The Belfry Theatre announces Phase 2 of the Arts Leadership Training Program.
We All Have Something To Share. We All Have Something To Learn.
Victoria, BC…After a successful and informative one-year pilot program, the Arts Leadership Training Program, led by the Belfry Theatre, is recruiting participants for its second iteration.
The Belfry Theatre is partnering with performing arts groups and educational institutions in British Columbia and the Prairie provinces for Phase 2 of this program, designed to provide access and training for artists and arts administrators who identify as Indigenous, Black and/or People of Colour (IBPoC).
The program will be delivered in two parts:
1. ZOOM Seminars once a week for twelve weeks, September 12 – December 2, 2022.
2. Three months of paid internships with a program partner organization. Dates to be determined with participant and artistic organization.
A maximum of 10 participants will be accepted into the program, with no age limitations.
Seminar topics and internship goals will be designed collaboratively, based on the stated interests of those participating.
The Arts Leadership Training Program is a collaboration between the following organizations:
Belfry Theatre, Canadian College of Performing Arts, Electric Company Theatre, Globe Theatre, Green Thumb Theatre, Neworld Theatre, Pacific Opera Victoria, Persephone Theatre, Prairie Theatre Exchange, University of Regina, Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre, Faculty of Media, Art and Performance, University of Victoria, Faculty of Fine Arts, and Victoria Symphony.
As arts organizations and educational institutions, we acknowledge the colonial and oppressive system that we have inherited and continue to perpetuate. We constantly question ourselves: How can we presume to teach IBPoC participants when we have inherited a colonial legacy, and are trying to put down old tools and pick up new ones?
We opened the doors of our institutions, with humility and ethical intentions, to create a safe and healthy environment in which to share institutional knowledge, together with the wisdom and experience of leading members of the national IBPoC arts community.
By inviting recognized arts leaders from IBPoC communities to share their wisdom and experience, we were able to create a safe and informative program that spoke directly to the participant's needs.
“As an IBPOC artist, I find this collaboration genuine and meaningful. The senior management of these organizations has come to the table to ask difficult questions about the current state of the arts. They are hoping to develop a path towards an arts and culture sector that is deliberately inclusive,” says Taiwo Afolabi, Canada Research Chair in Socially Engaged Theatre at the University of Regina, and Co-Coordinator of this project with the Belfry Theatre and Green Thumb Theatre.
Application Forms are available through any of the participating institutions or by emailing [email protected]
Applications may be submitted in writing or via video to [email protected]
Application deadline: June 21, 2022
For more information, please email [email protected]