New Leaders Roundtable - Mentorship For Leaders

Since 2020, our sector has gone through a tremendous amount of change, including an unprecedented increase in turnover of leadership positions. The New Leaders Roundtable is a monthly series curated to support these theatre workers through guest speakers, resource sharing, and peer to peer support.

Our next event, Mentorship for Leaders, will take place on Wednesday April 30th, 2pm ET. This session is co-hosted by artsvest, with guest speakers Kathy MacKenzie and Shawn Macdonald. The session will begin with folks from artsvest talking about their free mentorship program for leaders, and the application and participation process. Then, Kathy and Shawn, two mentors from the artsvest program, will talk about and field questions regarding demystifying mentorship, how to seek mentorship as a leader, best practices for making the most of the relationship, and what to look for in a mentor amongs other topics. 

We encourage folks to bring in their questions as they relate to approaching mentorship as a leader, and how to build long lasting relationships with other leaders.

About the Presenters: 

artsvest

artsvest is Business / Arts’ mentorship and training program designed to build capacity in Canada’s cultural sector by providing small to mid-sized arts, culture and heritage organizations with resources, expertise and training in a wide variety of topics, including marketing, human resources, board governance and sponsorship.

Kathy MacKenzie

With over twenty years of experience in the not-for-profit performing arts sector, Kathy MacKenzie brings a robust blend of strategic leadership and resource development expertise. Originally from Toronto and a Vancouver resident since 2007, Kathy's career is distinguished by her commitment to community engagement and organizational excellence. In September 2024, Kathy joined Ballet BC as the new Managing Director where she co-leads the organization with Artistic Director, Medhi Walerski.

Before her recent career move, Kathy worked for nearly 17 years at the Arts Club Theatre Company. She began as Manager of Corporate Sponsorship and Foundations, then went on to lead the Fund Development Department before becoming Managing Director in 2021.

Kathy also contributes to the broader community through her volunteering for Business in the Arts and past volunteer roles on the Board of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and Board NatureKids BC. She is appreciative of her life in North Vancouver, where she resides with her husband, John, and their three children.

Shawn Macdonald

Shawn has been a grateful uninvited guest to the land of the Coast Salish since 1988 and has spent over 30 years as a professional theatre artist, working as an actor, playwright, director, educator and leader. He has been recognized by 11 Jessie Awards Nominations for his work and been awarded with five. He worked with Green Thumb Theatre for seven years as the Artistic Associate where they oversaw the creation of large scale devised work with high school students. He also led the LEAP Playwriting Intensive for young writers at the Arts Club Theatre for 17 years and is passionate about new work and new plays. Shawn is currently the Managing Co-Artistic Director of Realwheels Theatre.

Please register for this session by Monday April 28th to receive the zoom link. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please email our Program Associate Panthea Vatandoost at pantheav@pact.ca.