Curriculum Vitae
This is a general CV.
You can read the Multi-Disciplinary Artist version here.
Ms. Alison Boston
email: ab-at-this website
CITIZENSHIP: Dual Citizen: Canada and United Kingdom
PASSPORT: Great Britain
LANGUAGES: English mother tongue; French 2nd language; Spanish and Hungarian, beginner
COMPUTER: Word, Word Perfect, Word Press, Quick Books, Eudora Mail, IE, ACDSee, Adobe Acrobat, Skype, Real Player, Windows Media, with skills in Web Development, Word Processing, Desk Top Publishing, Art Making, Internet Searching, Audio Recording and Editing, Technical Operations for Live Radio Broadcast
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: Member Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists.
SUMMARY: Mature, energetic, multi-tasking individual; self-motivated; highly creative, intelligent, friendly and outgoing.
EDUCATION
1987: BA Theater (Cum Laude), University of Ottawa
Additional Certification
June 2002: Cambridge CELTA, International House, Budapest, Hungary
1997-98: Micro-Enterprise Training, Les Cercles d’emprunt de Montreal, Emploi-Quebec, Gouvernement du Quebec, Canada
1996-97: Micro-Enterprise Training, INVEST, Traverse City Michigan, United States of America
1995: Running a Home-Based Business, Business Development Bank of Canada, Langford Chamber of Commerce, Langford, British Columbia
1990: Superhost, Tourism Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
1985: Telephone Sales Representative, Shaw MacLeod Associates Ltd., Ottawa, Canada
1987: Introduction to Non-Traditional Occupations for Women, Algonquin College, Ottawa, Canada
Have previously been certified as a swimming instructor/life guard with my last certification in 1999.
EXPERIENCE
18 years experience as a multi-tasking self-employed freelancer:
September 2006 to present: Barcelona, Spain
Language and Inter-cultural Communications Trainer sub-contracting through language academies and training companies
Freelance Writer contributing to Barcelona Metropolitan
Singer improvising original material and singing a couple of covers in Barcelona Jam Sessions
2002-April 2006: Budapest, Hungary
Language Trainer
Solicit clients via word-of-mouth networking in a broad spectrum of the Budapest community.
Determine each client’s language needs and learning style and prepare and deliver learning programme accordingly. This involves using published ESL material combined with internet resources drawn from established ESL web sites and websites directly pertinent to the learner’s professional needs and personal interests.
Clients include economists, environmental auditors, marketers, television producers, administrators, human resource managers, cultural workers, musicians, high school students and children with an emphasis on professional adults.
I worked as a language trainer sub-contracting through language schools to teach professional adults and immigrants, for one year in Montreal, Canada from May 2001-May 2002.
Freelance Journalist
Contribute 3-4 stories per week on culture and entertainment in Budapest.
Generate ideas by researching Hungarian publications, websites and word-of-mouth.
Research stories via face-to-face and/or telephone interviews and printed material.
Write stories to assigned word count, respecting newspaper’s style and target audience.
Deliver stories to deadline.
Web Master/Socio-Cultural Commentator
Set-up website (register domain, choose ISP, select, upload and install software and template).
Maintain established contacts and continue to build contacts in Budapest arts and culture community via attendance at events combined with email and telephone.
Write regular posts, with a commitment to writing positive content and through my daily life touch on a broad spectrum of life in Budapest.
Proof read posts, correcting typographical errors and spelling with special attention to Hungarian names and accents.
Edit posts, to ensure that socio-cultural comments are positive whenever possible; this means that when a comment needs to be made about a negative situation, I try to bring to light the positive aspect, or at the very least, try to make some kind of constructive comment.
Resize, upload and post related images when they are available.
Write, edit and post all content for personal archival pages.
Research possible sources of advertising revenue, initiate contact with potential advertisers, set-up GoogleAdsense Account and install ads on page.
Promote website with periodic newsletter-style email and holiday greeting cards.
Promote website through visiting internet networks and posting comments on appropriate network boards, linking back to my website.
Cultivate online presence in virtual community.
Success
February 2006 unique visitors (over 1000) doubled number of visitors accessing site in November, 2005. The numbers keep growing and I am doing very little to promote it, so people must be reading it.
Multi-Disciplinary Artist View more detailed CV here.
Poet
Write poetry stream-of-conscious in response to live music.
Make hand-made books of poetry: design and layout text and graphics; liaise with printers; do final assembly by hand using sewing machine.
Rehearse and prepare poetry presentations with musicians.
Present poetry at public readings/performances and private parties.
Liaise with technicians and producers at performance venues.
Success
Release of song Techno Toys Blues on compilation CD We Strike produced by the major Hungarian pop-reggae band Anima Sound System.
Visual Artist
Create original textile collage visual art works using sewing machine.
Create original digital art works using ACDSee software.
Liaise with professional photographers.
Voice-Over Artist
In-studio voice recording for English dubs of television and radio advertisements, and audio for English language listening exercises and exams.
1987-2002, Canada
Freelance Journalist
Generate and pitch ideas to a variety of editors and producers, choosing and developing ideas appropriate to the radio program or publication.
Topics focus on arts and culture, plus spirituality and religion, new business profiles, organic foods and farming, and energy-wise home renovations.
Research stories via face-to-face and/or telephone interviews and printed material.
Write stories to assigned word, or in the case of radio broadcast to assigned minute count, respecting radio program’s or publication’s style and target audience.
For radio: edit audio interviews and write scripts incorporating audio component; voice and record script in-studio, sometimes providing technical operations as well.
Deliver stories to deadline.
Freelance work included short-term contracts that called on editorial skills in addition to research and writing:
i. Producer/announcer/operator for CBC radio in Labrador City, Nfld., Canada.
ii. Production assistant at Radio Canada International, Montreal, Quebec.
iii. News editor/anchor with 940 All News Radio, Montreal.
Success
First feature, “The Rise and Fall of the Generic Masculine” published on essay page of Ottawa Citizen in 1987.
Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Theatre Producer/Actress
Select plays, and sometimes write my own plays, for live production.
Write grant applications.
Solicit sponsors by way of letter writing and telephone contact.
Sell program advertising.
Liaise with technicians, designers, producers, printers.
Organise and book athlete speaker-series to accompany performances.
Organise and book performances touring to national and international destinations.
Design and make, or assist in construction of properties, costumes, set, sound effects, posters, and programs.
Memorise, learn and rehearse my character’s lines and role and present it on stage.
Load set and costumes into car, travel to touring destination, unload car, set-up stage, direct local technicians with regard to focussing lights and setting sound and levels, do a cue-to-cue with local technician, perform show, tear down set, pack it up and go home.
Occasional film work as background performer.
Success
Production of Cynthia Cooper’s ‘How She Played the Game’ selected by the playwright to tour to international symposium.
Screenplay based on one-woman poetic performance ‘ Belladonna’s Adventures in Nah-Nah Land’ awarded first place in screenwriting competition.
Voice-Over Artist
In-studio recording for radio and television commercials, corporate information videos, and animated films.
Artisan
Design and make unique, one-of-a kind, handmade textile hats.
Shop at second-hand clothing stores, buying clothes made from interesting, quality fabrics.
Wash and over dye-fabrics.
Design hats, layout and cut fabric.
Assemble hats on electric sewing machine, adding finishing touches by hand.
Shoot photographs for portfolio, using Pentax K1000 SLR camera.
Make portfolio.
Research artisan markets and present portfolio to juries for participation.
Pack car, drive to artisan fair location, unpack car, assemble store, display hats, sell hats, pack hats and display, drive home, unpack car and start another week.
Success
Generated 70% profit after costs, before salary.
Poet
Write poetry.
Write grant applications.
Make hand-made books of poetry: design and layout text and graphics; liaise with printers; do final assembly by hand using sewing machine.
Organise poems into thematically grouped presentations.
Memorise, rehearse and prepare poetry presentations, creating set, costumes and properties to enhance the telling.
Create portfolio and submit to juries for performances.
Present poetry at public readings and performances in artist-run centres, festivals, bookshops, shopping malls, day care centres, theatres, parades, and private parties.
Liaise with technicians and producers at performance venues.
Produce art video of my poetry, performing all technical operations with one assistant camera operator, and final mastering in professional facility.
Success
Awarded Canada Council for the Arts Explorations Grant
Awarded SAW Video JumpstArt Grant, Saw Video Co-op, Ottawa
Professional Workshops and Training include:
acting for the camera, photography and darkroom, screenwriting, Butoh dance, choreography, performance art, voice and singing.
1978-1985
Florist, Fines Flowers, Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
I was employed initially for three years, then I left to return to university. While at university I worked for Fine’s during holiday season. My work was as follows:
open and close store
prepare daily cash records and bank deposits
determine stocks needs and purchase accordingly
prepare stock for display
arrange shop display
maintain perishable stock with proper care
hire and train staff as needed
initially working alone and as business increased, supervising a staff of 2, and later in larger store, a staff of 5
prepare annual sales and inventory reports, and purchasing records
customer relations
floral design
Success:
I started with the company as a sales-clerk/floral designer and after 4 months was promoted to manager.
The shop I managed, went from nearly closing to generating the highest profit margin in a chain of 13 stores after one year under my management.
In addition to my professional life, I am a non-smoker, have an active athletic life, and have competed as a recreational runner (10k), triathlete (olympic distance), and masters swimmer.
BIOGRAPHY
Everything in Budapest is under construction so it is only appropriate that most of my web site would be under construction also. I think I should create an going performance work-in-progress, and call it: “The Budapest Years: Under Construction”. Meanwhile here is something of a Bio:
Born in England, raised and educated in Canada. 15 schools (three in my first year) for 12 years resulting in a high school diploma, followed by three universities for one B.A. (concentration in theater).
We emigrated to Canada when I was four months old, so I learned at an early age how to quickly adapt to new circumstances. My babysitter was Quebecoise: she spoke to me in French, while my family spoke to me in English, so I have two mother tongues, though my education was in English so it is my first and most grammatically correct language.
I gave my first performance when I was three. I was a kid in a candy store who wanted the candies from the highest shelf. It was a little play staged by my mother for the church. It gave me a blueprint for life. (Both the church and the role I played!) That was followed by a ballet performance at age five. I was a flower. That gave me my second blueprint for life.
Then we moved back to England and I was given a suitcase to put my things in. We moved four times that year, and a year later we moved back to Canada, and I was given the same suitcase to put my things in, though some of the things had changed. That’s how I learned that home is wherever my suitcase is.
When I went out into the world on my own, I put my most precious things in that suitcase, among them all my poems and stories, and wherever I went I took the suitcase with me.
I no longer have that suitcase. I don’t know what happened to it. But I still have the creativity and imagination that it carried. And home is still wherever my suitcase is.
As for performing? I followed my flower dance at age five, with performances for the neighborhood kids from my bedroom balcony; then when we lived in Nova Scotia I did more shows for the neighborhood kids - this time getting dressed up and using the old boat houses along the LaHave River in Nova Scotia as my theater….then there were talent shows and high school drama clubs, and high school radio shows, and community theater (the Mock Turtle in Alice in Wonderland), and university…and university plays (Hesther in Equus) and radio shows, and poetry readings…
Read more on the History page, in the Poetry section.
As for the visual art…on the sewing machine? I got my first sewing machine and started making my own clothes at age 12… Read more on the History page of the Visual Art section.
