Convenor's Report for PRCSA AGM 28 January 2007 Prepared by Jill Staveley First off, it has been a wonderful change for me working with Dwayne, and being able to have developed a great connection with him. It has been groundbreaking to be able to support and rely on someone who also has a solid understanding of, and a true sense of investment for Sadleir House from the day to day perspective. Thanks. Sadleir House actually feels "official" these days. We're busy with everything from student group meetings & community group rehearsals, to live music performances & family reunions. It feels like we are finally at a place where the different spaces in the house have been firmly defined in terms of our capabilities. The past couple years have been a learning experience, letting the House and the different user groups reveal what works and doesn't work in this space. Though it has been difficult to "give up" on some projects, our current programming and facilities really seem to fit our capabilities, staff, community at large and recurring user groups. Though the House and it's community will continually grow and change, it finally feels like we've gotten our bearings after hitting the ground running 2.5 years ago. Liquor License: We finally have a permanent Liquor License in the Dining Hall (woohoo!), and a Caterer's Endorsement that allows us to provide bar services in other locations when hired by a separate and distinct client. Our main goals with the license is to provide a space where Liquor Sales can occur at events specifically requesting this service; to enhance our ability to facilitate creative community performances in a venue that meets the same standards as "downtown" venues; and to be host to "Pub Nights" which currently happen every Monday night from 8pm - 12am. It is our intent that the Dining Hall not become a bar or pub that is simply open for the sake of drinking, but rather to provide this service for events and programming where it is deemed appropriate. It is amazing to finally be able to facilitate licensed events at Sadleir House without time restrictions, the red-tape & run-around of Special Occasions Permits. Pub Nights: The main intention is that we create a space that is reliably open, where students and community members can come relax and socialise. These nights are also created with the intentions of opening up the space for events and programming organised by student & community groups free of cost. We have incorporated the expenses/staffing of these nights into our regular operations with the hopes that it will open doors to groups with good ideas, and limited budgets, while staying within our capabilities. Pianos: So we have 4 pianos (all donated or semi-permanent loans) that are currently living at Sadleir House. 2 of the pianos do not technically belong to us, but have been placed in our care for undetermined periods of time. The nicest piano belongs to the Cultural Studies Department, and is currently scheduled to be placed in the Dining Hall for performance use. By the end of January 2007, we will have pianos located in (a) the Lecture Hall, (b) the Dining Hall, (c) the Senior Common Rooms, & (d) in the hallway by the OPIRG office. We have become a resource for at least 3 "regulars" who come to by to keep their chops up. Fee Schedule & Bookings Agreements: Based upon usages and feedback from the past few years, we now have a functioning Fee Schedule system. I still believe that it is important to be flexible when determining costs for different groups, but with our available facilities set in place, and specified House Hours, we have a much clearer method for providing information to potential user groups. This also enables office staff to share basic responsibilities for booking enquiries. I've also made it standard practice to prepare an agreement for each booking or series of bookings, to be signed by the user group. This system is useful to avoid confusion due to assumptions of available services & facilities. It also ensures that user groups understand our expectations regarding space usage. Though a little tedious in the booking process, it has proven to prevent many last minute phone calls and emails, and to provide office staff with clear expectations of bookings & events. These agreements will also be a useful resource for future decisions regarding bookable facilities. Performance Space Facilities: The Dining Hall is starting to really feel like a "real" performance venue. By February 2007 we will have a simple lighting system with dimmers available for use in the space. We also (mostly) own a functioning sound system that is suitable for everything from live music to film screenings set up semi-permanently in the space. This makes set-up and facilitation of events much more efficient and feasible, thus reducing limitations for user groups and headaches for staff. Series Bookings: We have seen an increase in Series Bookings at Sadleir House. A Series Booking is a block of 6 or more bookings, taking place on a regular basis at Sadleir House. Usages such as this increase a sense of stable community and familiarity with the space for many of us. It also gives us a sense that groups enjoy using the space, and find it affordable, comfortable and suitable for their needs. RC4G (Rock Camp for Girls) July 2006: Sadleir House took on this project in cooperation with 4 of the band members from The Estrogems (Jean Greig, Kate Story, Peg Towne & Emily Glasspool), and sponsored by Public Energy & Trent Radio. Basically, we facilitated a 5 day Summer Rock Camp for girls aged 11 - 15 at Sadleir House. There were 15 campers, led by 5 instructors and all having a whole lot of fun. The campers were split up into bands, who would collaboratively write and perform a song at the end of the week in a concert setting. Each day was split up into three sections: (1) workshop/seminar: topics including live performance tactics, poster making, vocal techniques, sound gear/technology & song writing, (2) instrument lessons: guitar, bass, drums & keys & (3) band rehearsal: each camper was asked to indicate their instrument preference on their application form, and bands were formed based upon this. Each band was assisted by an instructor who acted as a passive guide and resource for the creation and rehearsal process, in preparation for the final concert. All of the coordinators and campers had a great time, and every camper stated their interest in participating at "next years RC4G"...something we hadn't even considered at the time. This interest instigated thoughts and possibilities for RC4G 2007. General Space Usage: Sadleir House is busy! We've seen a lot of different types of bookings in the space, and we've come to a point where we have refused requests due to lack of available space, time and facilities. When this happens, I do my best to inform the group/individual of alternative available times and/or dates, often finding suitable alternative arrangements. Here is a quick list of some of the groups/individuals who have used the space since September: Stephanie Park (Yoga) / PND/Public Energy (workshops, rehearsals) / KYO (rehearsals) / Peterborough English Dancers (rehearsals) / Adam Prinsen (Yoga) / Latin Furor (dance classes) / Cultural Studies Dept (classes, presentations, theatre rehearsals & performance) / TUFA (meetings) / Trent Film (screenings) / OPIRG (workshops, training, community events) / ACO (meetings) / ESA (socials) / In From the Cold (rehearsals) / Indigenous Performance Initiatives (rehearsals) / Park Place for Youth (xmas party) / Martin Hickey (family reunion) / EFA (xmas party) / Mysterious Entity (workshop & performance) / Grace Mahoney (meeting space) / OCASI (workshop) The 3rd Space: I'd just like to send out a quick (but very heartfelt) thanks and best wishes to Dave Blondel, Chris Vyn and everyone from The 3rd Space. This group started using Sadleir House as their meeting space for church services in Sept/05. The have been a great support from the beginning, providing volunteer help with painting, raking, garbage days, and house cleaning days. Their congregation steadily increased to the point where they no longer "fit" into the Dining Hall. In October 2006, they were able to sign a lease agreement to make Knox United Church. Without their help and support, the accomplishments that we've made over the past few years would have been much more difficult. Thanks guys! OWSP Staff & Event Staff: We'd be nothing without them. We have an amazing roster of staff this year that includes Robin Smith, Nick Ferrio, Laura Perry & Ryan Perks. It has been amazing to work with such a reliable, responsible, and capable crew of people. It will definitely be a challenge for future staff to live up to the precedent set by them - Dwayne & I couldn't accomplish half of what we do without them. I've been working on a list of Event Staff, who can be (and have been) called upon for contract work when required. So far the list includes Dave Tobey, Mike Duguay, Andrew Fox & Mathias Kom. Programming: We've been able to instigate some real events these days, here's a basic list of our programming: MON JAN 15th - A Night of Keys with James Kent, Charlie Glasspool & Mike Duguay MON JAN 22nd - Open Mic with the Education Students Association MON JAN 29th - Trent Radio Dance Party FRI FEB 2nd - Gutter Trinity, The Kettle Black MON FEB 5th - Arthur (your student newspaper) presents Wax Mannequin FRI FEB 9th & SAT FEB 10th - Cultural Studies 270 & 370 present The Lesson MON FEB 12th - Open Mic with the Education Students Association FRI FEB 16th - Cabaret a fundraiser for Peterborough's THUG MON FEB 19th - OPIRG presents Bob Wiseman & Geoff Berner MON FEB 26th - Local Music night with Leopold & friends FRI MAR 2nd - A Night of Live Music with The D'Urbervilles & friends MON MAR 5th - T.B.A. FRI MAR 9th - Spy Machine Sixteen (Guelph) with The Sweet Home Wreckers (Ptbo) MON MAR 12th - DJ Smoke & Tiina Kivinen present a Night of Ecstatic Dance MON MAR 19th - T.B.A. MON MAR 26th - A Night of Art with Cultural Studies (Maralynn Cherry's Class Art Exhibition) [end]