fu-GEN’s 11th Annual Potluck
recently passed and as always it was an amazing evening. The first time I went to a ‘fu-GEN Potluck’ I
knew that I had come across something special.
Something I hadn't really experienced a lot of in Canada, that echoed memories and feelings of community from my childhood. This community was celebrating their work and
supporting the work of newer artists. fu-GEN exemplifies a a
commitment to creating theatre, coupled
with representing, serving and incorporating that community. With the opportunity to be the TD
Administrative Intern here at fu-GEN, I'm learning all about this and many more
ways to use theatre as an administrator for change, inclusion and education.
As the ‘Admin’ I'm exploring multiple facets of a running and developing a company. There are the basics: general day to day tasks within a company, sweeping the floor, managing the rehearsal space, improving my grant writing skills, research for future projects and the essential; how to pick locks. I've also learnt that I have to be more organised than I've ever been before in order to stay available to plug the holes at a moment’s notice and keep an eye out for bumps in the road ahead.
The big learning curve? Vision development. Yes, I'm learning plenty about budgets, timelines and people management working on projects, organizing Potluck and other fundraisers, however it’s the talks about future projects and the long term vision for fu-GEN that has really been a source of inspiration and empowerment for myself. We've been exploring this process and mapping out what a theatrical landscape in our city could be like. A theatrical landscape that embraces diversity, questions assumptions and exemplifies a more open world. Developing this sort of vision extends beyond my personal work as an artist hoping to create work about a particular subject. It extends to include artists from across the communities of our city to create a tapestry of works.
The opportunity to explore how fu-GEN is developing this vision is kind of like getting an updated prescription on your glasses. Your vision is just that much better and clearer. With half of my internship still to come, I am eager to see what perspectives this coming season will provide.
As the ‘Admin’ I'm exploring multiple facets of a running and developing a company. There are the basics: general day to day tasks within a company, sweeping the floor, managing the rehearsal space, improving my grant writing skills, research for future projects and the essential; how to pick locks. I've also learnt that I have to be more organised than I've ever been before in order to stay available to plug the holes at a moment’s notice and keep an eye out for bumps in the road ahead.
The big learning curve? Vision development. Yes, I'm learning plenty about budgets, timelines and people management working on projects, organizing Potluck and other fundraisers, however it’s the talks about future projects and the long term vision for fu-GEN that has really been a source of inspiration and empowerment for myself. We've been exploring this process and mapping out what a theatrical landscape in our city could be like. A theatrical landscape that embraces diversity, questions assumptions and exemplifies a more open world. Developing this sort of vision extends beyond my personal work as an artist hoping to create work about a particular subject. It extends to include artists from across the communities of our city to create a tapestry of works.
The opportunity to explore how fu-GEN is developing this vision is kind of like getting an updated prescription on your glasses. Your vision is just that much better and clearer. With half of my internship still to come, I am eager to see what perspectives this coming season will provide.
Tijiki Morris is a queer theatre artist who was raised in Pakistan and came to Canada after secondary school. She graduated from Humber College’s Theatre Performance program and engages in theatre as a director, actor, puppetry artist/coach and administrator.
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