Meet Our Summer Staff!
Things here at Driftwood are not exactly business as usual, with the 2020 Bard’s Bus Tour cancelled. We’ve been using this time to explore new projects that we wouldn’t normally get to take on and start planning how we will ensure the safety of our performers and audience members when we’re able to take the stage again. Thanks to Canada Summer Jobs, we have some fabulous people working behind the scenes for Driftwood this summer, and we’d like to introduce them to you and tell you what they’ve been working on!
Outreach Co-ordinator – Deivan Steele
Deivan has been coming up with some exciting ways to engage with people across the province (including Ontario Storybook) and putting them into action.
What is your relationship with Driftwood?
My time working with Driftwood so far has been short, but definitely sweet. I was originally brought on as an actor for this year’s Bard’s Bus Tour, but when the season was cancelled, I was scrambling to find some kind of summer job in the arts. As other jobs floated down the river, this opportunity appeared out of nowhere, and I’m so glad I grabbed it!
This is the real-life experience that you can only hope for when you’re just starting out in the industry. Peeling back the layers of a company and getting to see how the cogs turn is such a great experience for performers; I’m gaining a new appreciation for arts administrators every day.
Front of House Manager – Ella Kohlmann
Ella is diving into developing policies that will ensure that all of Driftwood’s programming – both this summer and in the future – is safe for everyone involved.
I actually started my involvement with Driftwood back in high school, when I was a part of the 2015 Creative Roots Training program, and I’ve been coming back ever since! I started working for the company as a Production and Front of House assistant two years later, and have been on three Bard’s Bus Tours so far— Othello in 2017, Rosalynde in 2018, and last year with A (Musical) Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was looking forward to going on tour again this year, this time as Front of House Manager, but I’m still excited to be spending another summer with Driftwood (even if it’s only over the internet).
How is working with Driftwood this summer furthering your goals, interests, and/or career?
It’s been really useful to see a new side of the behind-the-scenes of a theatre company and learn about arts administration in practical, hands-on ways. Plus, working for a theatre company during this difficult and unprecedented moment for the arts is a pretty incomparable experience. I am figuring out how to navigate (and hopefully find solutions for) what safe, sustainable theatre looks like during a pandemic— and I have no doubt that what I learn this summer will be useful going forward.
What aspect of your work this summer are you most interested in or excited about?
Getting to be a part of writing safe, inclusive, and equitable Front of House and Touring policies! It may not sound that exciting but good policies and procedures are really important, and I’m looking forward to writing some that I will be able to see implemented once we are back on the road and doing performances again— hopefully soon!
Communications Associate – Sarah Caraher
Sarah (that’s me!) has been creating social media content, sending e-blasts, and, yes, writing blog posts, to keep you informed about all of the goings-on here at Driftwood.
How is working with Driftwood this summer furthering your goals, interests, and/or career?
What aspect of your work this summer are you most interested in or excited about?
Producing Assistant – Ganesh Thava
Ganesh is helping to co-ordinate the details of the 2021 Bard’s Bus Tour, connecting with over 25 presenting partners across the province to create a schedule for next summer.
What is your relationship with Driftwood?
As someone living outside of Toronto, I am always looking to engage with theatre in non-urban centres. On my search for theatre across the province, Driftwood was definitely on the top of the list. Through my journey to create and experience theatre, I was faced with numerous barriers that made theatre inaccessible to me. As a leader in bringing theatre to communities of all shapes and sizes, I just had to connect with Driftwood to learn how they do what they do.
How is working with Driftwood this summer furthering your goals, interests, and/or career?
I studied marketing and business law at Ryerson and my main relationship with theatre is as an actor and a writer. As a person of colour, I knew that if I wanted to tell stories that are authentic to me, I needed to produce them myself. With Driftwood this summer, I hope to learn how to bring my business skills to the theatre world. I just really want to learn how theatre is made from beginning to end.
What aspect of your work this summer are you most interested in or excited about?
I am most excited to connect with community partners. I really enjoy connecting with community leaders, especially those who have a passion for the arts. In this role, a lot of what I will be doing is reaching out and building relationships with our Bard Bus Tour community partners, and I am really looking forward to that.
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