“Our mission is to disrupt, distort, and transform the Canadian arts sector.”
COHORT #3
We hosted our third Cohort between June 3, 2025 and July 26, 2025.
Mentees Abrar (Queer SWANA Storytelling), Lucille Giwa (Stories In Ink), and Thandizo Joy (A Little Death) embarked on a comprehensive project development journey, both online and in-person, at the Digital Arts Resource Centre and, for the first time in our program history, at Artegine.
On Day 1, we welcomed the return of Kim Kilpatrick (Professional Storyteller and Accessibility Consultant) and enlisted Stacey Forrester (Educational Coordinator for Good Night Out Vancouver). Examining the intersections between accessibility justice, harm reduction and safe(r) spaces, our Mentors equipped Mentees with the knowledge and tools to create supportive, equitable, and responsive environments for their project teams, artists, and attendees.
During the second day, we experimented with a full-day session for Project Planning Fundamentals, featuring Adrienne Row-Smith (Strast Media, The Grove), Alejandro Salgado Cendales (MASC, MAC-CAM), and Axel Saizonou (Kultur Ties). In both a panel and 1:1 clinic format, they covered key production stages and shared strategies on effective project delivery.
Day 3 was facilitated by Kwende Kefentse (Memetic Media) through the TIMEKODE Residency in Artegine. Mentees experience a full-day of Live Sound theoretical and hands-on learning - from spatial assessment, event-day troubleshooting, and tear-down procedures.
We concluded the Cohort with our Mentees presenting their refined project proposals and awarding of their $5,000 production honoraria.
Mentees can further their learning by receiving two complimentary 1-on-1 Project Planning Coaching sessions from Kingsley Swim (Program Co-Manager) and Maeve Tavakoli (Program Co-Manager). 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 the end of 2025 and start of 2026.