International Society for the Performing Arts
Canadian Fellowship Program

Reneltta is an Inuvialuit, Dene and Cree mom from the Northwest Territories. Reneltta is Director of Indigenous Arts at BANFF Centre for Arts and Creativity and founder of Akpik Theatre, a professional Indigenous Theatre company in the Northwest Territories. Reneltta has taken part in or initiated the creation of Indigenous Theatre across Canada and overseas. Reneltta has written, produced, and performed various works focusing on decolonization, climate change, and using theatre as a tool for reconciliation. This includes her latest work, Pawâkan Macbeth, a Plains Cree takeover of Macbeth. Pawâkan Macbeth was inspired by working with youth and elders on the Frog Lake reserve on Treaty 6 territory. Reneltta is the first Inuk and first Indigenous woman to direct at The Stratford Festival. She was the recipient of their Tyrone Guthrie - Derek F. Mitchell Artistic Director's Award for her direction of Colleen Murphy’s The Breathing Hole.

Denise Bolduc is an accomplished cultural leader and a catalyst for creative growth.  Denise curates, programs, and produces platforms inspiring artistic experience, exchange, collaboration and engagement.  Notable activities: Illuminating works, Tributaries, The Original Peoples Party & First Nations Exchange, Intersections of Culture, Beyond 150 Years:  An Acknowledgement of Indigenous Film, Miiyuu Pimaatswin, Songs in the Key of Cree, Maadaadizi/Summer Journeys, and Thunderbird Marketplace.

Denise was Co-Founder & Artistic Director of the Aboriginal Music Project, founding Artistic Director & Producer of Planet IndigenUs, the Indigenous Arts Program Officer (Ontario Arts Council), and the Indigenous Dance and Music Program Officer (Canada Council for the Arts).  She has programmed and presented in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.  She is an instructor, mentor, speaker, and member on numerous boards and advisories.   Denise is the recipient of the 2017 Ontario Arts Council’s Indigenous Arts Award, the SOLID Festival’s Arts Leadership Award, and the Indigenous Business Leadership Award. 

Hailing from Nova Scotia, Mhiran has lived, worked, studied, and explored various regions across Canada. Though she started as a Statistics major in university, Mhiran quickly realized that her passion was to work in the arts – not as a performer or maker, but first in theatre production as an Equity Stage Manager, and eventually in music administration primarily with the Banff Centre, Symphony Nova Scotia, and as Executive Director of Debut Atlantic - a pan-Atlantic classical music touring network on the east coast of Canada. She splits her time between the mountains and the ocean, having recently returned to work remotely for the Banff Centre to manage the triennial Banff International String Quartet Competition. Mhiran serves on the Board of Directors of Arts Nova Scotia as Vice-Chair of the Board, Chair of the Program Committee, and as a member of the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council, an advisory board to the Provincial Minister of Culture.

Originally from Winnipeg but based in Montreal, Pascale Joubert specializes in international development in the performing arts. She is currently working with Sylvain Émard Danse and Théâtre de la Pire Espèce, while also mentoring and counselling both young and more seasoned dance and theatre artists. Her main focus and interest are to connect artists to programmers, curators, audiences, organizations and other fellow artists. She aims to foster inspiring collaborations notably by championing international cooperation projects. Over the past 15 years, Pascale has held a variety of positions from general managing to production, touring, development and artistic advising in dance and theatre, for such organizations as Festival TransAmériques (Montreal) and Sasha Waltz & Guests (Berlin). Pascale has a Bachelor of Arts from l’École supérieure de théâtre de l'UQAM in acting, as well a postgraduate degree in Arts Management from HEC Montréal.

ShoShona Kish is an Anishinabekwe community organizer, producer, activist, songwriter and JUNO award-winning touring artist. This year ShoShona was recognized for her work internationally with the prestigious “ Professional Excellence Award ” from the WOMEX organization “for her role in the ongoing revolution, using the medium of music as an agent of change, to awaken our humanity and help us connect”.

ShoShona leads the multi-award-winning band Digging Roots, with her husband, Raven Kanatakta. Their music breaches categorization, blending global and Indigenous sounds with roots, blues, and trip-hop. They openly explore topical issues, treating music as a call to action.

ShoShona serves as President on the Board of Directors for Folk Music Canada and is the Chair and founder of the Indigenous Music Alliance and the Indigenous Music Advisory Circle. She recently joined Music Canada’s Advisory Council.

This year she partnered with the International Folk Alliance to host the first International Indigenous Music Summit and was awarded the “Spirit of Folk Award ” at the International Folk Awards.

Dr. Lindsay Lachance is the Artistic Associate of Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre and is from an Algonquin Anishinabe and Canadian family. Lindsay’s doctoral work exists at the intersections of Indigenous Theatre and Critical Indigenous Studies, where she celebrates and supports Indigenous theatre art and artists. Lindsay works as a dramaturg, supporting new play development, through a practice that centers the knowledges, skills and gifts of her collaborators that honours each process.

Lindsay has been working with youth for over 15 years at summer camps, community centres, The Native Youth Program at the UBC Museum of Anthropology and the Indigenous Youth Residency Program at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Lindsay is a granddaughter, a daughter, a niece, a cousin, a sister, an auntie and a partner. She honours the gifts, offerings and teachings that Indigenous women before her have offered and is motivated to honour and support the next generation of leaders.

Leslie Kachena McCue is a member of the Mississaugas of Curve Lake First Nation, who has fought for Indigenous rights by breaking stereotypes and raising cultural awareness. Her work is driven by her past, her passion to educate, and the motivation to empower others.

Leslie is a Traditional dancer, an Indigenous Knowledge Resource Teacher, and the Coordinator for the Royal Ontario Museum Youth Cabinet. Leslie is a Resident Artist Educator for the 2017-2019 seasons, and is a part of the Drama School Faculty at Young Peoples Theatre.

She has a strong passion for supporting and promoting Indigenous artists through freelance in administration, tour management, fundraising, facilitation, and curation, with organizations such as: Chocolate Woman Collective, Kaha:wi Dance Theatre and the Indigenous Arts Festival.

Leslie has been asked to perform and speak at many venues including: The Vancouver Olympics Athletes Village and Pavilions, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and the Juno Beach Museum in France.

Leslie Kachena McCue

Nina is an experienced and committed arts professional dedicated to revealing, highlighting and elevating the role of Arts for a healthy society.  Nina is experienced in innovation and development of ideas at the intersection of Arts and Technology and was recently awarded seed funding to develop the software, DAYA. As the Director of Daya creatives she has led a team of creatives developing a technology solution for measuring the social impact of cultural organisations and arts participation.  

Nina has a wide range of experience within organisations across Canada and the UK, including Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Ballet BC, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers, Mascall Dance, Gear Shifting Dance, Dancer Transition Resource Centre and Canada’s Dancing on the Edge Festival as well as numerous independent dance artists. 

As a natural problem solver and strategic thinker, Nina is particularly experienced in organisational development, outreach/participation impact strategy, and fundraising.  In addition, Nina is currently advising Canada’s Manitoba dance artists keen to identify sustainable development strategies for international creative exchange.  Nina is committed to innovation and revolution of the Arts sector for the benefit of all.

Nina is a recent recipient of a Digital Arts Strategy Grant, inaugural cohort member of Cultural Leadership Program by the Banff Centre for Arts + Creativity, an ISPA Canadian Fellow 2019-2022, and most recently identified as an Emerging Leader with Association of Performing Arts Professionals. 

Nina is also a wife and mother to four children - Issabella, Mackenzie, Amelia and Kaeden who work together to offer the world solutions to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal #2 - Zero Hunger -  Give A Free Lunch