Dora Mavor Moore Awards Juror Code of Conduct
Letter of Agreement
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
At all times, Dora jurors will approach the task of assessing registered productions with an open mind. Jurors are to respond to the art on display and to assess excellence in their Division. Jurors are required to record their thoughts about a production within 48 hours of attending it. TAPA will provide tools in the Juror Orientation package to assist with this requirement.
TRANSPARENT ACCOUNTABILITY
TAPA views integrity and transparency of process as essential practice. To ensure that this principle is actionable, please follow this framework of accountability to address any technical or interpersonal challenges that may arise:
– juror experiences issue with logistics or technical elements of jury service: contact Dora Awards Manager and jury Chair
– juror experiences issue with TAPA member / producer: contact Dora Awards Manager and Jury Chair
– juror experiences issue with other jurors or jury Chair: contact Dora Awards Manager
– juror experiences issue with Dora Awards Manager: contact jury Chair
Any of the above may be escalated as required to the TAPA Executive Director and/or Board of Directors
ATTENDANCE AND NOTICE
Dora Jurors are expected to attend 100% of the productions registered in their Division. Attendance must be substantiated with a ticket stub to be submitted to the Jury Chair. In cases where a ticket stub is not available, a house program or Box Office confirmation email may be accepted. Jurors will not be permitted to vote for productions for which they have not provided substantiation of attendance. Jurors who have not attended 85% of registered productions at the end of the Dora year will not be eligible to vote.
TAPA warrants that jury members will be given a minimum of 14 days notice before a registered production becomes eligible for adjudication, giving jury members reasonable time to select a date to attend the production. Jurors must inform Jury Chairs about their attendance by 7 days prior to any show opening.
Jurors must reserve tickets in their own name, arrive on time at all productions they are adjudicating, and must attend the full production. Jurors are not permitted to leave at intermission. Jurors understand that they represent TAPA at all times when attending registered performances, and must be respectful when communicating with all venue staff.
VOTING
Please see the section entitled VOTING PROCESS in the Dora Handbook for a full explanation of the Dora Mavor Moore Award voting process.
Jury members may not vote for productions they have not attended.
This applies to productions that jurors may have seen previously (for instance a show from the Fringe that is remounted), as the remount may not be identical to the original production. Jurors must declare in jury meetings when they have not seen a production, so that they may not discuss the merits/non-merits of shows they have not seen.
JUROR CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Jurors must state if they have a conflict of interest in any production registered in their Division. For the purposes of this Code, a conflict of interest is defined as (but not limited to) the following: (a) when a juror participates (paid or unpaid) as part of a registered production’s administrative, creative, and/or technical team; (b) when a juror is employed by the production company/companies that registered the production or is a member of its governing body; or (C) when a juror is related by birth or marriage, including Common Law status, to any individual who meets criteria (a) and (b).
The Division Chair will record any conflict of interest, and the juror with the conflict will be asked to leave the room while the remaining jury members discuss the production at Jury meetings.
Jurors who have a conflict of interest with a registered production may not vote for that production in the first round of voting, which creates the short list. Should the production appear on the short list after the first round of voting, the juror with the conflict may vote for the production in the second and third ballots.
Dora jurors cannot be sitting Board members of either the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts or P.A.I.S.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Upon signing this document, jurors agree to keep all information regarding eligibility, registrations, nominations, nominees, jury meeting discussions and voting private and confidential before, during and after their time served on the Dora Jury, whether or not their term is completed.
The jurors agree to never share the opinions of other jurors relating to productions attended as a Dora Juror with anyone by any means, including, but not limited to conversations, published documents, email, Facebook, Twitter and blogs.
Jurors also agree to the same in regards to their own opinions relating to productions attended as a Dora juror during their time served on the Dora jury for a minimum of one (1) year following the conclusion of their jury participation, thereafter provided that the opinion expressed is not in opposition or criticism of the Dora Award nominees or recipients.
Any Juror who does not comply with this Code of Conduct will be dismissed immediately.
Dora Jurors must understand and agree to adhere to this Code of Conduct.
