Langham News Updates
Updates – June 22, 2021
Your Board has been working hard to address issues involving the Human Rights Tribunal (HRT) appeal that began four years ago, COVID-19 restrictions, funding pressures, and plans for reopening.
As reported earlier, we were able to mediate the HRT case to the satisfaction of both parties, without going to a hearing. One of the requirements of the mediation was to establish an ongoing program on equity and diversity to be made available to all members. The first introduction workshop was held on May 27 and was attended by the Board and committee members (30 people). More future workshops are being planned for the entire membership.
COVID-19 restrictions have placed us in a precarious financial position but, by careful money management, as well as grant applications and government aid programs, this is being resolved. An example of this is Langham actively renting the theatre to six different organisations.
Post COVID-19 plans are underway to prepare for several stage activities before the end of the year. Next season’s announcement will be made in the following weeks.
A new ticketing system (Thundertix.com) has been acquired and is being implemented.
We also expect to be able to acquire streaming and related equipment to provide additional ways of producing plays. We will be putting out a call for members who are willing to be trained on this equipment and procedures involved.
To reduce on-going costs, we are taking measures to implement more LED lighting throughout the theatre.
The Costume Loft and Props volunteers have been very active in renting and recently culling items for the Garage and Costume Sale (June 19). A very successful Garage Sale was also held (June 5) with the goal of raising enough funds to purchase a new commercial vacuum cleaner. Goal achieved! Thank you to everyone who worked hard with these two sales, especially Jackie Early, Jean de Cartier, Linda MacNaughton and Wendy Henderson.
We are also bidding Jackie Early farewell as our Facility Manager. Thank you, Jackie for keeping our theatre cleaning and in tiptop condition. We would like to welcome Chris Clarke as our new Facility Manager. Many of you may remember Chris from his time as Set Construction Manager a few years ago. Welcome back Chris.
Community Outreach Committee (COC)
The COC held meetings with each of the chairs of the Board committees. Resulting from discussion at these meetings, the COC has prepared recommendations to bring forward to the July Board meeting. Thank you to Sadie Fox (Human Resources), Don Keith (Education), Mike Chadwick (Finance), Jon Sheer and Sylvia Hosie (Artistic Direction) and Kathy Macovichuk (Members and Volunteers).
One of the goals of the COC is to ensure that appointments to the Langham Court Theatre’s Board of Directors reflect diversity in the broad community. We are inviting members to work with us in identifying and approaching potential candidates who would be willing to run for positions during the upcoming Board of Directors election. We will welcome suggestions from the general membership and identify potential candidates from outside the present membership. If a potential candidate agrees to run for election, it is important to find members who will support this new candidate and act as nominators and seconders during the elections process.
If you are interested in joining our committee to find potential new Board members, please e-mail Janine at floyd.janineb@gmail.com
We welcome your input as we address our mandate to welcome new people to Langham Court Community Theatre.
COC Members – Janine Longy, Zelda Dean, Lisa Karoway, Roya Tunali
Updates – May 18, 2021
Thank you Toshik
The Langham Court Theatre Society (LCTS) Board of Directors would like to thank Toshik Bukowiecki for his long and devoted service to our theatre. It takes a lot of passion and determination to devote 50 years of one’s life to any activity and Toshik gave his time willingly to volunteer in practically every role related to the Langham stage, backstage and administration as a Board member and as a four-time president.
We must give him an especially big thank you for stepping forward over the past turbulent year to provide the leadership and guidance, keeping us focused on those activities which Langham has excelled over the past90+ years.
Under Toshik’s leadership and the creation of the Community Outreach and Strategic Planning Committees, we now have a substantial plan to move forward, both as an organization and as an active theatre.
Thank you again Toshik, and with you go all our best wishes for your future health and activity.
Our First Production:Until The Flood, by DaelOrlandersmith
Attitude Theatre, Langham Court Theatre and Bema Productions are pleased to announce a collaborative projec tplanned for the 2021 Fall/Winter. Until the Flood is a compassionate and provocative play written in response to the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, by a white police officer. It is the culmination of numerous interviews conducted in the St. Louis area by the playwright in the after math of the shooting. The characters are composites of the actual citizens interviewed, reflecting diverse perspectives and illuminates the impact that a single tragic event can have on an individual and the broader community.
Directed by: Tony Cain, AssistantDirector:RosemaryJeffery
More information will be posted in the Langham Newsletter as it evolves.
Community Outreach Committee
The Community Outreach Committee has drafted three main goals:
- To ensure, in the future, individual selected to the LCTS Board of Directors reflect the diversity in the broad community.
- To identify/describe all areas of the theatre organization where we can increase diversity (directors, cast, audience, crew, volunteers, policies).
- To make recommendations to the LCTS Board of Directors on how to reach, welcome and include people from a broad and diverse population.
We welcome ideas from the community.
Why Now? A Case for Equity
On May 27, we will be holding our first Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Workshop for all Board and committee members, as well as Langham staff. This first workshop will be conducted by Paulina Grainger from the Inter-Cultural Association of Victoria. She is an award-winning specialist in issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. This workshop willfocus on developing positive, stronger practices and protocols. Our Education Committee has entitled this ongoing program, “Discover theRainbow.” It is not an immediate “fix”of our issues at hand, but a gradual program of change.
The Board of Directors is dedicated to improving our practices of diversity equity and inclusion.
Strategic PlanningCommittee
The strategic planning committee is tasked with making recommendations to the LCTS Board of Directors and support their priorities by developing action plans to achieve its goals. While the primary focus is a strategic plan for LCTS, planning also includes emergency and response plans.
Langham’s Facebook Page
You may have noticed that Langham’s Facebook Page is no longer accessible. A number of detrimental comments were posted after the Times Colonist published an article regarding Langham and the Human Rights Tribunal case, after a resolution was reached between the theatre and Ms. McKenna. Rather than respond to these comments and escalate the negativity, the Board made the decision to disable the page. Once the theatre is back up and running, the page will be reinstated.
