| The Birth of CITA | Strategic Planning: 1999 | Turning Point: 2002 | What About Canada? | Celebrating the Differences | Forming a Chapter | Where Do We Go From Here? |
Dale Savidge, Executive Director
This Fall we are embarking on an exciting new phase as an organization of Christians in Theatre Arts: a complete restructuring of our regional leadership in order to more effectively serve the networking needs of our membership. Not since the early years of CITA have we spent so much energy and time on our mission and on how our leadership structures advance that mission. We believe this new initiative will greatly increase the effectiveness of CITA and greatly expand the number of Christian artists in our network.
CITA was born in the mid-1980s out of a desire among a small group of theatre artists to maintain regular contact. These few people had met at a series of summer conferences and found many benefits from their time together. They soon conceived of an organization that would keep them networked through publications, programs and events. In 1989 their vision was incorporated and for 10 years membership grew and eventually topped 1000 people and groups. Published information was useful but the primary strength of the organization was through the face-to-face events, primarily conferences, which it hosted.
Conferences have been held on a North-American wide scale every summer since 1992 and numerous regional conferences have been sponsored in every area of the US and in several Canadian provinces. In 2000 over 1500 people attended CITA conferences. What the organization lacked, however, was a mechanism for local networking within a city or metropolitan area.
In 1999 the Board of Directors met in Atlanta GA for a strategic-planning weekend. Several ambitious goals were articulated, including the improvement of services, strengthening of staff and deepening the spiritual impact of CITA. One of the goals was to extend the influence of the organization through an effort at growing our membership. Growth had leveled off at the same time regional networking events had dwindled and, in most of the eleven regions, had ceased to exist. The Regional Representatives, several of whom had led their regions since the inception of CITA, voiced their concerns and ideas for change.
For three years the Board studied, thought, talked and prayed about how best to pursue the mission “to encourage and equip” through a structure of regional leadership. After evaluating several other organizations, similar and dissimilar, a plan was posited that reduced the number of “regional” leaders from eleven to four while energizing the Area Director position and creating the opportunity for localities to form CITA Chapters. None of these ideas were new, and in fact CITA had received requests to form chapters from several communities over the past 10 years. What was lacking, and what the new Regional Networking Structure provides, are leadership levels that can effectively carry the mission of CITA without unduly burdening the volunteer leaders.
The Board has clarified, focused and intensified the Regional Networking plan since it was first proposed in 2001. In August of 2002 the Board appointed four Regional Directors to implement this plan. These four individuals, who are introduced elsewhere in this issue of CITANews, met in Birmingham AL in October to receive training and to team-create this initiative. We are now prepared to offer networking, with the goal of encouraging and equipping Christians in the theatre arts, at every level: international, North-American, regional and local. We believe CITA is poised to become a potent force for God in the community of Christian theatre artists through this initiative.
In the course of developing this new structure of regional leadership, and in conversation with several CITA leaders in Canada, it was decided at this time to begin with four US regions only. Since our inception the Canadian provinces have been included in US-based regions; the difficulties posed by currency exchange and the vast geography of Canada made networking across country lines problematic.
It is hoped that some existing Canadian networks, including the Alberta-based CrissCross organization, may be the mechanism for extending the networking of Christian theatre artists in that country in a way that both maximizes the benefits of the US network while providing a cost-efficient method of carrying on encouragement and equipping among Canadians. We are continuing to explore this new relationship with our Canadian members and hope to announce specific ideas in the near future.
Diversity can, and often does, breed tension and conflict. But the Christian response to diversity is celebration, because it is diversity in the body of Christ that makes it effective. In CITA we celebrate our diversity, not just by denomination but by venue and discipline. Venue (where we do our theatre: in a church, a theatre, a school, etc) and discipline (what kind of theatre we do: acting, directing, writing, tech, etc) draw us together. At any CITA event we tend to gather by commonalities. CITA encourages affinity groups of actors, designers, writers, professionals, academics, Midwesterners, Canadians, etc. CITA also encourages, and at the chapter level insists upon, networking across venue , discipline and denominational boundaries. We believe there is a great deal of encouragement and equipping available through contact with people different than, and engaged in different work than, ourselves. This cross-fertilization of artists across venue and discipline boundaries is a unique feature of CITA events.
There are already CITA chapters forming in several localities across the US. This information is also available on our web site. The process is simple and straightforward, and the chapter is not asked to pay any fees to be chartered. You must have a minimum of 6 CITA members and 3 of those must be willing to be elected to positions of leadership (Chapter Director, Assistant Chapter Director and Secretary/Treasurer) prior to being chartered. Then you agree to host a minimum of four events (dinner, attend a play together, coffee klatch, etc) during each calendar year to remain an active chapter. You must also agree to promote CITA membership through your chapter activities.
The answer to that question is twofold: we continue doing what we’ve always done and we explore new and uncharted territory. We will continue to publish CITANews and Christianity and Theatre, as well as a membership directory, a Playwright’s Sourcebook, monographs and other materials. We will continue to program contests, scholarships and other programs. We will continue to schedule regional and national networking conferences with top-quality performers, workshops, exhibits and networking sessions.
We will also explore the future of local networking through Chapters, under the leadership of Area Directors and Regional Directors. We’ve dreamed big, we’ve prayed long and hard, we’ve planned thoroughly, we’ve “devised our way, but the Lord directs the steps.” Now we wait to see how God will use this Regional Networking initiative to impact the world and further His Kingdom.