May 3, 2019 – CAPACOA’s recently launched International Market Development Committee welcomes five new members.
Officially launched in November 2018 to provide guidance to CAPACOA in identifying key markets for reciprocal exchanges and organizing joint trade missions, the International Market Development Committee is welcoming five new members:
- Annick-Patricia Carrière, Agence Station Bleue (Québec)
- Ravi Jain, Artistic Director, Why Not Theatre (Ontario)
- Cynthia Lickers-Sage, M.S.C., Executive Director, Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (Ontario)
- Gillian Reid, Event/Tour Producer, FeLIX Productions (Nova Scotia)
- Kathi Sundstrom, Executive Director, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (Alberta)
These additions will round out the committee by giving a more prominent voice to agents, artists, and producers. They will also enhance the geographic representation of the committee.
Past and Upcoming Missions
In October 2018, the Committee coordinated a first delegation of eight Canadian representatives at the ENARTES conference in Mexico City. This delegation included Reneltta Arluk (Banff Centre, Alberta), Barbara Diabo (Dance Artist, Montreal), Margaret Grenier (Dancers of Damelahamid and Coastal Dance Festival, Vancouver), Joyce Hinton (Chan Centre, Vancouver), Sherrie Johnson (Canadian Stage, Toronto), Majdi Bou-Matar (Impact Festival, Kitchener), Leslie McCue (Chocolate Women Collective, Toronto), and Heather Redfern (The Cultch, Vancouver). This experience included two days of programming for the four Indigenous representatives in the delegation to meet and network with their Indigenous colleagues in Mexico.
In January 2019, a delegation of seven Canadian cultural representatives attended the Santiago a Mil Festival in Santiago, Chile, to participate in PLATEA 19, a unique platform that affords the opportunity for people from around the globe to meet and network. These included Franco Boni (The Theatre Centre, Toronto), Naomi Campbell (Luminato, Toronto), Clothilde Cardinal (Place des arts, Montreal), Beatriz Pizano (Rutas Festival, Toronto), Natalie Lue (Living Arts Centre, Mississauga), Jim Smith (DanceHouse / Vancouver New Music, Vancouver), and Santee Smith (Kaha:Wi Dance Theatre, Six Nations).
As a result of the activities of the committee, international event organizers are now actively reaching out to CAPACOA to develop new reciprocal relationships. In recent months, there have been three opportunities where international events invited small delegations of Canadian representatives to attend their events (it is important to note that representatives participating in these delegations were chosen by the event organizers, and not as part of a selection process led by CAPACOA). These events are:
GIRALT in Corboda, Argentina June 23 – 26
MICA in Buenos Aires, Argentina June 27 – July 1
GREC Festival in Barcelona July 10 – 14
Upcoming official trade missions will bring Canadian delegates to Norway and Scotland.
In July, CAPACOA in partnership with the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance and with funding from the Royal Norwegian Embassy and Canadian Heritage, will take a delegation to Norway, to attend Riddu Riđđu, an annual Sami music and culture festival, and to meet with several arts organizations throughout Norway. This trade mission is anticipated to take place July 6-14 and delegates aren’t confirmed yet.
Then, in August, an important trade mission supported by CAPACOA and coordinated by the committee, with funding from the Government of Canada as part of the Creative Export Strategy, will be bring Canadian delegates to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This trade mission will take place August 17-23 and will involve the following Canadian delegates:
- Keith Barker, Native Earth Performing Arts (ON)
- Nicholas Beach, Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre (AB)
- Glenn Brown, Sanderson Centre (ON)
- Angela Campbell, Imperial Theatre (NB)
- Claude de Grandpré, Théâtre Hector-Charland (QC)
- Michele Emslie, Yukon Arts Centre (YK)
- Brendan Healy, Canadian Stage (ON)
- Valerie Hillier, Fredericton Playhouse (NB)
- Erin Kennedy, Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre Society (BC)
- Eric Lariviere, Flato Markham Theatre (ON)
- Stephane Lavoie, TOHU (QC)
- Galen Olstead, Key City Theatre (BC)
- Claudéric Provost, VALSPEC (QC)
- Heather Redfern, The Cultch / Vancouver East Cultural Centre (BC)
- Neal Rempel, Winnipeg International Children’s Festival (MB)
About the International Market Development Committee
The International Market Development Committee is a sector-led consultative and coordinating entity that strives to develop opportunities for Canadian artists and enhance reciprocal exchanges with key markets.
The International Market Development Committee is made up of stakeholders from the performing arts sector who all have a broad range of international experience and contacts. Working in conjunction with the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA), and its Executive Director Cynthia Lickers-Sage, the Committee is chaired by CAPACOA Board Member Jim Smith, Producer at Eponymous and Artistic and Executive Director of Dance House. The committee is professionally supported by International Market Development Consultant Judy Harquail and Norman Armour, Advisor and International Strategist.
The International Market Development Committee members are:
- Renellta Arluk, Director, Indigenous Arts Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Alberta)
- Keith Barker, Artistic Director, Native Earth Performing Arts (Ontario)
- Franco Boni, Artistic and Executive Director, PuSh International Performing Arts Festival (British Columbia)
- Clothilde Cardinal, Directrice de la programmation, Place des Arts (Quebec)
- Annick-Patricia Carrière, Agence Station Bleue (Québec)
- Margaret Grenier, Executive and Artistic Director, Dancers of Damelahamid and Coastal Dance Festival (British Columbia)
- Mark Hammond, Independent Producer (Ontario)
- Ravi Jain, Artistic Director, Why Not Theatre (Ontario)
Sherrie Johnson, Executive Director, Crow’s Theatre (Ontario) - Cathy Levy, Executive Producer – Dance, National Arts Centre (Ontario)
- Cynthia Lickers-Sage, M.S.C., Executive Director, Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (Ontario)
- Natalie Lue, Executive Director, Vancouver Civic Theatres (British Columbia)
- Gillian Reid, Event/Tour Producer, FeLIX Productions (Nova Scotia)
- Heather Redfern, Executive Director, The Cultch (British Columbia)
- Jim Smith, Producer, Eponymous / Artistic and Executive Director, Dance House (British Columbia)
- Kathi Sundstrom, Executive Director, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (Alberta)
- Tim Yerxa, Executive Director, Fredericton Playhouse (New Brunswick)
Ex-officio members:
- Sue Urquhart, Executive Director, CAPACOA
- Michele Emslie, Board Chair, CAPACOA
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