Introducing the 2021-2022 Executive Leadership Participants!
The Executive Leadership program is a mentorship and professional development program offered to promising arts professionals who are interested in transitioning into leadership roles in some of Canada’s largest arts, culture and heritage institutions.
Developed specifically in response to the need to nurture a talent pool of Canadian arts leaders, this program will provide participants with personalized mentorship, knowledge and practical advice to support their professional development and help them build social capital.
We are thrilled to introduce the 10 accomplished arts leaders who will be participating in this year’s Executive Leadership program! Learn more about the Executive Leadership program and read participants’ bios in full HERE!
Meet the participants:
Carly McFadden
Artistic & Executive Director
Folk On The Rocks Music Festival
Carly leads one of the largest annual events within the Northwest Territories. She is thrilled to be providing a platform for northern artists to launch their careers and produce an event that reflects the spirit of the north.
Jaime Martino
Executive Director
Tapestry Opera
Jaime is a passionate leader, producer, award-winning choreographer. She believes deeply in the power of art to transform lives and the world.
Lucy Eveleigh
Executive Director
Toronto Fringe Festival
Lucy has been at the Toronto Fringe since 2013. She is also a certified life coach and longtime volunteer at the Distress Centre.
Lynda Trudeau
General Manager
Debajehmujig Theatre Group
Lynda leads a multi arts organization located on Manitoulin Island. Her goals include aligning Indigenous values, principles and traditions while balancing policies and processes.
Melissa Karmen Lee
Director of Education &
Public Programs
Vancouver Art Gallery
Melissa is an imaginative leader in bridging communities. As a curator and educator, she has pioneered innovative programs that cultivate local and international audiences.
Melissa Tsang
Managing Director
Urban Ink
Melissa is an experienced cultural leader and administrator. She currently supports work to uplift diverse voices through storytelling and performance.
Robin Whiffen
Executive Director
Against the Grain Theatre
Robin is passionate about creating opportunities for all to see themselves reflected through opera and removing the barriers of entry that make opera inaccessible to many.
Sandra Laronde
Executive and Artistic Director
Red Sky Performance
Sandra’s work highlights the originality and power of contemporary performance, enabling new creations to expand the breadth and scope of Indigenous-made work in Canada.
Tasleem Somji
York Region Arts Council
Director, Development and Outreach
Tasleem is an advocate for cultural heritage as a means for community development. She is a cultural strategist with a diverse international career in the arts sector.
Wesley J. Colford
Artistic and Executive Director
Highland Arts Theatre
Wesley is the inaugural Artistic & Executive Director of Highland Arts Theatre. They were honoured as one of the Globe & Mail’s “Canadian Arts Heroes of 2020” for developing HAT’s bold new funding model, Radical Access.
