This is the fourth post in Generator’s ‘Governance Reimaginings’ blog series. You can find all posts in the series here, and everything we’ve published related to boards here. In this post, dance/music artist and board member for Toronto Dance Love-In, Sophie Dow, offers a personal response to a session led by Yvette Nolan.

Tansii - Bonjour - Good Morning!

I’m Sophie - In day-to-day life, I fulfill roles as a classically ballet/modern/jazz/contemporary/hip hop/acrobatics/etc. trained (and actively un-training) dancer, choreographer, musician, filmmaker, fire spinner, writer, busker and bodyworker.

My first coffee date with Robert’s Rules came while holding executive roles in various undergraduate student associations at York University.

I generally recall thinking of the rules, motions, seconds etc. as a stupid game and load of hubbub. It felt like we were creating problems and verbal jargon for no other sake than in case “the great and terrifying Big Brother” came checking on our records and if we didn’t have all the i’s dotted, the association would be shut down forevermore....

*Sophie Dow - photo credit: Graham Isador*

Fast forward to 2021: how is this relevant and how did I land in THIS Generator circle?

After leading what I believed a fairly “successful” first 11 months of the pandemic, I sank into the common existential hole, harbouring feelings of guilt and responsibility - What am I Actually doing in my creative communities? How can I be engaged as an active support to companies that have generously offered me their services? What is the changing definition of “getting involved” and if there’s a need for change, how can it be sustained?

In a surge of “pandemic-passtime-passion” and in response to these questions, I joined the Board of Directors for two companies: Toronto Dance Love-In and Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA).

Little did I know that these groups were in the midst of asking similar questions about the relationship between their executive staff and Board of Directors, with common desires of “shifting board governance structures.”

This brought up an extreme thrill. I had just joined a setting that I thought I knew how to engage with “the rules” (even if I found them silly) and suddenly there was an overwhelming wave to throw the rules in the trash… but without clarity of how to do so. HOW EXCITING!!

CUE GENERATOR

Luckily, the Love-In, alongside Shakespeare in the Ruff, were invited into an epic circle: Generator’s Governance Reimaginings project, to zoom in on why and how we can disrupt these cycles of colonial, not-for-profit board models for ourselves, our own companies, and on a larger scale, offer examples for other arts organizations.

For a hearty description of what this Generator circle is, check out Brendan McMurtry-Howlett’s post HERE. - http://generatorto.com/blog/governance-intro

OCTOBER’S GUEST OF HONOUR

As a past employee of Native Earth Performing Arts and a Métis artist myself, I was naturally OVER THE MOON when it was confirmed Yvette Nolan would be one of our guests.

As an official introduction:

Yvette Nolan (Algonquin) is a playwright, director and dramaturg. Her vast body of work includes the plays The Unplugging, the dance-opera Bearing, and the libretto Shanawdithit. From 2003-2011, Yvette served as Artistic Director of Native Earth Performing Arts. Her book, Medicine Shows, about Indigenous performance in Canada was published by Playwrights Canada Press in 2015, and Performing Indigeneity, which she co-edited with Ric Knowles, in 2016. An Artistic Associate with Signal Theatre, she is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Policy at Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy.

We enthusiastically welcomed Yvette into our circle on October 7th, 2021. What follows is a shared summary and reflections, as I understood them, of Yvette’s offerings to our group.

CONTEXT

A primary point of clarity tying us all together highlighted the question: WHY are we still engaging with a corporate Board of Directors (BoD) model in non-corporate, arts settings!?

In short form response: because we are saddled with legislation to incorporate in order to access funding… but from Yvette’s perspective (which many of us agreed with), the issue is that the BoD is a FICTION! This means one of two things: that the structure is adhered to in name only, or that the existing BoD’s don’t have the ability or capacity to be responsible for all that the legislation says they should be - their powers are fictional.

Yvette spoke about the past and current parts of the model that contribute to this issue, and that are definitely NOT working. These include:

-The People

BoDs consist of volunteers who don't always have a clear understanding of what is happening in the organization, or the industry, and are not necessarily patrons of the arts. They often create their own work to justify their existence, rarely have the time to accomplish work between meetings, and only truly exist when assembled. Though even when assembled, it is not clear WHAT their roles are.

-Crisis

Frequently the BoD is spurred to substantial action only when there is a crisis, and the only crisis a BoD knows how to respond to is financial. Rarely is a BoD equipped to handle prolonged crises that are connected to significant cultural or societal shifts, such as those dealing with systemic racism, sexual misconduct, or fallout from the pandemic.

(A prime example of this took place at Soulpepper between 2016 - 2018, where women who came forward with allegations of sexual abuse and harassment were reportedly dismissed by management and the BoD. The only instance when the BoD addressed the situation was when a civil lawsuit was filed against Albert Schultz AND the BoD for not responding. In this case and many others, BoDs demonstrate a sole concern for being held accountable for financial debacles without offering compassion to the company in any other crisis.)

-Missing Tools

When financial crises do arrive, there are only two options: The BoD can step in to use network/power to address this financial moment OR artistic staff can shut down the company and go to funders. This is when the BoD is supposed to be most effective, but not all crises are financial nor are they singular moments. We are in MORE than a Moment now, we are in MOVEMENT - so boards are in crisis because this extended moment is asking boards for further support, BEYOND finances.

CHANGE NOW

In a time of pandemics: COVID and racial reckonings, we are pulled directly into the present moment and movement. The whole world is being asked to make great change. Yvette made it clear that it is uncertain how long this window of opportunity will remain open. So, HOW do we change our structures so they’re more reflective of the way we’re doing our work? (and while the federal and provincial Not-for-Profit Corporations Acts still kick around.)

Some organizations simply do the minimum to comply with the legislation, and then do their own thing outside of that. However, to manage a Board of Directors - whether it follows the laws or not - is such a huge job, there is reluctance to create another thing that causes additional labour for staff.

At Common Weal in Saskatchewan, (where Yvette is the BoD Chair), the changes they’re delving into look at Responsibility and Accountability. Yvette suggests, “the person who holds the circle (ie. the board Chair) is not responsible for having all the answers, they’re responsible for holding all the knowledges in the room; turn the hierarchy on its side so it becomes a circle”

The Earth and nature’s cycles all move in circles - what are ways we can approach the governance of our own organizations with this same pattern?

Five dancers counterbalance each other in a circle - the only possible formation to hold each other up in this position - all reaching up towards the a globe - still from They Move on Tracks of Never Ending Light (2017) by Sophie Dow - photo credit: Mackenzie Clarke

COMING HOME TO VALUES

When writing a grant, companies craft their Vision, Mission and Mandate which is then assessed and argued about in peer review committees. If we can question this legitimacy through grants for the organization, why can’t we bring this scrutiny to our BoD – their role in a company and how they function?

While a company’s values should guide decision making, most BoD’s are more concerned about their bylaws which are required by Not-for-Profit Incorporation Acts. But the ONLY legal requirement of a non-profit organization’s bylaws is to define the conditions of membership for that organization. That’s it. So, rather than endless pages of bylaws, what would happen with a collective writing of the VALUES of the BoD? Once the BoD’s values are identified, do they align with those of the organization? And if so, how do the values become tools that can be called upon in crisis (financial and beyond) while remaining mindful that expectations are truly being fulfilled? I.E.: how are these values actionable?

Furthermore, could the staff of the organization be the initiators and guides of these values? Since the staff carry the practical responsibility of finding new board members and training the board, couldn’t it be possible to do this with a values-based approach? A person would be invited to join the board under the advised values and the positions would only be fulfilled should the values at the heart of both the organization and the BoD be honoured and upheld.

ALL MY RELATIONS

As artists running organizations, we KNOW everything is in relation and we’ve been trying to make any kind of relationship with BoDs. Unfortunately, we’ve failed under the prevalent belief that we need lawyers, stake-holders, accountants, etc in order to comprise a “good” BoD. This belief lands us with a BoD comprised of people who are not connected to the arts or professionals in the arts field, overseeing us and our arts organizations. It just doesn’t make sense to have non-professionals governing professionals in any other given field.

To put it in perspective, approximately 30 hours of one board director’s year is offered in overseeing the organization, while staff members invest 40 - 80 hours per week. HOW do we reconcile these relationships? How do we make our approaches to artistic creation, ALSO the way we are governed? Is the circle of reciprocity alive here?

Perhaps the desire and change could come by having people involved who actually have the time and experience to KNOW what the organization is doing and why.

THE FEAST

What are other creative ways to fulfill the “requirement” that a BoD meet 4 to 6 times a year?

In a traditional Indigenous council, important decisions and sharings took place in community, over a feast. It would be possible to replace the dreaded BoD meeting with something like a feast. The board & staff could come together four times a year over food and the intentional conversation would be around how the organization’s work is going. Perhaps there’s a showing, a discussion, a discourse and finally a paper signing, but the core of the gathering would be in the spirit of the relationships.

FURTHERING REIMAGININGS

What are other possible steps forward? Here are some thoughts that arose during our conversation with Yvette:

Changing bylaws is possible. The legal requirements for the content of a non-profit board’s bylaws are absolutely minimal. Even the kind of legalese language found in most bylaws could be up for change.

The way a board meeting takes place could change. Although the legalities still require “motions” and approvals, you may redefine how motions are made. The common usage of Roberts Rules in board meetings are not based on any legal requirement whatsoever - this is merely a convention first created in 1876.

Celebrating and uplifting transparency - imagine a board where anyone could call upon a board member at any time and the board member could explain exactly what the organization is doing and presenting at all times.

Understanding and being clear that there are no good models. Every step we take in this window of change - between now and the time we are free from this legislation - is as good as everything else.

DREAMING BEYOND

In this (possibly brief) window of change, we are privileged to be in the role of the dreamers. We know the window exists and we know the model needs to shift. SO, circling through values, relations and feasts, what other shifts are you open to and curious about? How can you contribute to the movement? How could you dream of your next board gathering beyond the past prescribed rules?

Winnipeg-born Sophie Dow is a multidisciplinary creative, inspired by dance, music, collaboration and Métis-Assiniboine + settler roots. An avid adventurer, Sophie has a passion for busking, yoga and traveling on top of holding a degree in Dance Performance and Choreography. With a unique list of credits deeply impacting personal process and vocabulary, Sophie has experienced the bounties of working with some of Turtle Island’s wonderful dance innovators, including Chimera Dance Theatre, Kaeja d'Dance & O.Dela Arts.

In 2021/22, Sophie fulfills roles as: a creative director of FLIGHT: PEC’s Festival of Contemporary Dance, residency artist with NuSqool/KindePay, Dance West Network and Dance Victoria, musician with The Honeycomb Flyers and a licensed practitioner of Traditional Thai Massage.

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