2024-2025 Emerging Leadership Program
Nurturing Excellence in Arts, Culture, and Heritage Leadership
As part of our 50th anniversary programming, Business / Arts has launched the Emerging Leadership Program to empower 25 arts, culture, and heritage leaders from across Canada. Intended for those aspiring to hold senior roles in large cultural organizations, this program seeks to nurture a diverse talent pool and address leadership gaps within Canada’s cultural sector.
Key Components
From March 2024 to February 2025, this one-year program provides opportunities for career growth with an emphasis on co-learning for participants and advisors.
2024 Canadian Arts Summit Participation:
The program launched in March at the 2024 Canadian Arts Summit at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, where participants connected with their advisors and engaged in Summit programming and networking opportunities.
Knowledge-Sharing Sessions:
Throughout the year, participants will engage in monthly one-on-one sessions with their advisors as well as a series of peer sessions with their fellow participants. These sessions are intended to facilitate reciprocal learning, provide leadership guidance, and create networking opportunities to enhance professional growth.
Advisors
Aida Aydinyan
General Manager, Performing Arts
Royal Conservatory of Music
Alex Sarian
President & CEO
Arts Commons
Alisa Palmer
Executive Artistic Director of the English Section & Director of the Acting & Residencies Programs
National Theatre School of Canada
Anita Gaffney
Executive Director
Stratford Festival
Anne Chafe
CEO
The Rooms Corporation
Camilla Holland
Executive Director
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
Celia Smith
CEO
Luminato Festival Toronto
Cheryl Sim
Managing Director & Curator
PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art
Clyde Wagner
President & CEO
TO Live
Colleen Smith
CEO
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
Elena Tupyseva
Executive Director
Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Gideon Arthurs
Executive Director
Soulpepper Theatre Company
John Dalrymple
Executive Director
Canada’s National Ballet School
John G. Hampton
President & CEO
MacKenzie Art Gallery
Kyle Fostner
Executive Director
Vancouver International Film Festival
Marc Stevens
President & CEO
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
maxine bailey
Executive Director
Canadian Film Centre (CFC)
Maya Choldin
Executive Director
Theatre Calgary
Nathan Medd
CEO
Victoria Conservatory of Music
Paul Larocque
President & CEO
Arts Umbrella
Rich Coburn
Senior Manager of Community Partnerships and Programming Diversity
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Sarah Garton Stanley (SGS)
Vice-President of Programming
Arts Commons
Stafford Arima
Artistic Director
Theatre Calgary
Steve Bellamy
CEO
Confederation Centre of the Arts
Ulrike Al-Khamis
Director & CEO
Aga Khan Museum
Participants
The Emerging Leadership participants come from an array of arts, cultural, and heritage organizations across Canada. From art galleries like the Southern Alberta Art Gallery – Maansiksikaitsitapiitsinikssin, and Winnipeg Art Gallery, to performing arts stages such as Soulpepper Theatre Company, École nationale de théâtre du Canada, and Chor Leoni, and including multi-arts organizations like Nia Centre for the Arts, The National accessArts Centre, and Saskatchewan Arts Alliance, among others.
Participants hail from nearly every corner of Canada, including Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Northwest Territories– a true celebration of the incredible work being done in the arts from coast to coast.
Meet the Emerging Leaders
