Revenue Development for Applied Theatre and its Perceived Impact on Organizational Social Goals in Ontario, Canada

This study seeks to examine the question: what do managers of applied theatre organizations in Ontario, Canada perceive as the implications of revenue development on the social potentialities of their organizations? Resource dependence theory is a broad field of study, with conflicting branches of thought. Some suggest that not-forprofits should increase fundraising activity, while others suggest that not-for-profits should remain wary of the deradicalizing influence of funders. The space of potentiality created by applied theatre offers a unique opportunity to examine this tension as practitioners are aware of how process, spaces of potentiality, and social goals are intertwined. To examine the research question, this study adopts a case study methodology. This study consists of nine participants responsible for revenue development in an applied theatre organization. All participants are geographically located in Ontario, Canada, and the study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses semi-structured, one-on-one interviews and a focus group to gather data. The interviews were turned into a transcript, which was coded using a data-driven codebook. All interviews took place over Zoom to prevent possible harm from COVID-19. The research makes several key recommendations based on the discussion. They are based on two primary conclusions. The first being that funders in Ontario do alter how applied theatre organizations approach their social aims. The second being that, with several changes, revenue development could assist applied theatre organizations in furthering their own social aims