Annual Report 2016 - Theatre Ontario · Theatre Ontario Annual Report for 2016 7 ORGANIZATIONAL...
Transcript of Annual Report 2016 - Theatre Ontario · Theatre Ontario Annual Report for 2016 7 ORGANIZATIONAL...
Theatre Ontario Annual Report for 2016
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Contents PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE .......................................................................................................................................... 4
STAFF REPORTS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5
THEATRE ONTARIO MANDATE ................................................................................................................................................ 6
Vision & Mission .................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Our Core Values .................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Our Goals ............................................................................................................................................................................ 6
ORGANIZATIONAL SCORECARD 2016 ..................................................................................................................................... 7
1. Program Relevancy ......................................................................................................................................................... 7
2. Stakeholder Awareness & Engagement .......................................................................................................................... 9
3. Revenue through Diversification .................................................................................................................................. 10
4. Human Resource Effectiveness ..................................................................................................................................... 10
5. Board Effectiveness ....................................................................................................................................................... 10
REPORT FROM THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE ................................................................................................................. 11
THANK YOU’S ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12
To Our Valued Donors ....................................................................................................................................................... 12
To Our Valued Funders ..................................................................................................................................................... 13
To Our Valued Sponsors .................................................................................................................................................... 13
To Our Board, Volunteers & Staff ..................................................................................................................................... 13
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
The ongoing work of Theatre Ontario fosters and promotes a vibrant and sustainable
theatre community throughout the province. For over 45 years, the organization
has cultivated theatre resources, provided educational opportunities, fostered
collaboration and built innovation into programmes and services for theatre artists.
The year that has just passed was one of change and growth for Theatre Ontario as
an organization, allowing us to look forward to 2017 with anticipation and optimism.
Building on the goals of the 2015 strategic plan, we continued to offer progressive
training for all the sectors we serve – professional and community theatre
practitioners and young peoples programmes. Enrollment numbers increased
across all sectors in 2016, realizing our goal of providing the right information at the right time.
In times when allocation of government grant funding is increasingly competitive, Theatre Ontario found new funding
sources and initiated strategies with the guidance of board member Neil Wiancko, former Development & Partnerships
Manager at Factory Theatre. Successful 2016 campaigns included the board matching campaign, silent auction and the
first annual Bowl-a-Thon in Toronto. Fundraising revenues are at a record high and continue to grow.
Nothing would be possible without the dedication of the full and part time staff who have performed exceptionally this
past year. They have made great strides in advocacy and collaboration, taking leadership roles in related organizations
and creating partnerships to communicate our mandate further than ever.
The diversity of skills on our board of directors is greater than ever and the advice and guidance they have provided has
been invaluable.
Finally, member driven organizations exist and succeed at the will of their membership. I encourage you to continue to
support excellence in theatre by renewing your commitment to Theatre Ontario every year. Please consider making
Theatre Ontario one of your supported charities. Our memberships pay for only a portion of the programming and support
that we give to theatre in Ontario. Financial support is only part of what we need from you. We need your input to our
programs and support. Please do not hesitate to call the office, or reach out to a board member to let us know how we
can help you make great theatre.
On behalf of the entire board and staff, thank you for your membership and your support.
Mary Jane Boon
President, Board of Directors
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
Theatre Ontario’s core programs are comprised of the Professional Theatre Training
Program (PTTP), Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP), the Next Generation
Showcase and Theatre Ontario Festival. We continued to enrich these highly sought-
after programs in 2016 by promoting their success stories online and through social
media, resulting in increased program visibility, interest and participation.
These programs have served to propel theatre artists and creators forward into
successful careers; many of whom we have previously nurtured and now nurture the
next generation. Almost 800 theatre artists have benefited from the mentorship and
training opportunities through the PTTP alone. The collective work of past program
recipients plays a significant role in fostering the appreciation and accessibility of the arts across the province and the
country. The impact of their contribution to Canadian culture is evident in the communities that have come alive through
their projects, as well as the organizations that have benefitted from their influence. Program participants have gone on
to work in regional communities providing training and work opportunities in the arts that had not previously existed.
Others have taken on roles that encourage other artists to grow in their practice and present their work across the country.
A top priority is to develop stronger relationships with the youth, independent and emerging professional sectors. This
will help us meet the changing needs of our membership by evaluating and revitalizing our programs and services in order
to increase our outreach within the indie, emerging and university communities.
The success of our outreach initiatives in 2016, has been the result of strengthening existing partnerships with Native
Earth, Generator and Work-In-Culture, and building new collaborations with arts and theatre organizations such as
CPAMO, ArtsBuild-Ontario, CAEA, PACT, PGC, TAPA, RE:Sound, and SOCAN. With PACT and TAPA, we continued
initiatives for our professional members that address equity, inclusion, diversity and accessibility. A major achievement
has been the nurturing and growth of our volunteer Youth Advisory Committee, increasing the diversity of our youth
programming. The committee created three initiatives in 2016, building strong engagement through social media. Theatre
Ontario continued to facilitate the marketing collaboration with the Ontario Summer Theatres (OST), resulting in a
stronger social media focus, leading to a more integrated networking and promotional strategy in driving awareness for
each company’s season.
As the co-chair of the Provincial Arts Service Organization Coalition PASO-OPSA, we lead the unified advocacy activities of
26 multi-disciplinary arts service organizations. We also sit on the Advisory Committees of ArtsBuild Ontario (currently
serving as Chair), Work-in-Culture and Cultural Pluralism in Performing Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO).
The allocation of people, resources, time and money to our program activities align with our research, analysis and
strategic plan. This allows us to determine the organizational priorities needed to deliver and achieve our mandate: Staging
Our Future – building a stronger tomorrow for theatre in Ontario. The greatest challenge to Theatre Ontario in the past
year was the delivery of our programs and services at the same high levels despite experiencing funding cuts. An ongoing
challenge for the organization is delivering programs and services that are continually relevant, geographically accessible
and timely for the theatre community.
Bruce Pitkin
Executive Director
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STAFF REPORTS Claudia Araya, Community Outreach & Training Coordinator
2016 was a great year for growth with our Training Programmes. Theatre Ontario offered 52 workshops and 11 webinars.
Our webinars have been particularly successful; a record 55 participants attended one grant writing webinar in January!
We provided free grant writing help to theatre makers from across Ontario. Participants were from communities such as,
Ajax, Aurora, Balderson, Barrie, Bowmanville, Bradford, Burlington, Cambridge, Combermere, Delhi, Etobicoke,
Goodwood, Guelph, Hamilton, Harrow, Kanata, Keene, Kingston, Kingsville, London, Markham, Mississauga, Newmarket,
Niagara-on-the-Lake, North York, Oakville, Orangeville, Oshawa, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Richmond Hill, St. Marys, Stratford,
Sudbury, Thornhill, Toronto, Whitby, Windsor, as well as someone from Saskatoon, SK!
The number of participants this year grew 26%. Of participants who attended workshops, our members have benefited
the most with a growth of 82%! Non-members attending workshops grew by 66% over last year and we offered association
discounts that grew by 67%.
Carola Jaque, Fundraising Coordinator
As the fundraising coordinator, I have joined Theatre Ontario armed with fresh enthusiasm to make a difference in a new
industry. My approach is to focus in the existing programs, and work closely with Bruce to develop new initiatives and
processes where necessary to accomplish this year’s goals. In the first quarter, we have updated and professionally printed
our Case of Support. With this tool at hand, I have started to target prospective corporations in preparation for possible
sponsorship opportunities in conjunction with the approved funds matching program with artsVest Toronto. I have been
working on facilitating our 2017 fundraising plan and calendar of quarterly campaigns. We successfully completed our 3rd
annual online auction, and are in preparations for the remainder fundraising events for this year. I look forward to growing
our network of supporters, and keeping our current members and donors engaged.
Rachel Kennedy, Professional Theatre & Education Manager
2016 was another strong year. Highlights include:
The PTTP funded 42% of its applications in playwriting, production management, producing, directing, sound design,
scenography, choral conducting and music direction, artistic direction and theatrical digital media mentorships. Voluntary
statistical information pages were added to gauge relevancy in OAC priority groups and where further outreach is needed.
The YTTP was able to support 50% of its applicants with programs in Toronto, Kitchener, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, St.
Catharines and Newmarket. We will create a video outlining the application process and eligibility in hopes of expanding
and diversifying the applicant pool.
The Summer Theatre Intensive took place August 7-13 at Peterborough’s Trent University. Christine Rankin was able to
attend as our Summer Education Assistant and aided in the smooth operation of the program. Feedback was very positive.
The Next Generation Showcase was held at Artscape’s Daniels Spectrum and allowed us to build upon our relationship
with Native Earth. A panel discussion on the Sunday night focused on the actor’s career and was moderated by Cole Alvis
(Indigenous Performing Artists Alliance), featuring panelists Ted Dykstra (Coal Mine Theatre), Kevin Hanchard (Orphan
Black), Grace Lynn Kung (InSecurity), and Rebecca Perry (Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl).
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Brandon Moore, Community Theatre & Communications Manager
Gateway Theatre Guild in North Bay hosted Festival 2016, with performances from the host theatre, Northumberland
Players, Theatre Sarnia, and The Curtain Club. Mimi Mekler was our adjudicator, Donna-Michelle St. Bernard was our
Playwright-in-Person, and we hosted workshops in Comedy Scene Study and Stage Combat.
I attended regional festivals in Woodstock (WODL), Sudbury (QUONTA), Peterborough (EODL Full-Length) and Perth (EODL
One-Act), festival performances in Toronto and Richmond Hill (ACT-CO), and regional meetings (Guelph, Sudbury, Perth,
and Aurora) with community theatre artists across Ontario. I also hosted our annual Adjudicators Symposium bringing
adjudicators together for networking and professional development. I continue to work with our community theatre
members and our Community Theatre Committee to provide support for their needs in day-to-day work as volunteer
administrators.
In Communications, our social media statistics continue to demonstrate above-industry-average impressions and
engagement. Auditions and show listings continue to be our most popular website content; our weekly openings and
Professional Theatre Training Program stories continue to be our most popular blog content.
As always, it is delightful to connect with so many artists across Ontario, helping creators to thrive in a vibrant and
sustainable theatre community.
THEATRE ONTARIO MANDATE
Vision & Mission Our Vision A vibrant and sustainable theatre community for all Ontarians.
Our Mission To be the champion of theatre in Ontario through education and advocacy.
Our Core Values Connectivity We build an inclusive theatre network.
Diversity We represent, respect and support the diverse needs of our stakeholders.
Opportunity We create valued training and development experiences.
Our Goals 1. Increase program relevancy through assessment and innovation.
2. Increase stakeholder awareness and engagement through communication and advocacy.
3. Increase revenue through diversification of grants, sponsorships, donations and earnings.
4. Increase human resource effectiveness through allocation and compensation.
5. Increase board effectiveness through recruitment, orientation, engagement and evaluation.
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ORGANIZATIONAL SCORECARD 2016 The Organizational Scorecard shows metrics on the outputs of Theatre Ontario funding. Each table examines the goals
laid out in Theatre Ontario’s Strategic Plan 2015-18: Program Relevancy, Stakeholder Awareness and Engagement,
Revenue through Diversification, Human Resource Effectiveness, and Board Effectiveness.
1. Program Relevancy
2016 2015
PROFESSIONAL THEATRE TRAINING PROGRAM applications 49 54
funded 21 23
amount requested $245,986 $252,894
amount granted $72,149 $89,005
2016 PTTP RECIPIENTS
Thom Allison, directing with Allen McInnis at the Grand Theatre, London Donna Marie Baratta, artistic producing and curation with Laura Nanni at Summerworks, Toronto Deanna Choi, sound design with Thomas Ryder Payne at Soulpepper and the Stratford Festival Alessandro Costantini, directing with Caleb Marshall at the Sudbury Theatre Centre Dana Fradkin, directing with Joel Ivany at Against the Grain Theatre, Toronto Rose Hopkins, Education Coordination and Associate Producing with Claire Calnan at the Hamilton Fringe
Festival Deborah Lim, production management with Sandra Henderson at the Toronto Fringe Festival Sebastian Marziali, Scenography with Trevor Schwellnus at Aluna Theatre, Toronto Gilda Monreal, playwriting with Rosa Laborde at Criminal Theatre, Toronto Jane Spence, Artistic Directing with David Nairn at Theatre Orangeville Michelle Suzanne, choral conducting and music direction with Hilary Donaldson in Toronto Elizabeth Thomas, directing with Tanja Jacobs at the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, Toronto Matthew Walker, directing with Kim Collier at Bard on the Beach and Electric Company, Vancouver, BC Heather Davies, artistic directing with Gil Garrett at the Blyth Festival Erin Gerofsky, set and costume design with Judith Bowden at the Shaw Festival, NOTL Valerie Hawkins, directing with Jillian Keiley at the Stratford Festival Michael O'Brien, theatrical digital media and directing with Sarah Garton Stanley at SpiderWebShow
Performance in both Kingston and Toronto Norah Paton, production management with Kevin Waghorn at the Ottawa Fringe Festival Michela Sisti, artistic direction with Ross Manson at Volcano Theatre Jennifer Stewart, directing classical theatre with Jeanette Lambermont-Morey at Talk is Free Theatre, Barrie Lisa Van Oorscot, lighting design with Kimberly Purtell at Crows Theatre, Studio 180 and Why Not Theatre,
Toronto Kevin Wong, artistic directing with Marjorie Chan at Cahoots Theatre, Toronto
Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/search/label/PTTP%20Profiles
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2016 2015
YOUTH THEATRE TRAINING PROGRAM
applications 20 28
funded 10 11
amount requested $107,397 $158,087
amount granted $42,575 $44,388
2016 YTTP RECIPIENTS
MT Space (Kitchener) – Young Company Training Program Superior Theatre Festival (Thunder Bay) – Youth Summer Theatre Program Acting Up Stage (Toronto) – One Song Glory Odyssey Theatre (Ottawa) – Professionally Led Apprenticeships for Youth (PLAY) CultureLink (Toronto) – Newcomer Youth Summer Theatre The AMY Project (Toronto) – Spring Creation Program Essential Collective (St. Catherines) – Playwriting for Youth 2017 Jumblies (Toronto) – Fortifications for Self-Actualization Shadowpath Theatre (Newmarket) – Conversations with my Younger Self Paprika Theatre Festival (Toronto) – Core Education Programs
Stories from the Youth Theatre Training Program http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/search/label/YTTP%20Profiles
NEXT GENERATION SHOWCASE
Performing Arts Graduates 251 279
Industry guests 133 189
THEATRE ONTARIO FESTIVAL North Bay Oshawa
Participants 180 150
Audience 653 896
2016 YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Annie MacKay Jocelyn MacNeil
Photos & Bios: http://www.theatreontario.org/programs/youth-advisory-committee-initiatives/meet-our-youth-
advisory-committee-2016.aspx
2016 YAC Events
May 9, 2016 NOW WHAT: AN EMERGING ARTIST'S GUIDE TO THE THEATRE UNIVERSE http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/2016/05/the-yacs-first-event-of-2016-now-what.html
May 9, 2016 NOW WHAT? THE CARE PACKAGE http://www.theatreontario.org/programs/youth-advisory-committee-initiatives/emerging-artist-care-package.aspx
September 12, 2016 PLAY DATE! http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/2016/10/the-yacs-2nd-event-of-2016-play-date.html
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2016 2015
WORKSHOP SERIES
Workshops Scheduled 63 55
Workshops Completed 48 38
Total Number of Attendees 559 342
Members Attended 246 135
Non Members 314 189
Association Discounts 30 18
SUMMER THEATRE INTENSIVE Peterborough Waterloo
Courses 4 5
Participants 39 41
2. Stakeholder Awareness & Engagement
MEMBERS
professional individual artists 446 475
community individual artists 200 179
professional arts organizations 84 98
community arts organizations 92 88
Total individual artists & arts organizations 822 840
REGIONS
Central 63 59
East 86 84
Far North 0 0
Northeast 21 23
Northwest 3 3
South Central 130 142
Southwest 132 131
Toronto 386 387
COMMUNICATIONS
Web Site: Sessions Monthly 6,800 6,500
Online Audition Listings: unique page views monthly 825 1,000
ONstage Show Listing: unique page views monthly 1,500 1,500
Bulletin Board Listings: unique page views monthly 240 165
Theatre Ontario Presents e-newsletter: Recipients 5,752 6,557
Blog: views per month 1,250 1,200
Twitter: followers 9,500 8,700
Twitter: engagement 1.50% 2.00%
Facebook: likes 4200 3,800
Facebook: engagement 7.00% 1.50%
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3. Revenue through Diversification
2016 2015
REVENUES
Government grants $261,288 $ 288,932
Memberships $72,582 $ 77,089
Summer courses & other training $43,976 $ 41,386
Showcase, Festival & other programming $23,618 $ 28,366
Donations & sponsorships $18,559 $ 24,123
Other $11,513 $ 7,701
Total Revenues $431,536 $ 467,597
EXPENSES
Salaries, contract fees & benefits $194,120 $ 221,887
Professional & Youth theatre training grants $114,092 $ 117,087
Summer courses & other training $31,177 $ 44,630
Showcase, Festival & other programming $21,291 $ 22,330
Marketing & Communications $8,866 $ 12,377
Board of Directors & Committees $2,322 $ 3,933
General & Administration $69,022 $ 67,689
Total Expenses $440,890 $ 489,933
4. Human Resource Effectiveness
STAFFING
Full Time positions 3 3
Part Time positions 7 7
5. Board Effectiveness
CAPACITY
Volunteer Members 14 14
Theatre Ontario Annual Report for 2016
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REPORT FROM THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE The 2016-2017 Board of Directors
Board President
Mary Jane Boon (Ammeraal Beltech)
Board Vice-President
Leah Dietrich (CIBC)
Secretary
Betsy Chaly (Indspire)
Member-At-Large
Neil Wiancko (Factory Theatre)
Lily Baird (EODL Rep)
Bodene Corbitt (ACT-CO Rep)
Vera N. Held (Consultant)
Elley-Ray (Actor)
Ray Jacildo (Actor)
Eyal Katz (Giant Step)
Gil Katz (Giant Step)
Helen Landry (QUONTA Rep)
Linda Lloyd-McKenzie (WODL Rep)
George Randolph (Randolph Academy)
NOMINATED CANDIDATES FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2017/2018
There are up to fifteen elected positions on the Theatre Ontario Board of Directors. Board members serve two-year
terms for a maximum of three terms (six years).
As Nominations Chair, I would like to nominate the following individuals as members of the Theatre Ontario Board of
Directors for the 2017/18 Season:
For their first two‐year term:
Bodene Corbitt (Toronto)
Vera N. Held (Toronto)
Carri Johnson (North Bay)
For their second two‐year term:
Lily Baird (Kingston)
Leah Dietrich (Toronto)
Eyal Katz (Toronto)
Gil Katz (Toronto)
Ray Jacildo (Toronto)
Continuing Members of the Board:
Mary Jane Boon (Newmarket)
Betsy Chaly (Toronto)
Elley-Ray (Toronto)
Linda Lloyd-McKenzie (Brantford)
George Randolph (Toronto)
Neil Wiancko (Toronto)
Retiring from the Board is Helen Landry (Sudbury) who has served three consecutive terms on the Board of Directors.
Respectfully submitted,
Leah Dietrich,
Nominations Chair
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THANK YOU’S
To Our Valued Donors
Benefactors ($500+)
Elley-Ray Hennessy
Helen Landry
Randolph Academy for the
Performing Arts
Michael V. Spence
Kenneth Stephen
Patrons ($200-$499)
Leah Dietrich
Andrew Jourard
Mark Mooney
Bruce Pitkin
Virginia Reh
Heidi Stock
Ross Stuart
Kenneth Taylor
Don Watts & Joyce Watts
Lily Yin
Supporters ($100-$199)
Lily Baird & Robert Baird
Mary Jane Boon
Michael Burgess
Deborah Burrett
Joan Burrows
Ron Cameron-Lewis
Betsy Chaly
The Curtain Club
Jeremy Dietrich
Nicholas Dietrich
Ellen Flowers
Sue Foster
David Gardner
Doreen Halpert
Ken Harkes
Brian Howden
Elizabeth Howson
Rita Huschka
Alicia Jeffery
Gerry Jordan
Shawn Kerwin
Cam Lund &
Wayne Milliner
Walter Maskel
Beth McMaster
Mandy McNeil
Sandra Newton
Susan M. Perkins
Ian Provis
Flora Robertson
Ted Sellers
Deb Sholdice
Jerry Smith
Sharon Sproule
Andrew Trasuk
Sandra Tulloch
David Whiteley
Friends ($50-$99)
ACT-CO
Anonymous
Guy Bannerman
Karen Bergstrom Mackey
Michael Allen Bronstorph
Grant Buckler
Jane Carnwath
Bev Dietrich
Paul Eck
Andrea Emmerton
Timothy W. Fort
Shirley J. Gibson
Linda Glover
Sally Han
Rebecca Holt
Ray Jacildo
Carri Johnson
Barbara Kobolak
Tom Kobolak
Frankie Lee
Maggie Lee
Harvey Levkoe
Linda Lloyd-McKenzie
Jack Manarolis
Susan McQueen
Bill Meaden
Anna Migliarisi
Darcy Montin
Erminio G. Neglia
Cornelia Persich
David C. Phillips
George Randolph
Halina Sandig
Theresa Sears
Janet Sellery
Margaret Shearman
Laurel Smith
Krista Storey
David Switzer
Jo Ann Warren
Wendy Weinberg
Peggy Wrightson
Patrick Young
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To Our Valued Funders Ontario Arts Council
Business for the Arts
Toronto Arts Council
Ontario Ministry for Culture, Sport and Tourism
To Our Valued Sponsors Marinucci & Company (Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture)
Sheridan College (Next Generation Showcase)
Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts (Next Generation Showcase)
artsVest Toronto, run by Business for the Arts with the support of Canadian Heritage and the Toronto Arts Council
Thanks also to the many theatre companies that provide ticket discounts to members of Theatre Ontario.
To Our Board, Volunteers & Staff To our Board of Directors, I would like to thank Board President Mary Jane Boon for going beyond the call of duty,
as well as show my profound gratitude to every member of the Board, including: Lily Baird, Betsy Chaly, Bodene
Corbitt, Leah Dietrich, Vera N. Held, Elley-Ray, Ray Jacildo, Linda Lloyd-McKenzie, Eyal Katz, Gil Katz, Helen Landry,
George Randolph, and Neil Wiancko.
To our volunteer Youth Advisory Committee Co-chairs Annie MacKay and Jocelyn MacNeil.
To our countless volunteers who give freely of their time at our many events, as well as our in-house regular Lev
Levner.
Lastly, I would like to express my appreciation to the staff of Theatre Ontario for their dedication, humour and
inspiration. Special thanks to Brandon Moore, Rachel Kennedy, Rebecca Ballarin, Claudia Araya, Alexandra Guppy,
Pelin Gulver, Christine Rankin and Sagan MacIsaac.