__________________________

When do I finish "emerging"?

Do established artists see me as

a young colleague? An annoyance?

A threat? What does "established"

mean - a national reputation,

a certain level of expertise,

an amount in dollars,

x number of years in the

business...? Is there an

"emerging" community?

Carol Sawyer is a visual artist, singer and performer.

I think there's maybe something in between "emerging" and "established." I don't think of myself as emerging anymore because I know just how much it has taken me to get here. If I say I'm emerging I feel a little bit bad about that because it's almost like people will say, "Well, that's not fair because you've had all these shows. You shouldn't be claiming that space." But I'm just shifting over into performance media, which I'm not known for.

Daelik is a queer artist, dancer, improvisor and physical performer.

The more I work, the more people begin to shift their opinion of who I am as a performer. When I came into the city as an actor, people didn't know who I was at all, but I was creating work and they saw me as a professional. But then I went through a training program and, while there, I was suddenly shifted to being a student and a newcomer. In the last few years I feel I'm now considered a professional again.

Attila Clemann is a Jessie award winning sound designer and physical theatre artist.

There are a few theatre companies in Vancouver that have large enough budgets to be able to take emerging artists under their wings-to give them the chance to get experience and prove to the artistic directors that they can do the job. That's not always possible when money's on the line. "I'm not going to hire someone when I don't know their work." And yet if they never see your work, can anything happen?

David Gram is a theatre artist interested in telling challenging and thought provoking stories based on a broad spectrum of traditions.

Last spring I had the opportunity to apprentice as a director with one of the major theatre companies in Vancouver. This experience was completely self-initiated-not to mention independently financed-and only came to be after an abundance of persistance and nagging.

My apprenticeship was invaluable. I learned an immense amount. One of the things that sticks with me though, is how I was treated by those who were way above me on the hierarchical ladder. It was made very clear to me that I was the "lowest rung on the ladder" and, basically, there to play gopher. When I was finally introduced to the Artistic Director of the company that was producing the show, the only recognition I got was a dismissive "Hi." On the other hand, an associate of the company took the time to meet with me, support me and ask me how things were going throughout the entire process.

There aren't any decent apprenticeship programs set up in Vancouver. I think some of the professional artists in this city need to give younger artists an opportunity to learn from them. Honestly, if that Artistic Director had just asked me about my experience on the show... it would've shown me she was slightly interested in my pursuits as a theatre artist. Now, if I ever find myself in her position, and a young artist comes to me asking for the chance to work on a professional show, I'm going to remember how I was treated, and make sure that kid is given the same opportunity I had, just without all the hierarchical crap.

Stacey Horton is a dance/theatre artist who creates original works.

It's funny how I expect people to go out of their way to bring emerging people into the real world. That doesn't happen. But there are a few people who make efforts that make a big difference. In Vancouver, particularly for dance, the separation between professionals and non-professionals is huge. The professional community is exclusive. What I would like to see is a more inclusive community. I see choreographers inviting emerging dancers to work with them, but they keep it separate from when they work with established dancers. I'd like to see more mixing. All my professional experiences have been last minute, wacky things.