Announcing the 2018 TAC Leaders Lab Fellows
Toronto’s arts and cultural leaders are once again working together to share skills and ideas that will help strengthen the arts sector as a whole.
TORONTO, March 5, 2018 –Toronto’s arts and cultural leaders are once again working together to share skills and ideas that will help strengthen the arts sector as a whole. Through a unique partnership program between Toronto Arts Council and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity eighteen mid-to senior-level arts professionals in Toronto will collaborate over a one-year period with the shared goal to manifest change in Toronto’s arts sector. The program includes a week-long retreat in Banff, followed by monthly programmed activities in Toronto.
Entering its fourth year, TAC Leaders Lab was created to enhance leadership capacity in Toronto’s arts and culture sectors. It’s an evolving program directly informed by the interests and dynamics of each cohort. The cross-disciplinary environment and hands-on approach gives participants an opportunity for innovative learning and future partnerships that will further contribute to Toronto’s unique cultural landscape. The fourth-year cohort comes with a variety of leadership expertise across arts disciplines, ranging from roles in arts education and community organizing, to fundraising and programming in mid-sized and established organizations.
“The TAC Leaders Lab program has, over the course of the last three years, not only deepened the leadership skills of the program participants, but has fostered meaningful connections, sparked new collaborations, and created a community of arts leaders that will shape Toronto’s artistic landscape for years to come,” said Claire Hopkinson, Director & CEO, Toronto Arts Council. “Toronto Arts Council is pleased to be partnering with Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity on this vital program. I look forward to seeing what incredible contributions this new cohort will make to our creative city.”
“Banff Centre has long been a destination for cultural leaders, and we are proud to continue that tradition by partnering with Toronto Arts Council to deliver the TAC Leaders Lab program for a fourth year,” said Janice Price, President and CEO of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. “By providing opportunities for cross-sector learning and collaboration among Toronto’s arts and cultural leaders, we’re helping to mobilize a strong network of open-minded, creative problem-solvers and innovative thinkers. I am excited to see how this year’s cohort works to strengthen leadership capacity in the city’s arts sector.”
2018 TAC Leaders Lab Fellows (photos and bios here):
April Aliermo, Musician, documentarian and educator
Parmela Attariwala, violinist/composer, academic and pedagogue
Britta Badour, Spoken word poet, writer, public speaker and arts educator
S. Bear Bergman, Storyteller, educator, activist and founder and publisher of Flamingo Rampant
Dave Carey, Director of Development, The Bentway
Shamina Chherawala, human rights specialist, OCAD University
Alison Curcio, Program Manager, Regent Park School of Music
Kim Dayman, Program Manager, Lakeshore Arts
Lauren Gould, Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer, Gardiner Museum
Alex Iorgu, Multi-media artist and arts educator
Lila Karim, Executive Director, North York Arts
Marta Keller-Hernandez, Program Manager, Mural Routes and co-founder and Director of Programming, Paralia Newcomer Arts Network
Nidhi Khanna, Director, Artscape Performance and Event Venues and Programs
Owais Lightwala, Managing Director, Why Not Theatre
Renata Mohamed, Deputy Director, Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto
Christine Pellerin, Development Officer, Foundations, Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Evelyn Tauben, Curator, producer and writer
Sagan Yee, Executive Director, Hand Eye Society
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About Toronto Arts Council
Toronto Arts Council (TAC) is the City of Toronto’s funding body for artists and arts organizations. Since 1974, TAC has played a major role in the city’s cultural industries by supporting a very broad range of artistic activity. From the emerging artist to the most established, from celebrated institutions to arts that challenge convention, TAC is typically the first funder to offer support. Today, TAC grants lead to exhibitions, performances, readings and workshops seen annually by over 9.5 million people. Through its ongoing funding of over $18 million annually, TAC cultivates a rich engagement between artists and audiences. It is proud to reflect Toronto’s vibrancy through the diversity of the artists, arts communities and audiences that it serves. For more about Toronto Arts Council, visit www.torontoartscouncil.org
About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Founded in 1933, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a learning organization built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become the global organization leading in arts, culture, and creativity across dozens of disciplines. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to inspire everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, and thinkers – to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to society through cross-disciplinary learning opportunities, world-class performances, and public outreach. www.banffcentre.ca
Contact Information
For information about the TAC Leaders Lab program, please contact Peter Kingstone, Program Officer: 416-392-6802 x 208 | peter@torontoartscouncil.org