KWMP Virtual Annual General Meeting – 2020
KWMP members are invited to our online Annual General Meeting, on November 22 at 4 pm.
At the meeting, we will share what KWMP has been working on for the past year, answer your questions, collect your feedback, and elect a new Board of Directors.
Due to the unprecedented global pandemic, the KWMP Board of Directors has approved a motion to temporarily eliminate the $25 membership fee for the 2020-2021 season.
Members may vote either in person or by proxy by one of the following:
Download: Proxy Form
Mail: 14 Shaftsbury Ave, Kitchener, ON, N2A 1N5
Scan & Email: info@kwmp.ca
E-Proxy Form: Click Here
Zoom meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81045947367?pwd=bXJNMXRYcCtzRjVGSVVjVm55bnhBZz09
Meeting ID: 810 4594 7367 Passcode: 527545
Proposed By-Law Amendment
In 2018, the KWMP membership approved a by-law amendment to move our year-end to June 30, to be more in line with our season. This is also in line with our membership period which is from July 1 to June 30 of each year. This presents a challenge, as the majority of our members do not renew their membership on July 1st, and instead renew or become members when they start production of one of our shows.
In order to ensure we are representing the KWMP membership, and have quorum at the AGM, we have proposed a motion that would extend the membership period to the end of the AGM of that fiscal year.
Motion
1. Motion to amend section 24 of the K-W Musical Productions By-Laws from: “The membership period is July 1st to June 30th of each year,” to “The membership period is July 1 to the end of AGM of that fiscal year.”
KWMP By-Laws
Presidents Report
- Addams Family the Musical Update
- Our Current Financial Situation
- Your KWMP Action Plan Update
- Shaping the future of Your KWMP – Join the KWMP Board of Directors
- AGM Meeting Materials
Addams Family the Musical Update
When we started production of Addams Family the Musical over a year ago, we had a clear plan for how the show would come together. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had other ideas. Since we put the production on hold in March, a lot has changed in the world. We have been watching the developments of this pandemic closely and have been deferring to Health Canada and other authorities for guidance on how to proceed. As you probably know, singing represents a higher risk of spread of the virus. Based on what the experts are saying in the best-case scenario, we would not be able to safely get back together until May, a date that may change, and we would still need 2-3 months of rehearsal to put the show together.
Our original plan for Addams Family the Musical was clear; we knew when, where and how we would put this production together. Despite all our hard work, forces beyond our control have continually altered that plan. It doesn’t seem reasonable to expect that a cast and crew would stay committed to a show when we do not know when, where and how the show can be safely staged.
The KWMP Board of Directors has made the hard decision to end our production of Addams Family the Musical and release the cast and crew from their commitment to the show.
On behalf of the K-W Musical Productions’ Board of Directors, I wanted to thank our cast and crew for their hard work on this production. We are incredibly proud of what we were able to accomplish together and look forward to working with you again in the future.
We will continue to explore other options of how we can produce shows safely in a post COVID world, with the goal of producing a show in the Summer or Fall of 2021. In the meantime, we are working hard to implement the Your KWMP Action Plan.
Our Current Financial Situation
KWMP and the whole Performing Arts Community is facing unprecedented financial challenges. We are unable to produce shows or rent our building out for the foreseeable future.
We are working to reduce costs and apply for any appropriate funding opportunities. We have a healthy reserve fund and no outstanding debts. We are confident it will help us weather these challenging times.
Your KWMP Action Plan Update
Over the summer of 2019, the K-W Musical Productions Board of Directors engaged the KWMP membership and members of the local arts community with a series of surveys, focus groups and conversations, to help our organization evolve and represent the dreams of our membership and community.
Over 200 people responded to our online survey, including current and past members, audience members, and community supporters.
The Board of Directors hired Lynda Abshoff to facilitate group discussions with 40 members, who in small groups shared their thoughts, ideas and brainstormed what they thought the future of KWMP should look like.
Members of the KWMP Board of Directors have met with representatives of dozens of performing arts organizations, community members, city and regional staff and local politicians.
Based on these conversations, we have identified four themes that included:
The KWMP Board of Directors has been working for the past year and a half to implement the plan’s priorities. Our efforts have been significantly hampered by the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, we are still making progress on several themes:
Culture and Community
Community is core to KWMP’s mission. Every year we come together to produce high-quality community theatre. We do it because it is something we love; it brings people together, provides a creative outlet, and allows us to develop new skills.
Sometimes, when a show ends, that community is lost. We are working hard to provide opportunities to stay connected between shows through regular social events and training sessions. The events committee has adapted their plan to run more events out of our hall towards online events. We have hosted several virtual cabaret nights and a musical watch party.
We look forward to returning to in-person events next year.
If you would like to join the events committee, please email the Chair of our events committee, Gary Shantz, by clicking here.
Resources and Training
KWMP is a volunteer-run not-for-profit organization with limited resources. We are working towards bringing on additional resources, training and more diverse representation in our leadership team.
Artistic Vision
We look forward to getting past COVID-19 and returning to a place where we can produce two musicals per year.
KWMP is also working on expanding our reach, by partnering with other arts organizations to provide space and resources to produce additional content. For the past several years, we have partnered with Stage School to provide performing arts classes and camps for children and youth.
This year we also partnered with Agnew Acting Studio to produce a Livestream children’s production of Charlotte’s Web. We have also supported the work of a new original musical production and many others.
Rehearsal and Performance Space
There is a real need for affordable rehearsal and performance space in Waterloo Region. Before the COVID-19 Pandemic, theatres were at capacity and turning groups away.
It has been difficult for us to find space to produce high-quality shows that you have come to expect from KWMP due to cost and lack of theatre space availability. KWMP is not alone in this, but we are in a unique position, as we own a building and have access to available capital.
KWMP has been actively exploring opportunities to increase the availability of affordable rehearsal and theatre space in Waterloo Region.
We can not do this alone and have been in talks with other performing arts groups, community members, community organizations, and both politicians and staff from all levels of government.
We are investigating large and small changes we could make to our current space at 14 Shaftsbury Drive in Kitchener and exploring partnerships with other organizations to bring together existing spaces and run them collaboratively or creating a brand new space.
It took the vision for the KWMP Board of Directions to purchase our building in 1964 and then add a significant addition in the 1980s. That vision has helped us produce over 100 musicals and provide rehearsal and production space for hundreds of productions, workshops, events over the years.
As KWMP and the local arts community continues to evolve, we are committed to honouring that vision and looking to the future. We believe that KWMP can act as a community leader and support a viable, sustainable plan to create additional affordable rehearsal and performance space, benefit not only KWMP but also the whole community.
Shaping the future of Your KWMP
KWMP is facing unprecedented challenges, we have an ambitious plan to move KWMP forward, but we need your help. We need our members to join a committee or join the Board of Directors and help shape the future of KWMP.
In particular, we are looking for people with knowledge of one of the following areas: marketing, fundraising, finances, or theatre production.