Have your say, with surveys around performance spaces

A pair of surveys have been launched which could change the way the city of Stratford thinks about rehearsal and performance spaces, as Onrush Entertainment Inc, the group responsible for the Onrush Music Festival, has launched two community surveys. 

“The thing we learned through the festival was there are a lot of challenges as it relates to performance spaces in Stratford,” said Tim Harrison, president of Onrush Entertainment Inc.

One survey is focused on how and where artists rehearse or develop their works in the city, while the other is around performance spaces and venues in the city. 

“There are often challenges around the size of spaces,” said Harrison. “For example a high school punk band, how can they find a space that meets their needs in terms of band size as well as that flourishes their growing sound so they can eventually reach a level of playing in a larger urban centre.”

The survey was launched last Friday, and responses started coming in slow but have since picked up a bit. The feedback will be collected and used to help educated and create discussions with government officials, venue owners and community groups on the challenges being faced by the performing arts community.

“I think we have gotten about 25 responses so far, with more on the rehearsal survey,” said Harrison. “This information needs to be out there for all groups, we feel like this is open source method of collecting data, and making it accessible to all groups. In my personal perspective, I believe the data will help educate government officials what it truly means to have a rehearsal space. If you are not a part of the community you may not understand the needs, so the intention is to educate.”

The surveys will be open until November 15 and can be found here.