Nashville Children's Theatre
Executive Director
| Executive Director | Mr. Colin Peterson |
|---|---|
| cpeterson@nashvillechildrenstheatre.org | |
| Term Start | September 2024 |
| Colin's Experience: Colin Peterson has been working at Nashville Children's Theatre since 2010, starting as a contract artist and teaching artist. The very first thing colin did at NCT was run the fly system backstage during Seussical (the fly system is what allows set pieces and props to come down from the ceiling, or 'fly in'). Since then, Colin has been working mostly with the Education and Artistic departments. In the education space, Colin has held the positions of Resident Teaching Artist, Education Program Manager and Associate Education Director before becoming the Education Director in 2020. In the Artistic space, Colin has directed 50+ youth performances and was the NCT Resident Projection Designer from 2011-2017 - designing over 25 shows both here at NCT as well as at Nashville REP, Studio Tenn, Nashville Shakes, and Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music. This year Colin was asked to step in as the Interim Artistic Director to help guide this season and set the stage for next season. | |
Co-Executive Director
| Co-Executive Director | Dr. Marti Cantrell |
|---|---|
| mcantrell@nashvillect.org | |
| Term Start | August 2024 |
| Marti 's Experience: | |
Senior Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Mr. Colin Peterson | Interim Artistic Director/ Education Director |
| Mrs. Belinda McSween | Director of Finance |
| Mr. Kenneth Mayfield | Director of Production |
| Gretchen James | Director of Development |
| Dr. Marti Cantrell | Managing Director |
Staff
| Full Time Staff | 15 |
|---|---|
| Part Time Staff | 0 |
| Volunteers | 36 |
| Contractors | 0 |
| Retention Rate | 88% |
Plans & Policies
| Does your organization have a Fundraising Plan? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Does your organization have a Strategic Plan? | Yes |
| Years Strategic Plan Considers | 3 |
| When was the Strategic Plan adopted? | August 2023 |
| Does your organization have a Management Succession Plan? | Yes |
| Does your organization have a Policy and Procedure Plan? | Yes |
| Does the organization have a Nondiscrimination Policy? | Yes |
| Does the organization have a Whistle Blower Policy? | Yes |
| Does the organization have a Document Destruction Policy? | Yes |
Evaluation
| Is there a formal evaluation for... | Frequency (if applicable) | |
|---|---|---|
| CEO/Executive Director | Yes | Annually |
| Senior Management | Yes | Annually |
| Non-Management | Yes | Annually |
Affiliations
| Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|
| Actor's Equity Association | 1998 |
| ASSITEJ International (International Assn of Theatre for Children and Young People) | 1964 |
| Association of Fundraising Professionals - Member | 2008 |
| Association of Junior Leagues International | 1931 |
| Center for Nonprofit Management Excellence Network | 1999 |
| Metro Arts Commission | 1989 |
| Nashville Area Association for Young Children (NAAYC) | 2006 |
| Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce | 2004 |
| Nashville Arts Coalition | 1994 |
| Nashville Chamber of Commerce | 1996 |
| Tennesseans for the Arts | 1990 |
| The National Association for Professional Theatres for Young Audiences (TYA/USA) | 1990 |
Awards
| Award / Recognition | Organization | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 - No. 1 Performing Arts Organization - Ranked by number of performances | Nashville Business Journal | 2009 |
| Arts & Culture 12th Awards Winner | 12th & Broad | 2016 |
| Best Live Performance | Nashville Parent | 2010 |
| Best Local Theater Company | Nashville Scene | 2010 |
| Best Local Theatre Company | The Tennessean's Toast of Music City | 2015 |
| Best Professional Theatre | Broadway World Nashville | 2018 |
| Four of NCT's 2009 Productions were ranked in NBJ's 2009 Top 25 Musical Theater/events | Nashville Business Journal | 2009 |
| Ranked # 2 Performing Arts Organization based on attendance totals | Nashville Business Journal | 2014 |
| Ranked #1 & #2 Top Attended Performing Arts Events in Nashville | Nashville Business Journal | 2016 |
| Ranked #2 Performing Arts Organization Based on Attendance | Nashville Business Journal | 2017 |
| Ranked #2 Performing Arts Organization Based on Attendance | Nashville Business Journal | 2018 |
| Ranked #2 Performing Arts Organization based on attendance totals | Nashville Business Journal | 2015 |
| Ranked #2 Performing Arts Organization in Nashville by total attendance | Nashville Business Journal | 2013 |
| Ranked #3 Performing Arts Organization based on attendance totals | Nashville Business Journal | 2016 |
| Ranked #4 & #5 Top Attended Music/Theatre events in Nashville | Nashville Business Journal | 2013 |
| Ranked Fourth Best Children's Theatre in Nation | TIME Magazine | 2004 |
| Ranked Top Ten Entertainment and Performance Venues in Nashville based on attendance totals | Nashville Business Journal | 2016 |
| Theaterati of the Year - Ernie Nolan | Midwinter's First Night | 2018 |
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
| In June 2019, the Board of Trustees eliminated the role of Managing Director, placing many of the role's responsibilities with the Executive Artistic Director. While plans were put on hold during the pandemic to hire a new position, Director of Finance, the goal is to hire the new position within the next year. During the pandemic, a reduction of work force was required. The theatre continues to operate with a small full time staff and many contract and part time employees. As audiences return to the building, plans are in place to bring back positions as needed. |
