2013 IGNITE! Mentorships
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As part of The Cultch’s Youth Program, The IGNITE! Mentorship Program offers a series of one-on-one mentorship opportunities in specific media to youth, aged 13-24, who want to pursue a career in the arts. This year we are thrilled to offer more opportunities than ever before including mentorships in Dance, Playwriting, Songwriting, Spoken Word, Directing (Scripted Material), Directing (Devised Material), Stage Design (Set and Costumes), and Publicity.
In each of these areas, promising young artists will work with mentors in their chosen media. The Cultch presents some of the most accomplished artists from across Canada and around the world. The Mentorship Program is designed to allow emerging artists in the community to access and learn from this incredible pool of talent.
To reflect the climate of the professional industry, the 2013 Mentorship Program encourages collaboration. Participants will work with young artists of all disciplines. We will also be kicking off the season with a big bang! BUT you’re going to have to wait to find out how. It’s a surprise for participants - we can’t reveal all of our secrets just yet!
“It made me feel like I’m part of something bigger.” - 2011 Dance Mentorship Participant
The Industry Sessions
The young artists will not only receive one-on-one artistic mentorship but will also be afforded unprecedented access to industry professionals through our Industry Sessions, providing them with a well-rounded sense of what it takes to build a career in the arts.
While the 2013 Industry Sessions are still being confirmed, the following organisations have been past contributors to the professional development and Industry Sessions for IGNITE!: Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists, Ellie O’Day Productions, Hive Creative Labs, Killbeat Music, Neighbourhood Productions, Mint Records, Red Cat Records, The Dance Centre, The Dancer Transition Resource Centre, The Georgia Straight, Vancouver Poetry House, Wen Wei Dance, Twenty Something Theatre, Up in the Air Theatre, The Vancouver Courier, and Kinesis Dance somatheatro.
The Showcase
At the end of the program, participants will work together to create a performance on The Cultch’s stage to showcase the work that has come out of the mentorship sessions. These performances are open to the general public, but are also attended by artistic directors of established companies and industry leaders. The performances are documented and can be used by the participants for portfolio and CV development.
“It’s a great experience to be remembered for the rest of your life!” - 2011 Songwriting Mentorship Participant
Testimonials
“As a teenager, a program like this would have been of infinite use – not just because of the access to working career musicians and writers, but also through the experience and confidence garnered by recording in a professional environment and the immersion in a new community of young, talented, emerging artists from all over the city.
 It was great for me to watch the youth interact and support each other throughout the process, and most pertinently, just before their performances at The Cultch to their friends, parents and new fans.”
- Past songwriting mentor Dan Mangan
“I really enjoyed the people involved and the workshops were tremendous. My experience with my mentor was wonderful and the production of my play was and will be an important step in my development as a writer and playwright… The opportunities that this program has created for me seem to be endless.” - 2011/2012 Playwriting Mentorship participant
"The Cultch's Ignite! Youth Program spurred me forward as a poet, artist, and member of the community. Throughout the three months that we worked and played together, I benefited from the honest attention, passion, and ability to listen that comes from dedicated artists…I felt that we as a group were supported and guided without ever feeling controlled, given freedom to create, yet within a framework that made our creation tangible and concrete. - 2011 Spoken Word Mentorship participant
"IGNITE! was also a beautiful opportunity to work with other young artists whom I otherwise would probably have never encountered, bringing youth from Port Coquitlam to East Van together for a love of poetry. The excitement and enthusiasm of the other participants was full of sparks, and finally came together in an eclectic and diverse night of spoken word with elements of movement, theatre and the sweet twang of a lone banjo.
- IGNITE! 2011 Spoken Word participant
What the media is saying about the program
"Learn the arts business from the professionals" - The Province, January 2012
"IGNITE! mentors help with learning process" - North Shore News, May 2012
"IGNITE! Youth-Driven Arts Festival explodes with creativity" - Vancouver Observer, May 2012
Photos are of 2012 IGNITE! Mentorship Participants Joshua (Dance), Savannah (Spoken Word), and Areli (Dance). Photography by Wendy D.
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