Trouble with the word "theatre"

I am a theatre artist who uses the techniques, strategies, and the pedagogy behind theatre arts as methodology for creating dialogue, for exploring and learning, for developing community, and creating steps for more just and equitable society. I understand this mission with my heart completely and I do not need any explanation. This mission is also clear to other community-based theatre artists who work in the same or similar philosophical/pedagogical realm. However, the word "theatre" has a strong connotations in minds of people and thus, they may not understand it being used in other context than in "theatre as a building with proscenium stage, acting troupe, hierarchical production structure, and paying audience."

I have recently contacted a temp agency looking for opportunity to get work in non-profit administration/project coordination/implementation using my facilitation, coordinating and organizational skills from various community-based projects I worked on in the past. The director of the temp agency who interviewed me was trying really hard to see how my artistic skills were transferable to other areas. However, I could see that the two words "theatre" and "arts" blurred her mind. After me mentioning several times that I am an educator, skilled in group facilitation, interested in working in non-profit sector with various communities, she looked up, thought for a moment, and then said: "I am sorry, I do not think I have anything for you. But, there are so many theatre companies in Toronto, you should contact them."

It was obvious to me that even though she was used to people coming to her when changing careers and looking for transferring their skills from one sector to another, she could not comprehend that someone with theatre arts background and education could actually do something else than work in traditional theatre.

My thoughts on this page are not about one director of a temp agency in Toronto. It is about the larger picture of our society and how we view/perceive/hold arts in our lives. There are those of us who work hard to bridge the gap between arts and people and advocate not only for accessibility but also for arts as life and for the notion that each one of us can create and appreciate art. And, there are those of us who also work hard to keep the separation and the illusion that art is removed from ordinary folks who can only - if properly advices or educated - appreciate it when the art is done by the expert artists.

I do not wish to create divisions of "us" and "them" and say that one is better or more beneficial. I would like to see the two streams or philosophies of approach to life and arts as mutually compatible, able to live and thrive side by side, informing each other and growing and supporting each other. However, I am re-thinking the use of the word "theatre" in my resume and in articulating the vision of my work in Toronto community arts.

I would be very much interested in knowing how do you articulate what you do and whether you have any thoughts on this.....