OUR MISSION:

SummerWorks expands the possibilities of performance. 

Founded in 1991, SummerWorks is a leader, collaborator, and community builder at the forefront of contemporary performance – asking crucial questions, nurturing artistic innovation, and presenting new works that reflect the complexity and diversity of our society.

WHAT WE DO:

Anchored by our annual SummerWorks Performance Festival in August, SummerWorks offers a year-round program of creation, presentation, and learning opportunities for artists and audiences: 

• We collaborate with emerging and established artists and curators to explore new directions, experiment in form, and develop their professional capacities.

• We curate, produce, and present programming that provokes, excites, and engages the public.
• We cultivate and contribute to progressive practices that foster greater diversity, accessibility, equity, and sustainability across our sector.
• We create networks and engage in creative exchange locally, nationally, and internationally.

OUR VALUES:

• Creative Risk and Curiosity

We engage with artists, audience, partners, and staff who are inquisitive, willing to experiment, and be adventurous. We encourage bold ideas, new directions, and big questions, cultivating space for exploration and innovation.

• Care and Collaboration

We carefully consider all the choices we make, understanding that the works we curate, the time we give, who we work with, and spaces we use impact the experiences people have. We prioritize connection and dialogue, as well as community and relationship building. By working with artists and partners to exchange ideas and resources we’re able to multiply our impact. 

• Diversity and Difference

We celebrate diversity in arts and people, prioritizing inclusive and accessible processes and experiences. We look to introduce professional artists and audiences from diverse communities to each other and to be inspired by our similarities and differences. 

OUR WORKPLACE CULTURE:

We value a high quality in our work and service to artists and the community. We also strive towards work-life balance. We work together to cultivate an environment that is collaborative, playful, flexible, and where team members feel they can be appreciated, motivated, and inspired. We can be proud of the work we’re doing together. 

We have systems in place for team members to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. When health and safety protocols permit, we find it important to maintain at least one day a week in the office together as we find it more conducive to collaboration. When our activities ramp up, we also find it important for the whole team to be in person together for the work that we do. 

To stay connected when we work remotely, we start the morning with coffee chats just to check in and chat about non-work related things. We also enjoy ‘field trips’ – seeing work together or going on site visits where SummerWorks activities and performances may take place. 

The SummerWorks office is located in the 401 Richmond Building, a vibrant hub that is home to many other organizations working in film, design, performance and visual art. There are also design and architecture firms, doctor’s offices, and a daycare in the building. 

Our office is dog friendly, with a small kitchenette. It is designed for different modes of working – with big tables for group chats and a cozy corner with an armchair when you don’t feel like working at a sitting or standing desk. 

During our summer Festival in August, we operate at multiple venues and sites, and are often moving between them throughout the day. Our events and performances happen in theatres and galleries, but also parks, swimming pools, living rooms, streetcars…and the list goes on.  We keep a Festival Hub in the Queen West neighbourhood, where we meet as a team at least once a day. The energy is frenetic as we interact with hundreds of artists, volunteers, thousands of audience members and the general public. 

We aim to make space for people to be more than just their jobs. We want to share things we notice out in the world that are important to us – things we’ve seen, learned, and are passionate about. We try to build space into our work days – we can’t be task oriented all the time – and include the time to reflect and connect, which is equally important to us.

COVID POLICIES & PROTOCOLS

All SummerWorks staff, artists, volunteers, and contractors will be required to follow the organization’s COVID policies and procedures. Amendments will be implemented as needed, in response to changing circumstances and Public Health guidelines. Key parts of these policies include:

• Work Location: Due to COVID-19, the SummerWorks team is currently working in a hybrid online/in-person model as conditions allow, with an eventual full return to the office in Toronto expected. 
• Vaccination policy: As a condition of employment, new employees will need to provide proof of full vaccination, as defined by local Public Health, no later than three weeks prior to starting work.
• For any in-person meetings or events: Protocols, including social distancing and masking, are in place and adhered to.