S.M.Arts - Stage Managing the Arts

What S.M.Arts - Stage Managing the Arts does

S.M.Arts - Stage Managing the Arts is a Canadian not-for-profit organization founded in 1996 by Winston Morgan and headquartered in Toronto. It functions as a national professional development body for stage managers, delivering programming that includes an annual Toronto conference, an On The Road conference series visiting 12 Canadian cities, Masterclasses, a proprietary book, and a community discussion forum. The organization formally incorporated as a not-for-profit in Fall 2015 under the executive leadership of Janelle Rainville, who has served as Executive Director since 2010, and operates a sister organization, P.M.Arts, which extends programming to Production Managers and Technical Directors.

The organization's product surface is built around a catalog of 112+ educational courses delivered through in-person events and virtual channels, supported by a network of 150+ instructors and an engaged community that includes 200+ Canadian Actors' Equity Association members. The technical stack for delivery is conventional, relying on standard virtual conferencing platforms (notably during the 2020 COVID pivot) and web-based community forums, with no proprietary AI or data infrastructure referenced.

Revenue mechanics rest on low-ticket, distributed pricing: conference passes priced at $700 in-person and $595 virtual, and a proprietary book priced at $32, supplemented by course fees and donations. Customer segments span individual practicing stage managers, apprentices and emerging professionals, students, and post-secondary institutions, with no disclosed enterprise anchor accounts or major institutional sponsorships. P.M.Arts (launched 2008) represents an adjacent vertical extension targeting Production Managers and Technical Directors.

Name

S.M.Arts - Stage Managing the Arts

Legal name

Stage Management for the Arts

Website

https://stagemanagingthearts.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

S.M.Arts is a Canadian not-for-profit founded in 1996 that delivers professional development for stage managers through annual conferences, a 12-city On The Road series, masterclasses, and a community forum, serving practitioners, apprentices, students, and post-secondary institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Training, Workshops & Certification Events (MPAGAGAJ), Institutional & Custom Publishing (Coursepacks, Campus/Corporate Training) (MPAJABAL)

Keywords

• Stage management training
• Performing arts professional development
• Theatre production conferences
• Continuing arts education
• Live performance training

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Fees: Revenue from single course registrations ($45), conference passes in-person ($700) and virtual ($595), and subsidized seat donations.
2. Book Sales: Sale of Stage Managing the Arts in Canada book at $32 CDN plus shipping. Order fulfillment within Canada only.
3. Donations: Not-for-profit accepting donations toward Apprenticeship Trust Fund, Operating, Toronto Conference, Book re-write, and On the Road conferences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

S.M.Arts runs annual hybrid conferences in Toronto, On The Road conferences in cities across Canada, and specialized Masterclasses (opera, ballet, mega musicals) for working and aspiring stage managers. It also sells the proprietary textbook "Stage Managing the Arts in Canada" and operates the sister organization P.M.Arts for Production Managers and Technical Directors. The curriculum spans 112+ courses across Basic Skills, Advanced Skills, Genres, Positions, and career development, with hybrid in-person/virtual delivery.

Product overview

S.M.Arts operates as a not-for-profit educational organization offering a portfolio of professional development programs for stage managers and performing arts professionals. The core offerings include the annual Toronto Conference (a hybrid in-person/virtual format), specialized Masterclasses in Opera/Ballet/Musicals, the On The Road traveling conference program, and PM/TDArts for Production Managers and Technical Directors. The organization also publishes 'Stage Managing the Arts in Canada' as its foundational textbook. Courses span Basic Skills (foundational training), Advanced Skills (specialized techniques), Genres (opera, dance, theatre), Positions (assistant/production stage management), and career development topics. All programs are designed for working stage managers and aspiring professionals seeking to hone their craft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• P.M.Arts: Production Management and Technical Directors Arts - a parallel Toronto conference focusing on professional development for Production Managers and Technical Directors, operated under the SMArts umbrella
• PM/TDArts
• Night of a 1,001 Stage Managers
• SMArts Apprenticeship Trust Fund

Products and services

• SMArts Toronto Conference Annual hybrid professional development conference in Toronto offering stage management courses across skill levels, featuring instruction from working professionals and networking opportunities including the Night of a 1,001 Stage Managers closing event.
• On The Road Conferences Traveling stage management conferences brought to cities across Canada outside Toronto in collaboration with local performing arts communities, including past locations Regina, Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Halifax, and Corner Brook.
• Masterclasses One- or two-day intensive training courses focused on stage management in specific genres such as Opera, Ballet, and Mega Musicals, combining classroom instruction with live performance observation and backstage tours.
• PM/TDArts Parallel Toronto conference under the SMArts umbrella focusing on professional development for Production Managers and Technical Directors.
• Stage Managing the Arts in Canada (Book) The definitive Canadian stage management textbook authored by Winston Morgan, providing guidelines, essays, checklists, and resources covering production from prep week through final performance; sold via the SMArts website with Canada-only shipping.
• Discussion Series / Community Forums Discussion forums for members of the performing arts community addressing issues such as harassment, bullying, and safe workplaces.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 past participants have joined Canadian Actors' Equity Association after attending SMArts conferences
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Canadian Actors' Equity AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary sponsor of SMArts conferences. Equity represents nearly 6,000 professional artists including stage managers in English Canada. Their financial assistance enables keeping session fees low. Partnership includes collaborative courses on Equity membership and CTA training.
• York University - School of the Arts, Media, Performance & DesigncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHost venue for Toronto annual conferences at the Centre for Film and Theatre (4700 Keele Street). Provides classroom facilities and access to industry-standard training environments.
• Toronto Metropolitan University - Performance at The Creative SchoolcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHost venue for Toronto conferences (formerly Ryerson School of Performance). Provides facilities for conferences including proscenium stage, flexible black box studios, and teaching spaces.
• P.M.Arts (Production Manager/Technical Director Arts)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization operating under SMArts umbrella, focusing on professional development for Production Managers and Technical Directors. Founded in 2008 by Winston Morgan and Janelle Rainville.
• Local Host Partners (On The Road)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal organizations hosting SMArts On The Road conferences in their communities. Includes venues, educational institutions, and local stage management communities across Canada.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Theatre Communications Group (TCG): National organization for the American theatre, offering conferences, publications, and professional development. Overlaps with SMArts on the publishing and professional-development-for-theatre-professionals axis at much larger scale.
• Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP): North American membership organization and conference body for presenting/booking professionals in the performing arts. Operates a much larger annual conference; relevant as a peer for conference-driven PD business model rather than subject matter.
• CITT/ICTS (Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology): Canada's national industry body for theatre technology, awarding the CITT/ICTS Educational Achievement Award that SMArts' Executive Director received. Operates a broader portfolio (technical standards, trade shows, advocacy) but overlaps on professional development for the same talent pool.

Others

• National Theatre School of Canada: Canada's national theatre training institution, where SMArts' Board President Andrea Lundy is Director of the Production Design and Technical Arts Program. Overlaps as a peer in stage management training and curriculum, though it is a degree-granting school rather than a conference-based PD provider.

Emerging players

• HowlRound: A free, open online platform for performing arts knowledge sharing, including stage management topics. Competes for the same learning mindshare with a very different (free, digital, global) model that pressures SMArts' paid conference economics.

Direct peers

• United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT): US-based professional organization for performing arts design and technology, offering conferences, training, and publications for stage managers, designers, and technicians. Directly comparable mission of continuing education and professional community for theatre practitioners.
• P.M.Arts (Production Management and Technical Directors Arts): SMArts' own sister organization operating under the same umbrella, applying the same conference-based professional development model to Production Managers and Technical Directors. Most directly comparable peer because it shares operational structure, leadership, and mission.
• The Stage Managers' Association (SMA): NYC-based membership association specifically for professional stage managers, offering networking, professional development, and emergency relief. Closest US analogue in terms of audience specificity, though it does not run a full multi-day conference program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stagemanagingthearts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about S.M.Arts - Stage Managing the Arts