Arts Leadership Training Program Announces Participants For 2025

Saskatoon, SK – Five participants will be part of a unique training opportunity.

The Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre through the University of Regina (C-SET), Persephone Theatre, and the Belfry Theatre are co-leading the fourth phase of the Arts Leadership Training Program and are excited to announce five participants for 2025: Francis Matheu of Victoria, B.C.; Micah Jondel DeShazer of Ottawa, Ont.; Marcel Stewart of Hamilton, Ont.; Dominique Ireland of Southwold, Ont.; and Nicole Malcolm of Victoria, B.C.

“As the resources shrink, training and professional development become even more critical to the Canadian arts community, and it is incumbent on us to invest wisely in our emerging leaders; the ALTP participants this year are dedicated, inspiring, and ready to make the most of the opportunities offered them. We are thrilled to support their growth,” committee member and seminar leader Yvette Nolan said.

The Arts Leadership Training Program partnered with performing and visual arts groups and educational institutions in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario for Phase 4 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 Arts Leadership Training Program is integral to the heath of the sector, and Persephone is thrilled to once again be partnering with the Belfry and C-SET to facilitate this national program, and welcoming five new emerging leaders from across Canada,” said Breanne Harmon, Executive Director of Persephone Theatre.

“The program fills a sectoral gap, and aims to create access, remove barriers, and train the next generation of artistic and administrative leaders, while allowing the institutions that participate to learn and grow,” said Taiwo Afolabi, Director of Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre.

The Program will be designed collaboratively, assembling the program components based on the stated interests of those participating, with a focus on artistic practice. It will launch in September 2025.

The Arts Leadership Training Program is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

ALTP Participants

Micah Jondel DeShazer

Micah Jondel DeShazer (he/him) is an award-winning actor, director, conductor and arts administrator. Former Artistic Director of TACTICS Theatre Group, he’s collaborated with a number of organizations across North America, and serves on Orpheus Musical Theatre’s board. Cherished credits include Beowulf in Afghanistan (Grant, GCTC), The Tempest (Ariel/Caliban, Company of Fools), Snow in Midsummer (Assistant Director, Shaw/NAC), (Director, uOttawa Theatre), and Native Son (Bigger, Stray Cat Theatre, ariZoni: Best Actor). micahjondel.com

Francis G. Matheu

An emerging Filipino theatre artist, Francis made his North American directing debut in 2023 with Theatre Inconnu and Bayanihan Creative Collective’s production of Pepe. Since then, he has become an active participant in Victoria’s vibrant theatre scene, pushing artistic boundaries while striving to reach a broader international audience. Through theatre, Francis aims to connect generations of Filipino migrants more deeply with their culture and heritage while championing underrepresented voices in the arts.

Marcel Stewart

Marcel Stewart is a father, artist, facilitator, and arts administrator who loves smoked gouda. Marcel serves as artistic director of current Performing Arts and as one of the co-curators of FOLDA (Festival of Live Digital Art). When Marcel is not creating theatre, he is an arts educator who has facilitated programming and instructed courses to community youth groups, professional actors, students in university, high school, and elementary school. Marcel’s curiosity about history and lineage, beyond the context of colonialism, is at the basis of his work.

Dominique Ireland

Dominique Ireland is from Oneida Nation of the Thames Settlement, a member of the Turtle Clan. She has dedicated her life to her people, her language and her culture. She has worked as a cultural mediator since 2024. Mostly, she is a self taught artist who has a passion for drawing and expressing herself through her Haudenosaunee work. She also researched the accessibility performance approach for the Deaf audience related to her pilot project.

Nicole Malcolm

Nicole Malcolm (she/her) is a Métis arts leader and multi-hyphenate artist based on the lands of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations in Victoria, BC. With over 20 years in Canada’s performing arts sector, she brings deep experience in producing, fundraising, marketing, and mentorship. Currently Director of Marketing & Communications at Pacific Opera Victoria, Nicole is a passionate advocate for inclusive practices, emerging artists, and community-engaged storytelling, and serves in board leadership roles with Intrepid Theatre, WONDERHEADS, and the ProArt Alliance of Greater Victoria.