“Our mission is to disrupt, distort, and transform the Canadian arts sector.”
COHORT #2
Our second cohort took place between February 11,2025 and March 22, 2025!
Mentees Kim Farris-Manning (Queer Youth Choir), Asli Mahdi (Inhairitance: Black hair, mind, body & soul wellness workshops), and Ottawa Design Club (Speaker Series) embarked on a comprehensive development journey online and in-person in the Digital Arts Resource Centre and Club SAW.
This cohort started with a full day of programming led by 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 Kim Kilpatrick (Professional Storyteller and accessibility consultant, 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 opportunity to participate in Shadowing Sessions at PIQUE: Spring Edition on Stage Managing with Maeve Tavakoli and Harm Reduction (E.Q.U.I.P.E) with Willow Cioppa. This was a hands-on experience and a chance to apply the knowledge gained through workshops at a festival in real-time.
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, Summer, and Fall 2025.This cohort started with a full day of programming led by 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 Kim Kilpatrick (Professional Storyteller and accessibility consultant, 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 opportunity to participate in Shadowing Sessions at PIQUE: Spring Edition on Stage Managing with Maeve Tavakoli and Harm Reduction (E.Q.U.I.P.E) with Willow Cioppa. This was a hands-on experience and a chance to apply the knowledge gained through workshops at a festival in real-time.
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.