“Our mission is to disrupt, distort, and transform the Canadian arts sector.”
COHORT #1
Each day kicked off with our Lunch & Learn series, alternating between Debaser‘s Rachel Weldon, Katie Manners, and Sandra Ngenge Dusabe (also founder of The Moving Art Gallery), focused on Project Planning Fundamentals, covering topics such as event financials, which was focused on project planning fundamentals covering topics such as budgeting, logistics and operations, strategic partnerships, and community outreach.
Guided by mentors René Dumaresque and Stefana Fratila (CRIP RAVE), Naledi Sunstrum (musician and educator), and Willow Cioppa (playwright and educator), mentees participated in various Interactive Workshops covering accessibility justice, audio tech for event planners, and harm reduction and bystander intervention training.
Mentees were also given the option to participate in a unique Shadowing Opportunity for live tech production led by Nick Schofield (SAW Centre). This was a hands-on experience where they applied their skills in a real-world production setting, gaining valuable insights from soundcheck to teardown.
We concluded the Cohort with a presentation of their refined project proposals and awarding of their $5,000 honoraria.
Mentees can further their learning by receiving two complimentary 1-on-1 Project Planning Coaching sessions from Kingsley Swim (Program Manager) and Maeve Tavakoli (Program Coordinator). Furthermore, Mentees will have lifetime access to an online toolkit with templates and resources to support all stages of equity-centered project planning.
Final projects will be presented throughout Spring and Summer 2025.