Any print 'outcomes' for the project require oversight, including editorial work and some advice as to what parts of our on-going work will be best served in these publications. These final 'outcomes' are, however, based on everything we will have accomplished in above.  This task force requires ongoing communication/discussion with other groups.  A publication with Partner PCP is essential, and this Task Force is planning other results.  

Co-Chairs:  Allana Lindgren, Jenn Cole, Justin Blum

Advisory:  Annie Gibson; [Roberta Barker]; Executive

Timelines:  A culminating production for the first three years of the Gatherings Project.  

Long-range Planning: 

This is largely the task of the Executive, but there will certainly be smaller-scale, time-sensitive tasks that will need assistance. We need someone, for example, to coordinate our Partnership grant application. 

Co-Chair:  Stephen Johnson (for now)

Advisory:  Mark Turner, Allana Lindgren, Jill Carter--though all those involved in the project will
participate.

Timelines:  This is a longer-term, end-of-project outcome.

Schedule of Activities (updated June 2020)

The first year (2018-19) of Gatherings was meant to establish some of the tools for our use in our various projects, a means of communication and outreach, and a sound and efficient financial reimbursement structure, all of which we will make use of for the other two years. A brief statement of accomplishments for this first year: 

1. establishment of best practices and an infrastructure for the development of oral histories and archival materials, both to assist in our own research and as a service to the research community; this will continue during the second year. 

2. discussion and early planning for an ‘archive of archives,’ including lists of like-minded research projects and a broader range of archives with performing arts materials than has generally been available; this will continue

3. creation of a website that will provide a means to explore, organize, test, ‘advertise,’ and communicate these goals, meant to act as a pilot project; this is ‘ready’

4. discussions concerning the best means to serve both the individual projects of Co-Investigators and a more general constituency, particularly in discussion with our three Partners. 

The second year (2019-20) focused on the individual projects of the Co- Investigators, supporting them in their work, providing them with means and assistance in any way possible.   Our plans were disrupted, along with most activities world-wide, half-way through this year, reflected in changes of course noted below: 

1. For our Co-Investigators: actively researching and preparing individual research projects falling within the mandate of the project, revising and reinforcing the work of each Co-Investigator.  Note:  This is under review in light of the CoVid Pandemic, and as we assist all participants in moving their research online, and adjusting to a new reality.

2. Outreach: actively reinforce and expand the ‘service’ feature of the grant— always important, looking forward to any future grants from SSHRC, but also in any relations with the larger academic community. With a website in place that distinguishes all the parts of the project, it is now important to fill in its parts—lists of archives and projects, models of archival exhibits and oral histories, and best practices for both the accumulation of these archives and the determination of appropriate repositories for archives. Note:  While this has been delayed because of the pandemic, it is all the more essential to complete this, and to provide as much access as possible to colleagues.

3. Meetings: We have in our schedule three meetings, in Toronto, Victoria, and Montreal, all three of which will benefit both 1 and 2, individual research and service needs. This makes for a busy, but a productive year. Note:  We had the first two meetings, and the third will take place as a Online Long Table meeting--something we believe to be very new.

4. Planning for Exhibition/Publication: We will focus on planning for physical Exhibitions embodying the mandate of our project, and a publication based on our symposia and the results of our individual projects. These will take place in the final year of the project, and the number and nature of these will determined by funding, logistics, and interest. We will work with partners DCD and CTM on exhibition strategies, and with partner PCP on publication strategies. Note:  We are continuing with our planning for these publications and an online publication.  We will now focus on one Virtual Exhibition, though we still believe a hard-copy publication is possible in the middle-distance.

5. Structure: We will restructure the group to more accurately reflect this year’s goals. Note:  We believe the present structure still works for our purposes, but we will monitor all activities over the next six months.

The third year (2020-21) will focus on the completion and dissemination of the first two years’ activities, as a final ‘product,’ and on the continuation of the project in some form. We require clear outcomes, both from our own individual research projects, and from our efforts to provide a service to other researchers.  Note:  Outcomes will include some of the following, allowing for changes of direction necessitated by the CoVid pandemic: 

1. A separate-but-related project interviewing members of the performing arts community affected by the pandemic.  

2. Consolidation of our present website, with the possibility of an alternative, ‘upgraded’ web presence, more capable of managing archival access and other prospects. This can be a stated intent, awaiting a future grant. 

3. Planning Symposia in the third year, including one on Oral History in the Performing Arts. 

4. Planning an exhibition that represents the goals of the project. This will be a single exhibition providing the template and materials for a subsequent traveling exhibition, that can be transported to venues across the country, perhaps in association with present and future partners. 

5. Proposed: A ‘catalogue’ related to the Exhibition, that can travel with is, and be added to in situ. 

6. Proposed: A refereed book-length publication including work by all Co- Investigators, RAs, and selected other contributors—all future Co-Investigators and Partners. 

7. A final report based on all areas of the project, including and especially lists of the alternative archives, range of research projects, and archival repositories we have accumulated over three years. 

8. Preparation for a larger Partnership Grant.