Arts Ahead 2019 - Arts Ahead

Cultural Kaleidoscope: Migration in the Arts

At Artscape Sandbox on Thursday February 21, 2019

Mission:

Our mission is to create an atmosphere where we can explore the effects of human migration and dispersion of artistic influences on culture.

More About Us:

Arts Ahead is an annual one-day symposium for arts professionals and cultural leaders from organizations across Ontario. It is a event organized by the Arts Management post-graduate cohort at Centennial College.

This marks our fourth year engaging art professionals, including artists and arts managers, in important conversations on a wide range of topics across our sector – this includes 2018’s Beyond Barriers: Creative Strategies for Accessible, Inclusive, and Connected Arts Experience.

The fourth-annual Arts Ahead symposium aims to bring together artists and cultural leaders to share their experiences with the migration of cultures and how to adapt to a changing cultural landscape.

Our cultural identity shapes who we become and it is expressed through our art and traditions. We are seeking to discover how arts organizations encourage cultural diversity and the representation of cultural identity with the sharing of innovative methods from our diverse program of speakers.

We put our programming team in the Committee Corner, let’s see what they had to say!

We want to introduce you to our Programming team: Madelaine Lyons Cooper, Emily Johansen, Patricia Navarro-Labastie and Annie Chen. We asked them a few questions in order to get to know them better!

We put our co-chairs in the Committee Corner, let’s see what they had to say!

We want to introduce you to our co-chairs Gemma Bordonaro and Stephanie Gundert. We asked them a few questions in order to get to know them better and understand what they think of this year’s symposium!

Committee Corner will be highlighting our efforts and thoughts as we move closer to the symposium date which is right around the corner! We will be posting every week from now until the Symposium date which is February 21.

Speakers

Keynote Speakers:

Dorit Naaman – MFA, PhD, Alliance Atlantis Professor, Dept. of Film and Media, Cultural Studies Graduate Program, Queen’s University (See also: www.diadocumentary.com)

Menon Dwarka – Executive Director, Arts Etobicoke
as interviewed by Daniela Nardi – Executive and Artistic Director, 918 Bathurst Centre

The Experience of Migration and its Effects on Art:

Gökçe Erdem – Gökçe Erdem is a Toronto-based writer and director originating from Istanbul.

Marjorie Chan – Artistic Director, Cahoots Theatre

Marta Keller Hernandez – Programming Director, Paralia Newcomer Arts Network

Moderated by Doris Rajan – Director of Social Development, IRIS Institute

Mini Talks – Migration in the Arts:

Lisa Randall – Program Manager, Settlement Education Partnership (SWIS), CultureLink

Karim Rahemtulla – Managing Director, Artscape Daniels Launchpad

Jieun June Kim – co-founder of KJ Bit Collective and recipient of the Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship grant from the Toronto Arts Council (2018)

Incorporating and Reflecting Diversity in Institutions:

Philip Akin – Artistic Director, Obsidian Theatre

Tamara Toledo – Director/Curator, Latin American Canadian Art Projects

Amirali Alibhai – Head of Performing Arts, Aga Khan Museum

Lindy Kinoshameg – Community Engagement Facilitator, Young People’s Theatre

Sadia Zaman – CEO, Inspirit Foundation

Moderated by Doris Rajan – Director of Social Development, IRIS Institute

Artist Led Workshop:

Patrick Cruz – Filipino-Canadian artist and organizer working between Vancouver, Toronto and Manila, Philippines. Digital portfolio

Itinerary

8:30 – 9:00 Registration, Coffee & Breakfast Snacks

Come early to register and enjoy coffee and other treats!
Artscape Sandbox, 301 Adelaide Street West
(General $85, Arts Worker $50, Student $25)

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9:00 – 9:05 Welcome & Land Acknowledgement
Led by Co-Chairs: Gemma Bordonaro & Stephanie Gundert
with Rebecca Peirson (Arts Management Program Coordinator) & Diana Webley (Course Instructor)

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9:05 – 10:00 Morning Keynote with Dorit Naaman, MFA, PhD: Home, Diaspora, and Documentary Cinema
Join us to hear about Dorit Naaman’s latest documentary project focusing on Israeli independence and Palestinian displacement.

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10:00 – 10:55 Panel: The Experience of Migration and Its Effects on the Arts
Our first panel will focus on the experiences of migration and how it affects our art and representation of culture.

Panelists:
Marta Keller-Hernandez, Paralia Newcomer Art Network
Marjorie Chan, Cahoots Theatre
Gökçe Erdem, Filmmaker

Moderated by:
Doris Rajan, Institute for Research and Development on Inclusion and Society

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11:00 – 11:40 Mini-Talks:
Our 3 Mini-Talk speakers have a limit of 10 minutes each to share with us their expertise and experience with Art & Migration in relation to their work.

Speakers:
Lisa Randall, CultureLink
Karim Rahemtulla, Artscape
Jieun June Kim, Visual Artist

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11:40 – 12:40 Lunch
Lunch will be provided by Urban Fare Catering and Food Shop (see our Registration page for menu options)

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12:40 – 1:40 Panel: Incorporating and Reflecting Diversity in Institutions
The afternoon panel will focus on culture from an institutional level. We want to hear more about how arts organizations in Toronto are working towards creating a more diverse and inclusive space and what challenges they face.

Panelists:
Amirali Alibhai, Aga Khan Museum
Sadia Zaman, Inspirit Foundation
Lindy Kinoshameg, Young People’s Theatre
Philip Akin, Obsidian Theatre
Tamara Toledo, Latin American-Canadian Art Projects

Moderated by:
Doris Rajan, Institute for Research and Development on Inclusion and Society

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1:40 – 2:20 Artist-Led Workshop
Led by Patrick Cruz

Workshop about free style rapping. Patrick sees free style as a form of decolonization and in many ways it serves as a political gesture to lose control and be in a state of flow. For this workshop, participants will be guided on how to express themselves through freestyle rapping. Through exercises and games, participants will explore various methodologies of improvisation within the spirit of play.

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2:20 – 2:35 Break/Refreshments

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2:35 – 3:35 Afternoon Keynote: In Conversation with Menon Dwarka (Arts Etobicoke)
Interviewed by Daniela Nardi (918 Bathurst Centre), Menon Dwarka will discuss the arts and immigration.

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3:45 – 3:55 Closing Remarks
Thank you!

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4:00 – 4:30 Networking/Reception/Silent Auction Winner Announcements
We have a wonderful selection of items up for grabs in our silent auction. Don’t forget to make your bid!

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To learn more about our speakers please click here.

Silent Auction Sponsors

About Us

Who and What is Arts Ahead?

Arts Ahead is an annual one-day symposium for arts professionals and cultural leaders from organizations across Ontario. It is a student-run event organized by the Arts Management post-graduate cohort at Centennial College.

This marks our fourth year engaging art professionals, including artists and arts managers, in important conversations on a wide range of topics across our sector. This includes 2018’s Beyond Barriers: Creative Strategies for Accessible, Inclusive, and Connected Arts Experience.

Centennial College’s Arts Management program prepares its students for a career in the evolving arts and cultural industry. The Arts Management courses in this two-semester Graduate Certificate program focus on developing the knowledge and skills needed to work in the performing arts sector (theatres, dance companies, music organizations and presenting facilities), the exhibiting arts sector (galleries, museum) and many other cultural and arts-related areas such as arts and film festivals.

About Cultural Kaleidoscope: Migration in the Arts

The fourth-annual Arts Ahead symposium aims to bring together artists and cultural leaders to share their experiences with the migration of cultures and how to adapt to a changing cultural landscape.

Mission

The fourth-annual Arts Ahead symposium Cultural kaleidoscope: Migration in the Arts aims to bring together artists and cultural leaders to share their experiences with the migration of cultures and how to adapt to a changing cultural landscape.

Press Release

Arts-Ahead-2019-Press-Release

Sponsors and Partners – 2019

Venue Sponsor

In Association with

Coffee Sponsor

Catering By

Print Sponsor

The Arts Ahead 2019 Team

Gemma Bordonaro

Gemma is very excited to be working with this incredible team this year. She is fresh out of her undergrad, graduating in 2018 from Brock University with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Dramatic Arts. She is thrilled to be continuing her studies at Centennial College and exploring the field of Arts Management. Gemma has participated in theatre both on and off stage. She has worked as a stage manager in such productions as A Mid-Summers Night Dream, acted on stage in roles such as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz and was the production manager for a student run initiative at Brock creating escape rooms for the Niagara Military Museum. Gemma is very delighted to present to you our symposium, “Cultural Kaleidoscope: Migration in the Arts,” and hopes it went well, since she is writing this in October.

Stephanie Gundert

After completing her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies at York University, Stephanie took some time to do some soul searching. Through this, she discovered that a career in arts management is where her strong leadership qualities and passion for the arts could thrive and flourish. She is excited to be a part of the Arts Management program at Centennial College! She has an interest in social issues and is passionate about how the arts can address these in unique ways. As a feminist and a poet, she has spent time creating projects that have brought important issues to the forefront through theatre including her work on The Vagina Monologues and multiple spoken word projects with Little Black Afro Theatre Company in Toronto. She loves to write, perform, manage projects, push herself to realize her potential and lift heavy things in her spare time.

Programming

Emily Johansen

After graduating from Queen’s University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Film & Media, Emily worked a variety of odd jobs before finding herself in the Arts Management program at Centennial College. Emily is excited to be a programmer for this year’s Arts Ahead symposium, and hopes that the panels will raise awareness of issues regarding cultural diversity and the impact of migration on the arts community.

Madelaine Lyons Cooper

Madelaine Lyons Cooper completed a BFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice at OCAD University in 2010, with a studio focus in printmaking. Based in Toronto, she loves the wide access to cultural, visual, and performance arts in this city. She has been a practicing artist since 2005, working in acrylic, watercolour, relief printmaking, and installation. In 2012 she received the Spark Box Studio Emerging Artist award, and has participated in residencies there and across Ontario. Madelaine also provides writing services and career advising to other artists and arts groups. Her future plans are to expand on this aspect of her work.

Patricia Navarro-Labastie

Patricia graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art History. Patricia is a volunteer at the Bata Shoe Museum, and works front of house at the Royal Ontario Museum. Her goal is to continue working in museums with a focus in education. She hopes others can be as excited about museums as she is. She is excited to be working with such a great team for this year’s symposium.

Annie Chen

Annie graduated from XingHai Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance in China. She has spent the last five years enhancing her instrument performing, as well as musical theory. Meanwhile, she has programmed musical events including concerts and music festivals. In order to discover cultures and arts diversity, she is now studying Arts Management at Centennial College. She hopes this experience will stimulate more new ideas and discover her career path. She is thrilled to be part of the programming team for this symposium, and is looking forward to getting new skills from it.

Operations

Marketing

Development

Zipora Premathas

Zipora is a Laurier alumni who graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Society, Culture and Environment. She had the privilege to study a semester in Sweden where she partook in a film studies course and was able to produce a film with her international peers. With a love for culture and the arts in the city of Toronto, she decided to embark on a new educational adventure through Centennial College in Arts Management. She hopes to take on a variety of roles to further her knowledge in the arts industry and to combine her love for libraries and culture through a Masters in Library and Information Science in the future. In the meantime, you can find Zipora reading her life away with her dog by her side or traveling the world to eat to her heart’s content.

Lydia Lee

Lydia Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea and is currently studying Arts Management at Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario. After she completed a Bachelor of Music at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory as a performer, she has performed on stages big and small across the world, most recently with Opera Atelier. She is very excited to be having her experience abroad not only in performing arts but also arts management. Ms. Lee has a goal to make the arts more accessible, not only to a particular group of people, but to anyone in the society where they are able to learn, enjoy and be informed without any difficulty. Moreover, regardless of which language one speaks, it is art that one will understand. Ms. Lee is looking forward to learning with other arts managers at this year’s symposium.

Kerraine Jannene

Kerraine Jannene Dennis hails from Trelawny, Jamaica. She taught high school Drama and Theatre Arts for many years. She also spent five years working in the tourism industry in Jamaica as an entertainment manager and a children’s programme manager. Kerraine graduated from the prestigious Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing arts in Jamaica with a bachelor’s degree in Drama Education. However, Kerraine wanted to expand on her skills and gain experience in working in the arts in a first world country. These interests led her to Centennial College where she is a part of the postgraduate Arts Management Program. Kerraine’s passion is arts education and her ultimate goal is to work in the education department of a non-profit organization. “The sky is the limit and the world is my stage” is Kerraine’s favorite quote. She is excited and ready to undertake whatever new adventures Canada has to offer.

Finance

Eva Kubic

Web

Lisa Ziegler

Lisa is a newcomer to the GTA and is thrilled to be a part of the 2018-2019 Arts Management program at Centennial College. Her previous studies and experience at McMaster University lead her to obtaining her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Theatre and Film Studies. As an artist, she has spent the last five years developing her skills in dramaturgical analysis as well as a lighting and sound designer and technician. She is excited to continue to contribute to the artistic community by working within the GTA. For Lisa, the arts is a living and thriving language of constant development and change, something to be made accessible for all; she looks forward to all that Arts Ahead 2019 has to offer.

Our Program

Program Overview

Centennial College’s Arts Management program prepares students for a career in the evolving arts and cultural industry. The Arts Management courses in this two-semester Graduate Certificate program focus on developing the knowledge and skills needed to work in the performing arts sector (theatres, dance companies, music organizations and presenting facilities), the exhibiting arts sector (galleries, museum) and many other cultural and arts-related areas such as arts and film festivals.

The program explores the current issues and practices that allow cultural organizations to build audiences and flourish today — and in the years to come. Facilitated at the Story Arts Centre, Centennial College’s School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design, the program combines business management, marketing and planning with the tools required to connect art, artists and audiences through fundraising, education and volunteerism.

The extensive experiential learning opportunities in the program connect principles with practice, actively engaging you with the arts management profession throughout your studies.

Arts Management program graduates, have a thorough understanding of the political, economic, social, ethical, technological and managerial issues facing this sector.

Program Highlights

The Arts Management program emphasizes professional-quality work to ensure you graduate with the knowledge and skills needed to manage and lead in the industry.
Through mentorships and partnerships with the arts sector, a number of career options can be explored.
A well-designed and well-implemented fieldwork component that can be undertaken in any location in your final semester provides you with an opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in the industry.

Our Instructors

Rebecca Peirson

Rebecca is a seasoned arts marketing professional. She managed Mongrel Media’s Theatrical and Video Marketing and Sales departments, was the Marketing Manager at the National Film Board of Canada, the Marketing and Communications Director at Nightwood Theatre, the Associate Director of Marketing and Audience Development at Luminato Festival among other career highlights in the entertainment industry.

She currently teaches in the Arts Management program at Centennial College, in the Event Marketing program at Seneca College as well as being Crow’s Theatre’s Marketing Manager. Rebecca is a graduate of Ryerson University’s Radio & Television Arts and has been invited to speak at industry events on the art and smarts of marketing live events.

Melanie Fernandez

Melanie Fernandez is currently consulting and teaching. Clients include, Living Art Centre in Mississauga where she is Acting, Director of Performing Arts; she worked as Interim Director at Lifeline Syria, the Woodland Cultural Centre and others. Previous, Melanie worked as Director Cultural Engagement & Activation Department at Harbourfront Centre and Artistic Director of the summer festival season for 14 years. She was responsible for community cultural development initiatives, the multidisciplinary festival activities, educational programmes and others. For six years she worked as Community Arts Officer (as well as Acting Visual Arts Officer) at the Ontario Arts Council where she led a comprehensive policy review of community arts in the province that resulted in new definitions, directions and programs. Melanie has worked as Head of Education at the Art Gallery of Ontario, taught at OCAD and serves on numerous local and national Boards and Advisory Committees.

Albert Brule

Albert serves as Director of Resource and Business Development at Impact Consulting with Pillar Nonprofit Network, helping organizations enhance their effectiveness through the development and execution of strategies and programs that deliver measurable results.

With over 25 years experience in the sector, Albert has worked with community groups, post-secondary institutions, healthcare providers, arts and cultural organizations, social service agencies, environmental charities, and international development NGOs.

He teaches Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations at Western Continuing Studies, Financial Management in the Arts, Event Management, and Fundraising for the Arts Management Program at Centennial College.

Pat Mckinna

Patricia is a bilingual producer/manager with 25 years’ experience working with organizations in Entertainment/Performing Arts, Communications and the public sector. Currently General Manager of Performing Arts at The Royal Conservatory of Music, she is a results-oriented leader with a motivational management style and a record of building and retaining highly motivated teams.

In addition to RCM Performing Arts, she has managed and/or produced for the Royal Ontario Museum, Harbourfront Centre, Ross Petty Productions, Opera Atelier, and New York’s Pace Theatrical Group as well as numerous federal commissions of inquiry. Teaching has been a natural corollary to that work, both in the workplace and in the classroom, and beyond business skills has included children’s drama workshops, rehearsal piano and accompaniment, vocal coaching and public speaking.

Patty Jarvis

Patty has been a respected and passionate advocatefor arts access and community engagement for more than 30 years. Past leaderships positions have included Director of Education and Outreach with Canadian Stage and Executive Director of Prologue to the Performing Arts as well as consulting with Studio 180 Theatre, b-Current Performance and the Toronto District School Board.

Patty is a co-founder and current Chair of PAONE (Professional Arts Organizations Network for Education) and is on the Advisory Committees of the Canadian Network for Arts and Learning and CPAMO – Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement in Ontario. She is a past Chair of the Toronto Theatre Alliance (now TAPA) and past Board member of Ontario Presents.

Currently, Patty is the Interim Associate Director, Education and Outreach for the Canadian Opera Company.

Diana Webley

Diana Webley is the Senior Artistic Producer and Project Co-ordinator at Harbourfront Centre which produces Toronto’s largest series of multidisciplinary free and ticketed events in the city with over 1000+ performances each year and over 450 partnerships. In this capacity she has 12 years experience as an event and festival specialist working with programmers, community leads and partners to shape artistic direction, liaise with internal departments and programming themes, and manage day to day operations and resources to ensure seamless coordination of over 200 events a year. She also works as Artistic Associate programming a select number of summer events that meet the overall artistic vision, priorities and objectives of Harbourfront Centre.

Sergei Petrov

Currently pursuing his Masters of Law in Global Professional Law of Leadership from the University of Toronto, Sergei founded and led the Scarborough Worldwide Film Festival in 2012, with the aim to enhance the cultural landscape of Scarborough by celebrating diversity and multiculturalism of our world, building it as the biggest cultural event in Scarborough. For 5 years he volunteered as Vice-Chair Board of Directors at Scarborough Arts, eventually becoming the Executive Director, playing a key role in bringing Nuit Blanche and other staple cultural programs to the region. As part of Canada 150 celebration, he was recognized by the Government of Canada as a Community Leader, and in 2015 was nominated for the Premier of Ontario Creative Arts & Design Award for artistic and community work in the city.

Adam Matheson

Adam Matheson is the Marketing Manager at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. With over eight years experience working with not-for-profit organizations, his work has ranged from micro-targeted marketing campaigns to large-scale national audience development projects. Throughout his career Adam has focused on leveraging the power of box office data to understand audience behaviour and increase attendance both in Canada and Scotland.