Aaron Marquise is the Deputy Director of Circus Arts Programming and Development at the TOHU in Montréal.

Aaron studied musical theater and playwriting at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, NY, USA, before graduating in 2015 from l’École Nationale de Cirque in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

He has performed with prominent companies including Les 7 Doigts, Le Cabaret Monastère, Circus Monti, GOP Varieté, and in various performances across France, Quebec, and the United States. Aaron’s professional experience also includes serving as Arts Education Manager for the School of the Performing Arts at Proctors Collaborative in Schenectady, New York, and as Production Assistant to the Creative Team on the North American tour of Disney’s Frozen The Musical.

He is the founder of the Contemporary Circus & Immersive Arts Center (CCIAC), a non-profit organization based in Troy, New York, where he served as Executive Director from 2019 to 2023. From 2021 to 2023, Aaron also served as the Coordinator of the International Market of Contemporary Circus (MICC) at TOHU before transitioning to his current role.

Alyssa Fearon is the Director/Curator at Dunlop Art Gallery, where she oversees the strategic and artistic direction of this unique unit of Regina Public Library.

Integral to her curatorial practice is a community-based approach that prioritizes historically overlooked artistic and cultural knowledge.

In 2018, Alyssa was the inaugural Curator of Nuit Blanche Toronto’s Scarborough zone. The interdisciplinary exhibition featured projects from over 30 artists, authors, and cultural producers. Fearon was also Curator at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (2018 – 2020). She has held positions at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Independent Curators International, and lecturer positions at York University, University of Toronto Scarborough, and Brandon University.

Alyssa currently is a Director-at-Large on the Board of Directors at Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization (CAMDO-ODMAC). She holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, an MA in Art History and Diploma in Curatorial and Visual Studies from York University.

Amy Prilika, CPA is the Deputy Director & CFO of the Bata Shoe Museum, where she oversees financial and operational functions at one of Canada’s leading cultural institutions.

A Chartered Professional Accountant with over 15 years of experience in finance, corporate governance, and performance management, she is passionate about strengthening the cultural sector. Before joining the BSM, Amy was Director of Finance & Administration at the Canadian Music Centre, where she led finance teams across six regional offices, supporting Canada’s musical heritage.

Beyond her professional role, Amy is deeply committed to community service. She serves on the boards of the Toronto Bach Festival and the Ontario Museums Association, contributing to the growth of arts and heritage organizations. She also volunteers at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Centre, reinforcing her dedication to making a positive impact both professionally and personally.

Amy remains devoted to fostering Canada’s cultural landscape through leadership and advocacy.

Hailing from Calgary, Daniel Mills (he/him) is a passionate cultural leader and convener, administrator and professional musician.

Daniel currently serves as Director of Development at Arts Commons, Western Canada’s largest arts centre, where he manages the organization’s annual $5 million contributed revenue portfolio with an emphasis on corporate and government funding. Previously, Daniel served as the Executive Director of the Kamloops Symphony (2019-2023), navigating their professional regional orchestra and community music school through the COVID-19 Pandemic. In this role, he helped achieved record-breaking audiences and four consecutive years of surpluses.

In addition to his administrative pursuits, Daniel is an active classical trumpet player, and has performed with the National Arts Centre, Calgary Philharmonic and Red Deer Symphony orchestras.

Outside of his artistic life, Daniel is also a recreational triathlete, and is currently the Treasurer of Different Strokes Calgary, a Club for LGBTQ+ swimmers.

Danielle Irvine, a proud Newfoundlander, has a distinguished career in theatre.

Her accomplishments include teaching at the National Theatre School of Canada and Assistant Directing at the Stratford Festival, where she was the first director to study in their Birmingham Conservatory.

Danielle has received several prestigious awards, such as the Canada Council for the Arts’ John Hirsch Prize for Directing, the ArtsNL BMO Artist of the Year, the ArtsNL Artist’s Achievement Award, and the Siminovitch Protegee Prize.

With over 30 years of directing experience, she has worked on diverse productions across multiple venues. One of her highlights was co-developing an innovative show that took audiences on a journey from a bus to a ferry then 650 feet underground in a mine—recognized as a PACT Landmark Theatrical Event in 1997.

Since 2014, she has been the Artistic Producer of Perchance Theatre, blending her love for Newfoundland culture with timeless theatre.

Dorian Cox is a Toronto based arts leader who is recognized for his expertise in artist mentorship, civic engagement, and equity-driven practices.

He is the Director of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, a leading professional development program for emerging opera artists. In this role, he oversees the career advancement, artistic training, and recruitment of Canada’s finest young opera singers and pianists.

Beyond this directorial role, Dorian has been guest faculty for Opera in the 21st Century at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, a preliminary juror for the Concours musical international de Montréal, guest juror at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and guest speaker at the University of Toronto. He is a 2024 -2025 Fellow of the Toronto Arts Council Leaders Lab and holds a Bachelor of Music with Honours from the University of Toronto and a Master of Music from the Boston Conservatory.

Luc (he/they) is a Queer theatre artist and educator from Jackfish Lake, AB, currently residing in Edmonton.

He serves as the Citadel Theatre’s Director of Education & Outreach, providing strategic planning and visioning for the Young Company training program and the Foote Theatre School, which is home to 40 teaching artists and over 1,000 students annually.

As a director, Luc’s productions include Bright Lights, Legoland, and Never Swim Alone for Blarney Productions. Luc has been seen in over 35 shows with the Citadel Theatre, Freewill Shakespeare, Edmonton Opera, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Tiny Bear Jaws, Kill Your Television, Concrete Theatre, and many more.

Luc was honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2023 for his contributions to the arts in Alberta, in addition to receiving the Lieutenant Governor Award for Emerging Artist in 2020 and the Sterling Award for Theatre For Young Audiences in 2019.

Matt McGeachy (he/him) is an arts advocate currently serving as Director of Government Relations for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, one of Canada’s leading cultural institutions.

He leads the TSO’s advocacy efforts with the municipal, provincial, and federal governments, positioning the TSO as a leader and trusted partner within the arts and culture industry in Canada. Matt actively collaborates with colleagues and peer institutions from across the country to secure sustained and sustainable funding that will continue to uplift Canadian artists on the global stage.

Prior to the TSO, Matt spent 10 seasons as the Company Dramaturge at Factory Theatre, one of the most iconic theatres in Canada, collaborating with award-winning playwrights and directors. He has also worked at Canadian Stage, the Guthrie Theater, the Playwrights’ Center, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Napatsi Folger is an Inuk editor, comic artist, fiction, non-fiction, and children’s literature writer from Iqaluit, NU.

She now lives in North Vancouver, BC and graduated from UBC with an MFA in Creative Writing in 2021. Folger is the Tauttunnguaqti responsible for the creative vision at the Inuit Art Foundation. She was also the 2023-2024 Writer and Artist in Residence at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Her work has been featured in Momus, Studio Magazine, Maisonneuve, Carousel Magazine, Long Con Magazine, Walrus Magazine, and numerous other publications since 2011. Folger’s latest book, “The Art and Life of Ningiukulu Teevee,” was published in September 2023, and her first book, “Joy of Apex,” was published in 2011, both by Inhabit Media.

For nearly 20 years, Sheila has immersed herself in Québec’s cultural landscape, spanning dance, literature, theatre, music, and visual arts.

A true professional matchmaker, she has a talent for connecting the right people at the right time, fostering innovative projects that benefit all involved. She began her career with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, where she led major communications campaigns in support of the artistic and general management, promoting new creations, touring repertoire works, and advancing dance therapy, social, and educational initiatives.

She later founded her agency, Avec Sheila, with the goal of helping artists and cultural organizations amplify their projects and build meaningful collaborations on local, national, and international levels. Today, alongside her team, she works as a publicist, artist manager, creative strategist, and artistic consultant. At its core, Avec Sheila believes in the transformative power of the arts for communities and society as a whole.

Sonia (she/her) is a seasoned cultural leader with an extensive career in Toronto’s arts sector.

Currently as Senior Director of Festival Programming & Guest Services at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), she manages the operations and administration of the festival programming department, including all aspects of film submissions, invitations, festival scheduling and guest experience.

Prior to TIFF, Sonia was Festival Producer at Luminato Festival Toronto, where she co-led the programming and production teams, managing all festival operations. At the Art Gallery of Ontario, as Manager of Logistics, she led the execution of complex exhibitions, including the renowned Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors. She also served as Executive Director of the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival for five years, and was instrumental in its growth, driving operations, fundraising, and building key partnerships that expanded the festival’s impact and reach.

Sonia is passionate about fostering inclusive spaces in the arts and building teams that thrive on collaboration, innovation, and meaningful work. She holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management.

Tessa Chan is an experienced arts administrator with a passion for building relationships within the community.

In her role as Controller, she works to ensure programs and outdoor events at The Bentway are produced in the most cost-efficient manner without sacrificing artistic integrity.

Tessa began her career at CIBC Mellon, where she successfully lead the Paperless Initiative. The efforts of her and her team ultimately lead to a reduction of $1.2m in printing costs. She was also the Director of Finance at Calgary Opera where she was at the helm of the capital campaign as plans were underway for a new office. Tessa went on and ventured to the artistic side where she made her on stage debut as a supernumerary in Calgary Opera’s performance of Norma.

An avid hiker, Tessa enjoys the Rocky Mountains and camping at Algonquin Park. Her most memorable adventures include Bright Angel Trail, Zion Narrows, and The Lemosho Route.