Artist Producer Training

Artist Producer Training (APT) is a paid training program designed for the independent producer, self-producing artist, or artist who wants to learn how to make art happen more efficiently.


Generator recognizes that producing is a creative practice. We reject the binary that separates “boring, efficient office worker” from “passionate, clueless creative” and embrace the exciting, fertile and collaborative space where arts management and live performance meet. Over the course of the past six years of APT cohorts, the program has transformed the careers of thirty-seven artist producers.


2022/23

APT Embedded is an 80+ hour experience for an artist producer to be embedded directly within an organization for a unique learning experience that is supported both by the host organization and Generator. Four artist producers are matched with one of our partner organizations: Toronto Fringe, DanceMakers, Shakespeare in the Ruff, or SummerWorks. They will work with Generator and their cohort for about 10 hours, will have at least 70 hours of time within the host organization, as well as have time for self-directed learning and research. The program is coordinated by Eva Barrie.

Featured
DANNY SYLVAN (HE/HIM) - EMBEDDED IN THE TORONTO FRINGE
DANNY SYLVAN (HE/HIM) - EMBEDDED IN THE TORONTO FRINGE

Danny Sylvan is a theatre producer, director, actor and playwright. Danny studied Theatre and Performance at York University, with a specific study of playwriting and new play dramaturgy. Aside from directing independent projects written by himself, Danny Assistant Directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Vanier College Productions, and this January, he Directed their production of The Labyrinth of Desire. Danny has a passion to expand his artistry by producing and directing works that explore the voices of ‘the other’ in common everyday situations. The opportunity to collaborate with the 35th Toronto Fringe Festival is truly a treat.

KASS PRUS (THEY/THEM) - EMBEDDED IN DANCEMAKERS
KASS PRUS (THEY/THEM) - EMBEDDED IN DANCEMAKERS

Kass Prus (they/them) is a non-binary trans, queer, autistic, and disabled holistic health counsellor, yoga therapist, and performing artist. As a 2nd generation Ukrainian-Canadian settler growing up Tkaronto (Toronto, ON), Kass was immersed in ancestral traditions, dance, music, and art. After coming out, Kassandra left their diaspora communities and immersed in the breadth of practices of the yoga therapy lineage of TKV Desikachar. Currently, Kass is reclaiming their bone-deep love of Ukrainian traditions and Slavic mythology; processing the ableism and transphobia that they faced as an artist, arts educator, and yoga teacher; and exploring if their post-modern art background may provide the arena for all their intersectionalities to integrate.

SHIVANI JOSHI (SHE/HER) - EMBEDDED IN SHAKESPEARE IN THE RUFF
SHIVANI JOSHI (SHE/HER) - EMBEDDED IN SHAKESPEARE IN THE RUFF

Shivani Joshi has been trained as a Bharatnatyam dancer for over 20 years. She completed her Arangetram with Avni Vyas at Shivanjali Dance Academy and graduated with a Master's in Performance Studies from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2021. Her dissertation focused on communities of women creating cultural spaces, colonialism in India, and how it affected Bharatnatyam as a whole. Shivani advocates for the importance of folk arts, such as garba, and teaches various folk dances and prop work that is prominent in Indian culture. Most recently, she created Shiva/Shakti – Eternal Lovers, a film for Guelph Dance SDS, and performed Tangled Threads at the AGH. Currently, she works as an artist/writer/producer, combining media and narrative to explore stories to tell modern stories, and playing with metaphor in physical form.

JAHNELLE JONES (SHE/HER) - EMBEDDED IN SUMMERWORKS
JAHNELLE JONES (SHE/HER) - EMBEDDED IN SUMMERWORKS

Jahnelle Jones (she/her) is a Black queer Toronto based writer, actor, director, and producer. She’s been in the Toronto theatre community since 2014 and is one of the founders of Rookies with Friends, an emerging artist theatre collective. Jahnelle now creates and writes for tv and film. She’s written two short films as a part of Human Body Expressions series - ‘What Happened to Lee?’ and she will soon be going into production directing her first short film Fourteen. Jahnelle co-founded Second Adolescence Productions with Kat Khan and they are currently writing a feature film titled Fan Club that has had the support of the IPF, CMF, and Canada Council for the Arts.


2021/22

Peer to Peer [Special Edition] - In 2022, Generator invited each Artist Producer Training (APT) program graduate to identify one (1) artist or arts worker, to engage in an in-depth conversation about current creative practices, and to surface and understand more about our collective hopes, needs, and challenges as artists, and as producers in the performance sector. Each APT graduate was asked to document their conversations (in any format) and share this documentation with Generator, with an aim towards further sharing on our blog and social media platforms. The overall themes and topics of discussion within these conversations were varied, and bring many emergent and urgent issues into focus. As well, everyone was encouraged to work within their own personal capacity, to produce their documentation.

To support further community and sector knowledge sharing and conversation, Generator is sharing all of the project documentation (mostly unedited).

Find the APT 2022 Peer Conversation Project HERE.

2020/21

Our 2020/21 cohort was Makram Ayache, Avery-Jean Brennan, brawk hessel, Rochelle Ellar, and Olivia Shortt. Learn about them here. APT was a self-directed program for 2020/2021. The participants guided their own individual learning—we invited them to look to the leaders and mentors that they feel will best serve their development as artist producers. At Generator we worked with the 2020/21 cohort to create individual learning plans supported by direct mentorship from Lead Producer Kristina Lemieux and Training Consultant Sedina Fiati. These individual plans were accompanied by opportunities for the cohort to come together in shared learning. Each participant received funds to support their time and to seek learning opportunities outside of the Generator team.

The 2016/17 APT cohort. Top row: Chiamaka G. Ugwu, Christopher Manousous, Mamito Kukwikila, Michelle Langille, Ruthie Luff, Emma Westray, Kristina Lemieux (Lead Producer); bottom: Ishai Buchbinder, Maddie Bautista, Katie Leamen (Facilitator), Brian …

The 2016/17 APT cohort. Top row: Chiamaka G. Ugwu, Christopher Manousous, Mamito Kukwikila, Michelle Langille, Ruthie Luff, Emma Westray, Kristina Lemieux (Lead Producer); bottom: Ishai Buchbinder, Maddie Bautista, Katie Leamen (Facilitator), Brian Postalian.

The 2018/19 APT cohort in a ‘Producing the Experience’ class led by graduate Christopher Manousous (centre). Left to right: Kitoko, Teiya Kasahara, Tsholo Khalema, Sedina Fiati (Facilitator), Jordan Campbell, Mikaela Demers.

The 2018/19 APT cohort in a ‘Producing the Experience’ class led by graduate Christopher Manousous (centre). Left to right: Kitoko, Teiya Kasahara, Tsholo Khalema, Sedina Fiati (Facilitator), Jordan Campbell, Mikaela Demers.

Generator APT folk past and present are also Harold Award folk past and present! Left to right: Ryan G. Hinds (2017/18), Kevin Matthew Wong (2015/16), Andrea Scott (2015/16), Scott Emerson Moyle (2017/18), Aaron Jan (2019/20).

Generator APT folk past and present are also Harold Award folk past and present! Left to right: Ryan G. Hinds (2017/18), Kevin Matthew Wong (2015/16), Andrea Scott (2015/16), Scott Emerson Moyle (2017/18), Aaron Jan (2019/20).

APT Goals

Participants learn effective producing strategies over the course of two to three (depending on the year) semesters of coursework led by experienced independent artists and companies, followed by one practicum project with a mentor company. Graduates gain skills to sustain a career in the arts, create and implement projects and budgets that have the goal of paying a better wage to artists, and improve the overall health of the performing arts ecology. APT is an intimate program with only 5-7 participants.

APT Curriculum

Curious about what our APTers are learning and where they get placed for their practicums?

Learn More

In these videos, Generator’s previous Lead Producer Kristina Lemieux and previous Artist Producer Training Facilitator Sedina Fiati talk about the program and the 2019/20 application process . Plus, 2018/19 APTers Tsholo Khalema, Mikaela Demers and Jordan Campbell talk about their experiences in the program.

APT Graduates

Curious About the Difference APT Makes?

Here’s a mind map charting how our graduates view the impact the program has on their careers. Graphic design by Kinnon Elliott, based on interviews conducted by Neta J. Rose. You can read stories from graduates Kevin Matthew Wong (2016) and Ryan G. Hinds (2018) and see more information related to APT on our Updates page.

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