WHY CHOOSE ORIGINAL KIDS THEATRE COMPANY?

1) Community reputation

  • OKTC’s 21 year history of success.
  • OKTC is a Registered Charitable Organization and files annual returns with Revenue Canada.
  • Awarded the City of London “Featured Community Organizations Award” for “dedicated and valuable contributions to the community”.
  • Part of the new Covent Garden Market since it opened in 1999.
  • A production partner with The London Public Library, the Thames Valley Children’s Centre, Western Faculty of Education and the London Fringe Festival.
  • Credited as Partner in Cooperative Education with both the Thames Valley Board of Education and the London Catholic School Board.
  • Continuing recognition by Area media and journals.
  • Recipient of grants from the Trillium Foundation, London Community Foundation, and the City of London through the London Arts Council.
  • Credited on websites of a growing number of professional actors who got their start with our company.

2) Safety

  • To protect our members, our audiences and ourselves, we carry $5 million liability insurance.
  • Staff and volunteers for all our programs have appropriate police checks and/or background checks.
  • Our staff receives WHMIS (safety/hazardous materials) training and accreditation.
  • Our Camp staff receives CPR training, and we maintain a team with specialized ERT training.
  • Our rehearsals and productions take place in our own dedicated Spriet Family Theatre and Art Fidler Rehearsal Hall in Covent Garden Market. On occasion, we use other accredited spaces on the Covent Garden Market Mezzanine and the London Central Public Library.

3) Financial Trustworthiness

  • As a Registered Charity, we have a professional audit done each year, and presented for examination and approval of the Board and members in good standing at our Annual General Meeting.
  • Our yearly budget, managed by our Business Manager a retired CA, is subject to approval and scrutiny by our arm’s length Volunteer Board of Directors.
  • We sign contracts for all of our productions and pay all royalties and rentals without exception.
  • Donations (of money and of goods “in kind”) are acknowledged with an Income Tax Receipt, and can be declared as a charitable deduction by the donor.

4) Accountability

  • Our volunteer Board of Directors has adopted a full set of Policies that govern all aspects and activities of the Company. These documents are available for public scrutiny.
  • Our Artistic Staff (directors, music directors, choreographers etc.) work under an official contract, are subject to the terms of that contract and are paid for their work.
  • We have a Production Manager and a Production Advisor to monitor and advise all productions, casts and staffs.
  • Presiding over all personnel is a fulltime Artistic Director to whom all regular staff and artistic staff are responsible.

5) Artistry

  • We hire the best experienced theatre, music, dance, stage combat, workshop leaders to work with the company that we can find, and train them to do the kind of work that Original Kids believes in.
  • We have firm standards of behaviour, punctuality, attendance and preparation, for both our staff and our members, based on professional theatre standards.
  • Our theatre is equipped with professional lighting and sound facilities.
  • All of our productions are fully costumed and with sets, properties and special effects as appropriate.
  • We are always aware that the public audience pays us with their money and their time, and that we owe them the best experiences and the best productions we can present.

6) Communications

  • We have a full time Head of Family Liaison on our staff to keep in touch with members and families.
  • We have a website, www.oktc.ca, a Facebook site and a monthly newsletter, The Stagedoor, to keep you informed.
  • We have a Marketing Director to keep the entire community informed of our productions and events.
  • Actors receive full rehearsal schedules well in advance.
  • We cast our members in productions throughout the entire year that have schedules that work as well as possible with each individual family schedule.

7) Usefulness

  • We provide valuable volunteer opportunities in a wide variety of roles to our members and to our families.
  • We hire from among our own members whenever possible to work with the Main Company and as Counseling and Artistic Staff at our various Camps.
  • Our full program runs all year, offering opportunities during the widest possible time range.
  • Our staff includes professional technical specialists to supervise and accomplish the set, sound and lighting demands of our productions and to train and supervise our volunteer technicians who are Company members.
  • Obtaining a position with OKTC very often involves writing resumes and developing interviewing skills, very useful throughout life
  • The latest research is very clear: theatre training and experience is invaluable to skills and attitude development and to ease and poise when under pressure.

8) Fun and Educational Opportunities

  • Every Company Member is guaranteed a role in at least two productions each year.
  • Our members have the opportunity to learn to operate technical equipment and to paint and design sets.
  • There are 320 Original Kids in the Main Cast, so strong friendships are made with quality people over the years.
  • When new OKs enter the Company, we provide a theatre learning experience called TAG (The Actor Grows) to prepare them for the full OK production preparation experience.
  • We organize rewarding theatre field trips –to the Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Toronto, & New York City to see the best in theatre.
  • We have celebratory Company Events such as our Season Opening Celebration and our Graduation Gala.
  • Over the course of their time with OKTC, our main cast members work on top-notch productions by accomplished writers and musicians, and develop a high level of good taste and enthusiasm.
  • Even while we chase the illusive “Artistic Excellence”, we remind ourselves that it is “Active Participation” and “Teamwork” that get us close to it.

Summary
When you are looking for arts programs for your kids and teens ask these questions and then see how the organization measures up:

  1. “Do you have adequate insurance?”
  2. “Are you a for profit business operating on your own, or non-profit like OKTC, operating under a government and arms length Board of Directors’ scrutiny””
  3. “What Governance structure is in place? A volunteer Board of Directors? An Audit Committee?”
  4. “What facilities do you use, and how is their safety monitored and guaranteed?”
  5. “What opportunities do you offer over the entire year?”
  6. “What is the credibility of your staff?  Background? Police checks?”
  7. “What is your history in the Community?”

Many of the qualities above are costly to maintain. However since we believe they are all essential, this is the good use we make of the tuition our members pay, the tickets our audiences buy, and the charitable donations we are given.

With Original Kids Theatre, we believe you are making the best choice.