This past season, James Jumaway joined Generator as our Generator Intern for Communications. In this blog post, James shares his reflections, learnings, and behind-the-scenes moments from his time with us. At Generator, we deeply value the fresh perspectives and creative energy our interns bring, and this internship program which was developed by the brilliant Seika Boye, continues to be one of our highlights from the season. Read on to hear more from James about his experience!
Professor Seika Boye: The Visionary Behind the Internship Program
Seika Boye
Professor Seika Boye, is the driving force behind the Internships: Performance and Cultural Arts Organizations (DRM480Y) at the University of Toronto. Through the Experiential Learning Fellowship, she has crafted a program that offers skill-building, career education, and critical feedback, connecting students to vibrant communities of practice.
“The desire to provide performing and cultural arts internships has been growing for years – I have benefited from a wealth of mentorship in my career. The opportunity came through the Experiential Learning Fellowship at UofT which involved a year of learning about how to build a course that offers skill building, career education and support, critical feedback, reflection, and student and partner accountability – in a way that is beneficial for everyone involved. Internships in cultural arts organizations are essential for connecting students to communities of practice where they can see how art makes it to the public and to discover that they have so much to contribute to this process.”
Meet James Eric Jumaway: A Filipino-Canadian Actor with a Passion for Theatre and Human Geography
James Jumaway
James Eric is a dynamic student at the University of Toronto, specializing in Theatre and Human Geography. His time with Generator as the Communications and Artist Producer Resource (APR) Assistant has been nothing short of transformative. Having once found the doors to Toronto’s arts scene tightly shut, James found himself at the heart of an organization that nurtures emerging artists. A standout moment for him was the Edit-A-Thon event in February, but he fondly remembers helping Patricia migrate information from the legacy Artist Producer Resource website to its new, and more accessible platform.
James Eric is excited to finally graduate and plans to help his grandpa transform his backyard into a mini farm, before diving back into his acting pursuits. You can see him next on an episode of Secrets of Ancient Structures as King Suryavarman II – a TV show to be released this summer.
“I am so grateful to Prof. Seika Boye for creating this amazing course, to Ilana (PhD Candidate) for her assistance, to Patricia, Bianca and everyone at Generator for this opportunity. This has been an invaluable experience, I can only hope many more arts organizations and artistic directors in the city welcome those who are lost and looking for guidance artistically.”
Meet Macarena Coronado Harman: A Multidisciplinary Artist from Lima, Peru
Macarena brings a fresh perspective to the arts scene, having traveled from Lima, Peru, to explore the theatre world in Toronto. Her internship at Generator as the Programming and Operations Assistant has been a pivotal experience, teaching her how to navigate the Toronto theatre industry:
“t has taught me how to navigate this industry without sacrificing one’s values or wellbeing, helping me feel more prepared, secure, and even hopeful in the prospect of a career in theatre after graduation.”
A highlight for Macarena was participating in Generator’s Financial Literacy Courses
“As an immigrant, being new to the Toronto Theatre scene, these courses have been so illuminating and informative, while also being accessible and inclusive in their forms of teaching and the content they provide!”
With graduation on the horizon, Macarena is eager to kickstart her career in Toronto. Armed with newfound skills and a passion for the arts, Macarena is ready to shine.
“I am currently working on a collaboratively devised physical and object theatre piece for the Paprika Festival as part of the Creators Unit, (which will be presented on three dates in the week of May 13th!), an opportunity that has been informed and inspired by much of the learning I’ve done at Generator! Similarly, I plan to continue moving forward doing what I love, now with the tools to do so successfully!
I am extremely grateful to Generator, to Bianca, my supervisor, and Trish, for reigniting that hope and for helping me create a toolbox that will help me move forwards towards my future in the arts!
”
Patricia Allison’s Pro Tip: Set Clear Goals for Success
Patricia Allison photo by Dahlia Katz
Patricia is the the Director of Communications for Generator and has valuable advice for future interns.
“Make your goals from the beginning of the internship clear. Limit yourself to 1-3 so that you can really focus on those. This will give an anchor in the work that you do and give you a point of reference for check-ins. When I was working closely this semester with James, we had the massive ArtistProducerResource.com project to ground ourselves in.”
Cheers to a Bright Future Ahead, Macarena and James Eric!
Additional Content: Here’s a link to other intern’s thoughts on their experience with Internships: Performance and Cultural Arts Organizations (DRM480Y)
“Beyond the stage: A&S Drama students explore diverse career paths through new internship course
