RQD Web Tuesdays – An Online Digital Meeting Place for The Dance Community!

Many of you have shared your digital preferences with us! Thanks to you, the Regroupement québécois de la danse (RQD) has been able to put together a program of webinars for the fall of 2022. The RQD team is pleased to offer you the RQD’s Web Tuesdays – the digital meeting place for dance!

Presented by a techno therapist from the O1 Digital Hub team, these online meetings will be an opportunity to explore a digital tool or demystify a digital concept. Rich in tips and tricks, these webinars will help you improve your web presence or improve the management of your organization on a daily basis.

We will provide you one Tuesday per month from 9 to 10 am online via our Zoom platform.

You can register now for the full set of webinars.

Discover the program without further delay!

Tuesday, September 27

Planning and Managing Your Social Networks: Tips and Tools to Effectively Promote Your Creations This Fall!

Learn more: A social media strategy always starts with clear and precise communication objectives! That’s why our techno therapist will start by reviewing the basics of a communication plan before focusing on how to translate these objectives into a social media strategy. On the agenda: tools and tips to simplify the management of your editorial calendar, your tags and more!

Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtduGuqTIqHNy1LshYlVs8GHapf34pyDt9

Tuesday, October 18

How to Make Myself Visible on the Web? Reminder of the Main Principles of a Discoverability Strategy!

Learn more: “Show in Quebec City this weekend”. These are keywords that Internet users sometimes type on the search engines of the web giants (GAFAM). However, there are still few recommendations for dance performances. This webinar will help you understand the mechanisms that allow Quebec’s cultural offerings to make their way onto the web. To do so, our techno therapist will review the concept of discoverability before presenting the key principles that constitute a sustainable and effective strategy!

Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpdeqvpjwrH9EybA_fl3Lno8Tc54t04zA

Tuesday, November 22

Airtable: For Simplified Contact Management!

Learn more: Airtable is a simple, customizable and easy to use tool. Often compared to an “enhanced Excel”, this solution goes far beyond by offering multiple functionalities. Discover during this webinar, the possibilities offered by this tool and, more specifically, how it can be useful in managing your contacts, automating invoices and sending your emails.

Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckceuspzsjHNF4TSEeNcPqruO7PCGnqrth

Tuesday, December 13

Digital Marketing Strategy & Digital Strategy: What Are the Differences?

Learn more: When we hear about digital strategy, we quickly think of digital marketing and referencing. In short, the positioning of your organization and its creations! However, digital strategy is a much broader concept. It is also often referred to as digital transformation or organizational transformation. At the end of this webinar, you will be able to distinguish between these two notions often mentioned in digital project funding programs and to understand the steps involved in a digital transformation project.

Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsdeutrzopHdBGcArFAx8nlOFdXys2Vn2M

Tuesday, January 17

Strengths and Weaknesses of Social Media – Special Focus on TikTok

Learn more: With the proliferation of social media platforms and their constant evolution, it’s easy to get lost. During this webinar, our techno therapist will give you an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of social media before focusing on the TikTok platform. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses as well as their current trends is a must to build a social media strategy adapted to your objectives.

Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuceqgqT4oHtOQoy9kOET2_TtFT7GnWEjM

Tuesday, February 21

The Agile Method, or How to Foster Collaboration Within Your Team

Learn more: As its name suggests, the Agile method is a project management methodology that places flexibility and adaptability at the heart of projects. More than a simple roadmap, the Agile method is a real work philosophy. During this webinar, we will see the values on which this method, often used for digital projects, is based and can easily be transposed to various promotion and dissemination projects.

Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqdOCgpz4iH9y0rsSYO64NuTu5VYWPhExS

Tuesday, March 21

Optimize Your Use of Analytics, Search Console and Google ads

Learn more: Google offers many free online services allowing you to measure the performance of your website, to know who are the users and to ensure a good referencing. After a presentation of the functionalities of Google Analytics, Search Console and Google ads, we will see how these services can be useful in your daily practice!

Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvduyhqj0vH93k-5lJI0MKG8wvgnUflGsK

Tuesday, April 18

Referencing – The Winning Keys to be Visible on Search Engines

Learn more: During this webinar, we will talk about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing). Our techno therapist will give you valuable tips on how to seduce Google and improve your website’s ranking on search engines! We will take the time, through concrete examples, to make the distinction between these two practices before sharing with you the best practices to adopt!

Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pf–rqDMpGdEptYIqmw9jCM3FzY5qP4ga

Tuesday May 23

Staying Safe Online – an Overview of Best Practices to Adopt

Learn more: In the era of online and remote work, we are widely exposed and vulnerable to potential risks of cyberattack. The protection of our data and the respect of our private life are important issues to be aware of. The adoption of good practices allows us to preserve our online security. Our techno therapist will share tips and good practices that are quick and easy to adopt!

Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sdu6orTstH9FZxYeCK_9PERPGHYXs3ANE

Tuesday, June 13

Organize Your Documents: Tips and Tricks for Successful Collaboration!

Learn more: The use of a cloud solution favors collaborative work. Nevertheless, it is easy to multiply shared folders. These are found on the cloud and stored on the server or directly on your computer. What are the good reflexes to adopt in order to ensure a good organization? Is it necessary to set up an archiving policy? Our techno therapist will be happy to answer these questions!

Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvdO-opzosEt1_p8G7FCCvED3oCfZ5R470

Job offer: Director of Finance and Administration

Are you dedicated to promoting culture and highlighting the arts? Are you passionate about the world of entertainment and artistic creation? Would you like to work in culture within one of the most structuring organizations in the province and make a difference in the world of culture? Do you appreciate teamwork, openness and entrepreneurship? This position and our team are for you!

Active on the municipal, provincial and federal scenes, the Regroupement québécois de la danse (RQD) has as its mission to bring together and represent individuals and professional organizations working in the field of dance, in order to promote the advancement and influence of the choreographic art and to contribute to the improvement of the conditions of dance practice.

Proud to be the voice of dance professionals for nearly 40 years, the RQD initiates projects based on consultation and long-range interventions, such as The Master Plan for Professional Dance in Quebec.

Values of the RQD

Openness, solidarity, cooperation and inclusion are the core values promoted within the RQD.

Work conditions

Salary conditions: between $ 60,000 and $ 65,000, depending on experience

Benefits: group insurance, pension fund, show ticket reimbursement, 2 weeks of vacation during the holidays in addition to personal leave, annual summer vacation in addition to those provided for by law, flexibility in working from home and schedule management.

Work schedule: 35 hours a week or other; openness to several different scenarios

Start of contract: As soon as possible

Workplace: In-person in Montreal or remote working – flexible policy.

Brief description of the position:

Acting under the authority of and in collaboration with the general direction, the Finance and Administration Department is responsible for the financial management of the RQD, the administration of the office and the financial development of the organization. In detail:

Financial management and accounting:

Prepare and monitor budgets and advise the general direction on accounting and financial matters;
Keep a watchful eye on available grants and making recommendations for new grants to seek;
Advise the general management on financial strategies for grant applications;
Oversee the recording of all accounting data and ensure the reliability of the information in accordance with standards and policies;
Assist employees in the development and monitoring of project budgets;
Authorize all employee transactions under $1,000 that are within the established budget deemed necessary for RQD operations;
Sign checks and proof of payment (direct deposit, Access D payment, Visa);
Administer petty cash and RQD transactional sites such as PayPal and Access D;
Administer employee payroll;
Collect and transmit employer charges (DAS) to governments;
Collect and transmit employee RRSP contributions to Fondaction;
Ensure the follow-up of the cash flow;
Ensure relations with the financial institution and prepare all documentation and correspondence related to financial transactions;
Ensure the smooth running of the grant application and reporting cycle to the various levels of government;
Ensure relations with the external auditors and prepare the necessary files for the annual audit;
Prepare and analyze the general financial statements and make the necessary recommendations to the general management;
Ensure the communication of financial information to the Treasurer;
Develop and implement financial strategies, administrative and accounting practices and ensure compliance;
Establish relationships and negotiate with suppliers;
Prepare service contracts for contractors and any other type of contract required for the smooth running of RQD projects (partnership agreements, authorizations, etc.);
See to the administration of the premises and the maintenance of the computer fleet and other equipment.

Human resources management

Supervise the reception of all new human resources and ensure that the tasks required of the trainees are carried out;
Under the general direction, develop job offers;
Ensure the hiring process of the personnel: responsible for the posting; reception of the resumes; invitation of the candidates in interview and participation in the interviews, when necessary.
Administer the team’s group insurance;
Prepare agreements with personnel of all statuses;
Follow up on employee files (CVs, RRSPs, group insurance, taxation, job descriptions and performance evaluations);
Apply and follow up on the application of RQD policies and procedures (T4, RL-1, CNESST, overtime follow-up, vacation);
Provide support to the team and respond to its various requests (certification, file updates, etc.);
Develop human resources management tools and produce simple and popular documents on procedures and policies.

Administration

Provide all necessary support to the activities of the RQD Executive Committee;
Participate in the preparation of the annual report and the general assembly;
Attend Board of Directors meetings upon request, for example: during the presentation and/or adoption of financial items or related to special projects assigned to him/her;
Maintain the administrative records;
Manage the office and its operations;

Other tasks

Manage the agreement for the training class program – CNESST and follow up with interpreters, CNESST agents and CALQ.

Profile sought

University degree in administration or accounting or equivalent experience
Experience in a similar role in a not-for-profit organization
Proficiency in Office suite, Simply Accounting, and preferably FileMaker Pro
Experience in grant writing
Autonomy, thoroughness and attention to detail
Ability to work in a team environment
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Good organizational and planning skills
Dynamism, thoroughness and concern for work well done
Spirit of initiative
Tact and diplomacy
Knowledge of the cultural sector would be an asset
Knowledge of the dance sector would be an asset

Diversity, equity and inclusion

The RQD strongly encourages all communities to apply. All applications will be given the utmost consideration.

The RQD offices and bathroom are wheelchair accessible.

Processing of applications

Please send your letter of intent and resume to the attention of Nadine Medawar, Executive Director: nmedawar@quebecdanse.org.

We thank all applicants. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Selection of the agency Featuring for the launch of the Campaign to Promote Professional Dance in Quebec.

The Regroupement québécois de la danse (RQD) is pleased to announce the hiring of Featuring, a brand management, marketing, and communications agency, to work with in the launch of the Quebec professional dance campaign.

Inclusive, engaging and inspiring, this campaign is being developed hand in hand with an open-minded team filled with innovative ideas, bringing us together towards a common goal: to promote the art of choreography that animates us all.

The approach to this project is characterized by an inclusive positioning and a strategic approach where creativity is harnessed. It will be a campaign by the dance sector, for the dance sector.

The campaign will be done in partnership with several specialized organizations such as Curious Montreal, Eat It up Montreal and Jungle, while integrating in its development several figures, experts and artists from our sector. This will result in connections that will enrich the perspectives and employability of the project.

We are thrilled to be working with Featuring, a bold agency holding shared visions with the Quebec dance sector.

Celebrating Dance Through Cultural Backgrounds

I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t dancing.

I lived in Kahnawake, Quebec in my early years, but then moved to Nova Scotia at a young age. I would always dance around the house and eventually started taking my first “official” classes in classical ballet, which I studied for many years. Growing up on a farm in a small village, I had very little access to dance and limited contact with my Mohawk community. Seeming highly unlikely that I could ever become a professional dancer with such limited resources, I stepped away for a while and decided to go into theatre. This brought me to study at Concordia University in Montreal, amazed and overwhelmed by the vibrant performing arts scene here.

Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo © Pierre Tran

Ever curious, I started discovering and taking classes in all different kinds of dance that I had never even heard of before – contemporary…what was that?!? But perhaps more importantly, I reconnected with my Mohawk community of Kahnawake, where I taught theatre at their high school. I also started to learn about my cultural dances and this changed my life completely.

Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo © Romain Lorraine

Indigenous perspectives and practice of dance are so much more holistic, integrated into the community, inclusive, and have always been about so much more than just giving a show. These dances were for healing, honouring, spirituality, respecting the Earth, for community, ancestors, future generations, and for those who can’t dance. With time, I learned how to integrate these values into all my dance forms. Along with this, I accepted a responsibility to try to help my community with my dances and choreographies, as well as educate the general public about Indigenous people. I work with many organizations in Quebec and across Canada to educate about Indigenous people and to support them.

Eventually, with much help from good people, I was able to start my own dance company A’nó:wara Dance Theatre which is not only a place to create my productions but is growing to be a support for other Indigenous artists as well.

I believe that it is important for everyone to support Indigenous arts, and that building these cultural bridges will benefit all to have a more equal and diverse society. Let’s keep dancing!

Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo is the Artistic director and choreographer of A’nó:wara Dance Theatre.

The RQD: A Tightly Woven Community

At the Regroupement québécois de la danse, each member participates in building a strong community, united and welded by a common passion : dance.

Today, the RQD launched its Membership Campaign for 2022-2023.

Enrich your professional network, exchange with your peers.
Participate in the development of the sector.
Nourish our actions with the plurality of your profiles.
Refer to the RQD, the number one source of information.
Wherever you are in Qc, the RQD represents you with public authorities.

The advantages of being a member:

Expand your network
Benefit from financial support and save money
Develop your skills
Get more visibility
Be informed and represented

Join the RQD today to benefit from these advantages!

A successful first immersion in the world of Wikidata

The RQD completes the first phase of its partnership with the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts (CAPACOA). The RQD member directory data is now collected and visible in the Wikidata database. 600 Wikidata records have been created and each RQD member has a Wikidata ID. This first step represents a significant step for the dance community and contributes to the creation of an ecosystem of linked and structured data. By participating in this project, the RQD participates in the promotion and valorization of Quebec dance and increases its presence on the web.

A quick reminder: what is Wikidata?

Wikidata is a powerful tool to increase your visibility and that of dance on the Web. It allows your cultural content to stand out in search engines using metadata.

Wikidata workshops: a successful immersion

To learn how to use Wikidata and contribute to this database, 8 tutorial workshops were held from December 2021 to April 2022. Animated by Simon Villeneuve and Miguel Tremblay, experts of the Wikimedia universe, these workshops allowed participants from the performing arts to discover the universe of this database. During these monthly meetings, participants had the opportunity to create their profile on Wikidata and to take their first step as a user and contributor of the database. The participants from the dance world were able to discover the basics of Wikidata and understand the different functionalities. This immersion in the world of Wikidata is promising.

Two new Wikidata events in preparation

Starting in September 2022, the RQD will offer two new Wikidata events during which members will have the opportunity to improve their Wikidata records. We count on your participation! The recordings of the eight workshops (in French and English) are also available on the CAPACOA website. Start your immersion by discovering the basics of Wikidata.

The main benefits of integrating dance data into Wikidata:

Promote RQD member artists and organizations on search engines;
Increase the effectiveness, relevance and reach of dance content searched for on the web by the general public;
Provide a sustainable way to be visible and findable on the web;
respond to the trend of one-click search;
feed the artificial intelligence (web robots) that organize the results of search engines and voice assistants.

For any questions related to the project, please contact our digital cultural development officer, Aurélie Lauret.

Meeting with Dance Ireland

In order to expand our partnerships and members’ networks, the RQD is initiating meetings with dance organizations around the world. As a first meeting, the RQD met with Dance Ireland, the professional dance organization in Ireland, which works with the same issues and opportunities as our community. Both organizations work tirelessly to put dance artists and organizations first, understanding their needs and promoting an environment that allows them to reach their full potential.

We have shared our methods in training, consultation and advocacy. Dance Ireland has a team like RQD’s and is constantly working, as we are, to advance the professional dance sector. With the help of Dance Ireland, Ireland has launched a pilot project for a Guaranteed Income for artists and the RQD is keeping a close eye on this project to advocate for the same in Quebec. The new project aims to support the arts and creative practice by paying artists and arts workers 325 euros per week. The main objective of this program is to address the financial instability faced by many arts workers.

In the future, Dance Ireland aims to prioritize advocacy for dance artists, develop connections by building and strengthening relationships with its members, guide dance artists as they progress through their careers, and ensure a sustainable arts and cultural sector for future generations of artists. With similar plans, the RQD applauds the hard work of Dance Ireland and wishes them all the best, hoping to cross paths one day soon to continue working to promote the wonderful art of dance, which knows no boundaries.

RQD represents dance at CAM’s cultural real estate funding conference

On May 18, at the Atrium of the Maison du Conseil des arts de Montréal, the RQD represented dance before a panel of representatives of the city of Montreal at a conference on the financing of cultural real estate projects of the Conseil des arts de Montréal (CAM).

The purpose of the event was to benefit from the sharing of experiences of actors of different profiles who have set up such projects, the challenges they have faced and the levers inherent to these approaches, but also from the funders of cultural capital.

During the panel, the RQD advocated for a tool to be created by the city of Montreal that would make available to our community vacant spaces in the city that our artists and companies could use until they are rented. The city was interested in the idea and invited us to meetings to follow the discussion.

On the same day, CAM launched its brand new guide entitled Financing a Cultural Real Estate Project: A Guide for the Montreal Arts Community, (French only), which aims to respond to the needs of the arts community based on the Council’s consultations. The guide is intended for cultural real estate project holders: cultural organizations, artists’ collectives, technical resource groups, and any other organization wishing to develop this type of project in Montreal.

Emergency Funds for Artists and Cultural Workers

On May 2, at the National Summit on Culture in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, announced nearly $10.7 million in funding to the Fondation des artistes to support artists and cultural workers in need of financial assistance. This assistance will provide direct financial support to workers in the live performance sector across Quebec.

As the Foundation selects the applicants who will receive this support, the RQD has scheduled a meeting next week to ensure that the Foundation’s assessment process is equitable across disciplines and marginalized communities. The RQD also wants to ensure that the selection process is more transparent and that the funds are accessible to all artists and workers who may not be able to apply as quickly or efficiently as those who are accustomed to applying.

The RQD has already met twice with Canadian Heritage to express its concerns and priorities and has asked Canadian Heritage to follow up with the Foundation on this issue. The RQD will continue to pursue its mission of inclusion, integration and valorization of the dance community in Quebec.

A Look Back at International Dance Day 2022

On April 29th, the Regroupement québécois de la danse (RQD) and the dance community gathered at the Atrium of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens to celebrate International Dance Day 2022. After two years of online-only gatherings, the atmosphere was filled with joy and hope, especially after the Québec message was relayed.

This year, the RQD invited Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli to share the Québec message, which was unveiled that evening during a video projection and shared on the RQD’s social networks. In this video directed by Kayla Jeanson, Luca delivers a unifying speech paying tribute to dance, “this art that resides in each of us, from the simplest expression of movement to more complex choreography”. He celebrates its many facets: “dance as a universal activity, dance as self-expression, and dance as a vehicle for change”.

For the first time, the RQD held a Facebook Live to allow guests to meet with the artist, who was in Norway at the time. Luca was on hand to answer questions and participate in the festivities.

The RQD also recognized its long-standing members with a gift basket full of treats to thank them for their continued involvement.