Start Date
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Abstract
Under the auspices of the CreateAustin Master Plan, the Austin Creative Alliance began in 2009 to create a network of support for creative arts programs in Austin. This collection of meeting minutes, event listings, fliers, posters, playbills, press material, clippings, photographs, and negatives from 1974 to 2011 capture the performances and other activities of the Austin Creative Alliance, including the transition from the Austin Circle of Theatres (founded in 1975) to the Austin Creative Alliance in 2009.
Bioghist
Administrative History
Linalice Carey and Libby Winters founded the Austin Circle of Theaters (ACoT) in 1974 to encourage collaboration and support for the performing arts community. According to their 1976 Statement of Ethics, encouraging collaboration included “setting opening dates, preview nights for news media, audition sessions, and selections for the theatre season” to create a “harmonious” and “cohesive” theater community. One of their first programs was the B. Iden Payne Awards, which began in 1974 to honor outstanding achievement in the performing arts. ACoT also began events such as Playfest, a 10-week performing arts festival for children, and Theater Week, an 11-day campaign to support the performing arts in lower-income areas. To assist with communication, the ACoT also began Curtain Call, a monthly newsletter available to the general Austin public.
In the mid-2000s, Austin began to see an increase in the cost of living and population, and in turn the development of silos within the cultural sector. In response, the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division launched the CreateAustin Leadership Council in September 2006. The Council comprised of 70 community leaders from various economic and cultural sectors, conducted research to create a 10-year plan for cultural development in Austin, Texas. The main goals were to build support for the creative arts and to make the creative community more economically self-sustaining. Former Mayor of Austin William Wynn and Dr. Teresa Lozano Long, founder of the Long Foundation, co-chaired the Leadership Council.
For two years, the Leadership Council alongside six Task Force Teams researched and discussed weaknesses within the arts community and possible solutions. A study group formed in January 2008 specifically to focus on building sustainability and engagement. This group met with a variety of speakers, such as Tom Kaiden, head of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Elizabeth Callener, who worked for over 20 years in large arts organizations, and Laura Esparza, Division Manager of the Museums and Cultural Programs of the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department. The Task Force Teams created a list of recommendations for the arts community and published it in 2009, as part of the CreateAustin Cultural Master Plan.
One of the primary recommendations of the plan was to create a Cultural Alliance. This alliance would be a venue for networking, advocating, and financial support for the arts. The Master Plan recommended building on the work of the Austin Circle of Theaters and its long history of promoting collaboration and support within the arts community. To begin planning for this transition, Latifah Taormina, the executive director of the Austin Circle of Theatres, and Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, a co-founder of Fantastic Fest, began meeting with people such as Andrew Taylor (Taylor, “About Andrew Taylor”), who were experts in developing business models for cultural arts organizations.
According to the business plan draft for the Alliance from July 6, 2009, the following goals were set for the organization: coordinate projects to advance creative culture through advocacy, research, marketing, and programs; host events and workshops to assist project development; and to become a sustainable, respectable network for creative enterprises. These goals intended to increase public awareness, appreciation, participation, and support for the arts and artists and to expand the creative arts economy.
After four months of strategizing, the business plan for the Creative Alliance was finalized, and on September 18, 2009, the Austin Circle of Theatres was officially renamed the Greater Austin Creative Alliance. The Austin Creative Alliance held its first meeting several days later on September 22, led by the Transition Team: Huey Houston and Latifah Taormina of the Creative Alliance Task Force and Robert Faires and Deborah Edwards of the CreateAustin Leadership Council. Mayor Lee Leffingwell formally announced the new Austin Creative Alliance on September 24, 2009.
In its first decade, the Austin Creative Alliance has worked hard to meet its goals. ACA has supported over 80 different creative projects through fiscal sponsorships and renting studio and community spaces. To support the performing arts, ACA began the Unified Auditions, where actors can audition to an audience of directors, producers, and stage managers from a variety of different creative projects. ACA also hosts a series of Creative Sector Summits to bring together creative cultural leaders from all over Austin to discuss challenges facing the cultural industry. In addition, the ACA Advocacy Task Force attends city council committee meetings to advocate for creating and passing art-friendly policy and budgeting. Finally, to celebrate those who made large, sustainable contributions to the arts in Austin, ACA hosts the Austin Creative Alliance Honors. In the 2018-2019 season, the organization is run by a Board of Directors, with Shea Little as Chair, Dewy Brooks as Vice Chair, and John Reidie as CEO.
Sources:
Austin Creative Alliance. https://www.austincreativealliance.org/
CreateAustin Cultural Master Plan.Austintexas.gov: the official website of the city of Austin. 2009. https://www.austintexas.gov/department/createaustin-cultural-master-plan
“Cookie G. Ruiz, C.F.R.E.” Ballet Austin. https://balletaustin.org/about/cookie-ruiz
Performing Arts Collection. Texas Archival Resources Online.https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/aushc/00366/ahc-00366.html
Savlov, Marc. “It’s Alive! The founders on Fantastic Fest.” The Austin Chronicle. Oct.7, 2005. https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2005-10-07/296414/
Taylor, Andrew. “Speaking in Austin, Texas.” The Artful Manager: Andrew Taylor on the business of arts and culture. June 11, 2009.https://www.artsjournal.com/artfulmanager/main/speaking_in_austin_texas.php
Taylor, Andrew. “About Andrew Taylor”. The Artful Manager: Andrew Taylor on the business of arts and culture. https://www.artsjournal.com/artfulmanager/andrew-taylor
“Teresa Lozano Long, Ed.D.” Texas Women’s Hall of Fame. 2018. https://twu.edu/twhf/honorees/teresa-lozano-long-edd-/
Scopecontent
Scope and Contents
The collection of the Austin Creative Alliance consists mainly of minutes, proceedings, correspondence, financial documents, photographic materials-both photo positives and negatives, event advertisements and documents, as well as, printed materials documenting the organizational structure and extensive civic activities of the Austin Circle of Theaters, and subsequently the Austin Creative Alliance.
The Administrative Records (1998-2010) series contains the bulk of the textual materials relating to the organization and operation of the Austin Circle of Theaters; including meeting minutes from the Board of Directors of the Austin Circle of Theaters (1998-2009) and the Austin Creative Alliance (2009-2010), which includes announcements for upcoming events, project updates, and fiscal reports. This series also serves to document the transition from the Circle of Theaters to the Creative Alliance in 2009. This series also includes membership forms, information on local theater and cultural programming venues, and photographs of ACA staff.
The Programming (1993-2010) series contains fliers, playbills, invitations, clippings, photographs, and negatives related to programs hosted by the Austin Circle of Theater/Austin Creative Alliance. Programs include Theater Week, Playfest, Curtain Call, B. Iden Payne Awards, AusTix, Let’s Go Austin, membership events, and other social gatherings.
The Press and Publicity (1997-2009) series consists primarily of clippings related to ACoT/ACA and Executive Director, Latifa Taormina. This series also includes negatives from various press releases.
The Theater Productions (1979-2001) series is comprised of mostly black-and-white and color photographs, negatives, and transparencies documenting local Austin theater performances. The photographs capture rehearsals and performances from theater groups such as Capitol City Playhouse, A Different Stages, Express Theater, Hyde Park Theater, Teatro Vivo and the Vortex. A small selection of playbills, fliers, press kits and other promotional material are also in this series.
The Assorted Photographs (1995-2002, undated) series contains black-and-white and color photographs, negative and transparencies of various Austin actors and creatives, including headshots of Austin Circle of Theater membership. This series also contains unidentified negatives and photographs of various ACoT/ACA activities.
This folder contains photographs of productions from the following performance groups: A.D. Players, Alley Theater, The Appleseed Connection, Austin Scriptworks, Austin Theatre for Youth, Blue Theatre, Bubble Mania, Capitol City Men's Chorus, Capitol City Playhouse, Dallas Opera, A Different Stages, and Dougherty Arts Center
This folder contains photographs of productions from the following performance groups: Express Theatre, Hyde Park Theatre, Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Last* Chance Productions, Live Oak Theatre
This folder contains photographs of productions from the following performance groups: Mary Moody Northern Theatre, Off Center, Old Depot Stage, One Theatre Company, Onstage, Palace Theater, Physical Plant Theater, Planet Theatre, Public Domain Theatre Company, Rude Mechanicals, Teatro Humanidad Cansada, Teatro Libertad
This folder contains photographs of productions from the following performance groups: UT Theatre, Vortex Repertory Company, Zachary Scott
Dsc
Detailed Description of the Collection
Administrative Records,
1996-2011
Minutes,
1998-2010
1
1-6
ACoT Board Meetings,
1998-2002
2
1-6
ACoT Board Meetings,
2002-2006
3
1-6
ACoT Board Meetings,
2006-2009
4
1-3
Creative Alliance TAT,
2007-2008
4
4-5
Creative Alliance Study Group,
2008
5
1-2
ACA Board Meetings,
2009-2010
Project Files,
1996-2011
5
3
Arts Facilities Survey and Directories,
1996-2010
5
4
Board and Creative Council Nomination Packet,
2009-2010
5
5
Membership Recruitment,
2001-2011
5
6
National Arts and Humanities Month,
2010
5
7
Art Transit Map Sponsorship,
2011
Programming,
1978-1990
Theater Week,
1980-1998, undated
5
8
Theater Week,
1980-1996
6
1
Theater Week,
1996-1998
6
2
Theater Week Photographs (#035-060),
undated
Playfest,
1994-1999, undated
6
3-8
Playfest Photographs,
1994-1999
Additional color slides from Playfest 1994-1999 located in the Outer Vault
Additional color 120mm negatives from Playfest 1996 located in the Outer Vault
Additional color and black and white 35mm negatives from Playfest 1999 located in the Outer Vault
6
9
Playfest Photographs,
undated
6
2
Playfest Portfolio Award Application,
1998, undated
Curtain Call,
1993-1996, undated
6
11-12
Curtain Call Photographs,
1993-1996
Additional color and black and white 35mm negatives located in the Outer Vault
6
13
Curtain Call,
September 1994
6
14
Curtain Call,
October 1995
7
1
Curtain Call,
undated
Additional color 35mm negatives located in the Outer Vault
Additional Programming and Events,
1994-2010, undated
7
2
AusTix (#638-681),
undated
7
3
B. Iden Payne Awards,
2000-2010
7
4
Let's Go Austin,
2003-2004
7
5
ACoT Birthday,
undated
7
6
Social Events Photographs (#710-809),
1994-2000
7
7
Assorted Events,
1998-2000
Press and Publicity,
1997-2009, undated
7
8
Magazine Articles,
1997-2009
7
9
Latifa Taormina Clippings,
2001-2003
7
10
Press Release Contact Sheets,
undated
Original 35mm and 120mm black and white negatives in Outer Vault.
qAR
08/029-047
Posters,
1981-2008
Theater Productions,
1979-2001
7
11
Playbills,
1979-1988
7
12
Rehearsal Photographs (#810-846),
1998, 2001, undated
7
13
Merrily We Roll Along,
1999
Original 35mm color negatives from the Merrily We Roll Along photo shoot in Outer Vault.
7
14
Metamophaoke 3000 Press Kit,
2001
7
15
Austin Circle of Theaters Productions (#847-868),
undated
7
16
Performance Groups (A-D)(#869-910),
1992-2001, undated
This folder contains photographs of productions from the following performance groups: A.D. Players, Alley Theater, The Appleseed Connection, Austin Scriptworks, Austin Theatre for Youth, Blue Theatre, Bubble Mania, Capitol City Men's Chorus, Capitol City Playhouse, Dallas Opera, A Different Stages, and Dougherty Arts Center
8
1
Performance Groups (E-L)(#911-953),
1996-1999, undated
This folder contains photographs of productions from the following performance groups: Express Theatre, Hyde Park Theatre, Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Last* Chance Productions, Live Oak Theatre
8
2
Performance Groups (M-T)(#954-987),
1995-2001
This folder contains photographs of productions from the following performance groups: Mary Moody Northern Theatre, Off Center, Old Depot Stage, One Theatre Company, Onstage, Palace Theater, Physical Plant Theater, Planet Theatre, Public Domain Theatre Company, Rude Mechanicals, Teatro Humanidad Cansada, Teatro Libertad
8
3
Performance Groups (U-Z)(#988-1017),
1994-2001
This folder contains photographs of productions from the following performance groups: UT Theatre, Vortex Repertory Company, Zachary Scott
8
4
Theater Performances 1997-1998 (#1204-1222),
1997-1998
Additional original color slides in Outer Vault.
8
5
Assorted Known Productions (#1018-1054),
1995-1998
Additional original color slides in Outer Vault.
8
6
Unidentified Productions (#1055-1096),
undated
Additional original color slides in Outer Vault.
Assorted Photographs,
1995-2002
8
7
Member Photographs (#1097-1145),
1995-2002, undated
8
8
Performer Head Shots (#1146-1203),
undated
8
9
Office Photographs,
undated
8
10
Copy Negatives,
undated
Additional black and white 35mm negatives in Outer Vault.
8
11
Negatives,
undated