Opportunity Webinar: Your Website Is Ugly!, City Cultural Arts Division, April 10

Just published in the newsletter of the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division and put up on Facebook:

"Your Website Is Ugly!"

Tuesday, April 10, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

City of Austin Cultural Arts Division

201 E. 2nd Street, Austin, TX 78701

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Join us for a free webinar presented by Americans for the Arts: "Your Website Is Ugly!"

Many arts organizations struggle with a website that they can't update themselves or one that is difficult to manage. Rebuilding your site with a user-friendly and inexpensive content management system will not only improve the aesthetics of your site, but also allow anyone on staff (whether or not they have HTML knowledge) to make easy updates and provide fresh content. In this webinar, you will learn real-world tips that will help you a web manager pro in no time!

*This webinar viewing is presented free of charge in a public setting as part of CAD's Next Level Program. This is not an online event.

Parking is available for attendees in the Convention Center parking garage on Brazos St., between Cesar Chavez and 2nd.

And SAVE THE DATE for these upcoming Next Level events!

4/24: Free viewing of pARTnership Movement webinar - Getting Big Results: Arts Partnerships with Small and Midsize Businesses

4/27: Speaker Series - The Role of the Artist in Creating a More Adaptive, Responsive, and Resilient Contemporary City by Matthew Passmore, Rebar Art and Design Studio. Presented in partnership with the Downtown Austin Alliance and Art Alliance Austin.

Opportunity: Georgetown Palace Seeks Volunteers for Training in Audio Description of Theatre Performances

Received from

THE PALACE THEATRE IS IN SEARCH OF people who are glib, quick, witty, articulate, like theatre, are interested in serving the blind and visually impaired community, and would like to receive free training as AUDIO DESCRIBERS.

The Palace Theatre is interested in expanding our program to include Audio Description for individuals with sight limitations. Audience members with limited vision use a special wireless headset (which the Palace would provide) tuned to a frequency specific to the headset. The headset covers one ear, which means the audience member can hear the show in one ear and the audio description in the other. At the beginning of the show, a trained Audio Describer - who can only be heard by those with the headsets - gives a general description of the stage, key set pieces, colors, and overall layout. During the show, key movements by the actors are described so that individuals with the headsets get a sense of the action.

To provide this service, we need volunteer describers, and we need to invest in the transmitters and receivers for the sound transition. We anticipate offering the service one weekend per production for two performances. Ideally, we would have two volunteers work a show. Therefore, we are looking at a minimum of 4 volunteers to provide this service, but preferably 6 or 8 to accommodate personal schedules.

Click for additional information at AustinLiveTheatre.com. . .

Opportunity: Zach Theatre Seeks Volunteers

Following a Tweet from Zach to the Zach website:

Announcing New Volunteer Training Sessions

Join the dynamic and rewarding team of Volunteer Staff at ZACH! Volunteers are essential to ZACH’s success and serve as ushers, greeters and ambassadors of goodwill to our community. Come and learn how you can be a part of Austin’s Theatre and give back to the community, make new friends, and have the opportunity to attend outstanding professional theatre in existing venues and the new Topfer Theatre opening in September of 2012!

New Volunteer Training sessions takes place in two parts on:

• Part 1: Monday, Feb. 13, 6-9 pm at ZACH’s Whisenhunt Arena, 1510 Toomey Road.
• Part 2: Monday, Feb. 20, 6-9 pm at ZACH’s Whisenhunt Arena, 1510 Toomey Road.

Space is limited. Reserve your space by email to Volunteer Coordinator Allison Jaynes at ajaynes@zachtheatre.org.

If you can't make the training, please click here to go to the on-line sign-up page to apply to be a ZACH volunteer.

Upcoming: UT Camp Shakespeare: Taming of the Shrew June 17-18, Winter's Tale, July 8-9

Received directly:

Camp Shakespeare:

The Taming of the Shrew, June 17 & 18

The Winter's Tale, July 8-9

(and next summer, a third session!)

The first summer session of Camp Shakespeare which began on June 5 will conclude with public performances of Shakespeare’s early farcical comedy, The Taming of the Shrew at the Sanford Schmid amphitheater on the La Grange fairgrounds on Friday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m., and at the Winedale Historical Center’s Theater Barn on Saturday, June 18, at 1:00 p.m.

Admission for the performances is $5.00. Youth under 12 are free. Reservations for the Winedale performance are encouraged. Please e-mail jayres@cvctx for information and reservations. Tickets are available through the Shakespeare at Winedale website.

Participating are campers from Dallas, Houston, Mineola, Gonzales, Austin, and Brenham. La Grange is represented by Bea Burton, daughter of Lori-Learned Burton and George Burton. The campers were selected for the two two-week residential experience from a field of 83 applicants from around Texas and beyond.

Since arriving, they have not only been confronting the challenges offered by the demands of the play and the daily routines of physical and vocal exercise, music and singing, cabin-cleaning, improvisations, journal-writing, textual and character analysis, and scene work, but also the ever-present Texas heat. Hourly Gatorade is an essential part of the routine.

Camp Shakespeare director, Jim (Doc) Ayres, reports that he and his staff are very pleased with the progress. “We have great kids in the program, a great staff, and a great play,“ he said.

The second session begins on June 26 with students from various Texas cities as well as Brooklyn, Hong Kong, New Orleans, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and Ontario. Victoria Borgstedte, daughter of Drs Allyson and Thomas Borgstedte, will represent La Grange. These campers will explore Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.

The site of Camp Shakespeare is Briarfield B & B, near Round Top. Ayres will expand the program to three sessions next year to accommodate the increasing interest in Camp Shakespeare.

Training: City of Austin Offers Seminars for Creatives on Marketing, Business, and Public Art

The City of Austin's CreateAustin program announces summer 2009 Business and Professional Development Seminars for "Creatives." Seminars are generally limited to the first 30 who sign up. There is no charge to participate.

Detailed course descriptions and on-line registration available at Register on-line at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/redevelopment/cad_wkshp.htm

From the city's website:

The City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division offers the Take it to the Next Level professional development workshops to enhance the management capacity of nonprofit creative organizations and to grow jobs, wealth, and the economic impact of the creative economy. Now in its second year (fourth year for the Art in Public Places Program), the Next Level identified workshop topics for 2009 by surveying previous participants in order to respond to the needs of the creative sector.

These workshops are offered free of charge; however, most have a class limit of 30 participants and fill up quickly. If the class is full, you can put your name on the waiting list. Included in the registration are two questions that will enable our presenters to tailor their presentation to your needs, please take the time to answer them. If you have any questions regarding registration, please call 512-974-7875.

NON-PROFIT TRACK

Bring it on “Board” – The Perfect Board of Directors
Date: Monday, June 15, 12:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Austin Community College, Highland Business Center, Room 407
(5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin 78752),

Fundraising Fundamentals – Beginner to Advanced
Date: Part 1: Monday, June 29, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Part 2: Tuesday, June 30, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Austin City Hall, Boards & Commissions Room 1101

Successful Grants Write Now: A Two-Part Intensive
Date: Part 1: Wednesday, July 8, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Part 2: Wednesday, July 29, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Austin City Hall, Boards & Commissions Room 1101
(301 W. 2nd St. Austin 78701)

Volunteer Management – Your Stepladder to Success
Date: Thursday, August 13, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Austin City Hall, Boards & Commissions Room 1101
(301 W. 2nd St. Austin 78701)

BUSINESS SKILLS TRACK

Can You Hear Me Now? A Public Relations Strategy
Date: Thursday, July 16, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Austin City Hall, Boards & Commissions Room 1101
(301 W. 2nd St. Austin 78701)

Intellectual Property for Creative Organizations and Individuals
Date: Wednesday, August 5, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Austin City Hall, Boards & Commissions Room 1101
(301 W. 2nd St. Austin 78701)

PUBLIC ART TRACK

Public Art Crawl – Artists at Work
Date: Saturday, July 25, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Tour leaves from Austin City Hall (301 W. 2nd St. Austin 78701)

Discovery and Dialogue in Public Art: A Full-Day Symposium
Date: Saturday, September 12 (tentative date)
Location: TBD