WHAT WE DO
OUR MANDATE is to produce theatre that creates meaningful conversation around current issues and encourages societal awareness and action.
OUR MISSION is to engage artists and the public in theatrical experiences that go beyond intellectual understanding and ignite a heartfelt need for change.
OUR VALUES
We value the health and well-being of people first, including our employees, artists, board, volunteers and community partners.
We have a strong focus on creating safe, inclusive and accessible spaces, welcoming people who are new to our theatres and our artistic processes.
We engage with the complexity of both the issues we tackle and the people impacted, and embolden the creative voices of all involved.
WHO WE ARE
Adam Kostiuk is an emerging artist in the Calgary community, working as a production manager, stage manager, console operator, labour, and as an award winning lighting designer. Despite working in this creative field, Adam would say his passions lay more with supporting people than with theatre; theatre mainly being a means to help people bring important, personal, and engaging stories to life. In the same breath, Adam could not be more thrilled to help bring the 2022/23 season to life at Downstage as they seek to accomplish the same. Adam graduated from the University of Calgary in 2019 with degrees in Urban Studies and Drama, building a design portfolio that includes the lighting design award winning *antigone lives at the U of C in 2019, Mary Poppins at Keyano College in 2022, and assisting the lighting design for the Betty award winning Clue at Vertigo in 2022
Born and raised in the Philippines, Bianca Miranda (She/Her) is a fat, queer, Filipino-Canadian performer, theatre-maker, and arts administrator based in Mohkinstsis, Treaty 7 Territory. She is thrilled to be joining Downstage as an Associate Producer and to be continuing as an Artistic Associate at Handsome Alice. She believes that art can change the world but to do so, we must continue to centre marginalized voices and advocate for intersectional diversity to re-imagine a future together. STAY TUNED for the world premiere of “The F Word”, a play about being fat and so much more that she is co-writing, developing, and will be performing with her art partner, Keshia Cheesman. Follow along @TheBiancanator & @TheFWord_Show.
Clare (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist born on Turtle Island and is the daughter of European immigrants. She has worked with innovative creators across this land as well as in Germany, Lebanon, Switzerland and Uganda. Clare is a recipient of the Houselighters of the Citadel Theatre Award and has been nominated for the Pauline McGibbon Award, John Hirsch Director Prize, John Hirsch Director Award and twice for the Gina Wilkinson Award. She enjoys acting and directing for theatre and film as well as creating live-art pieces that she facilitates. Clare is the Artistic Director at Downstage.
Katherine (she/her) is a writer, producer, stand up comedian and mom to an almost-3-year-old who is her creative muse and actual boss. After living in Toronto and the US, Katherine is delighted to be moving to her hometown of Calgary to be a part of the dynamic Downstage team. Katherine has trained as an actor at RADA and BADA in London, UK, Stella Adler in NYC, and most recently performed on and produced her bi-weekly stand up comedy show "Pandemic Baby" at Comedy Bar in Toronto. She is the founder of Kabin, a social business that co-produces multi-disciplinary live arts including Dora-award winning "La Chasse-Galerie" (Soulpepper, Toronto) and "One Night Only: The Greatest Musical Never Written (Factory Theatre, Toronto) and devised and hosted a free interactive lecture series that catalyzed conversations between working artists and those who don't identify as creatives. Katherine has an undergraduate degree in Social Anthropology from Harvard and a Master of Arts from New York University on the theory of creativity.
Danielle is an independent filmmaker and producer. She has worked on more than 40 film and television productions, including CBC’s television series Heartland and has earned several Rosie nominations (AMPIA) including Best Production Design for City of Noise (MindMosis Productions), Best Short for Bad Dad (Awkward Silencio Films) and Best Student Production for Human Resources (SAIT Productions). She is an executive producer at Belle of the Brawl Entertainment. Danielle is a graduate of the Cinema, Television, Stage and Radio program at SAIT Polytechnic and holds an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business.
Elsha is a ceramicist and community organizer devoted to embedding principles of equity and diversity into her artistic and professional endeavors. At performance art collective Raw Voices YYC, Elsha worked to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups on stage and off in her capacity as a curator and Public Relations coordinator. Through various volunteer endevours, she has cultivated a deep commitment to the advancement of women, queer folx, and visible minorities. As Vice President of the Calgary Regal Leo Club and President of the University of Calgary Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition, Elsha worked to meet the specific needs of underserved and at risk populations. She is a recent graduate from the University of Calgary, earning her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, and is eager to pursue her graduate studies in Political Science and Development Studies in the near future.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Our volunteer Board uses their diverse professional backgrounds to provide oversight and strategic guidance.
Interested in applying to join us? Download our Board of Directors Application Form or email clare@downstage.ca for more info.
Daniela is passionate about positive change in community and dedicating time to organizations with purpose, ones interested in shaping and re-shaping themselves to be catalysts for innovation and connection. She is a lover of and advocate for the arts, and having participated in theatre productions throughout high school, Downstage is near and dear to her heart. Daniela believes in being involved with the people and events in my community and that there is learning to be found wherever she goes. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, being actively involved in her community, experimenting with new recipes ,and adventuring with her dog, Paco.
Matt is a passionate community leader and social innovator. An active Rotarian, he is an advocate with expertise in business development and assessment, networking, and community engagement. Matt grew up in the theater community in High River as a member of the Windmill theater players but was never very good at acting so decided to stay involved in ways that suited his skillset a bit better. Be glad you won’t see him on stage anytime soon. Matt is currently pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration with a goal of strengthening Calgary’s social sector. When Matt isn’t volunteering his free time, he enjoys traveling, soccer, and playing board games.
Preyanka is an associate in the Calgary office of a prominent, global law firm. Prior to, and throughout her legal career, Preyanka has been an avid volunteer in her community with non-profit and charitable organizations such as the Rotary Club, Pro Bono Students Canada, and the Women's Centre of Calgary. Since she was a little girl, she has enjoyed all things art, including jazz, tap and ballet dancing as well as poetry. To that end, Preyanka has a passion for writing poetry, hoping to publish her first book in 2024. When she's not working or volunteering, Preyanka spends her time in nature with her dog, whether it be running, hiking, or camping. She has travelled to 25 countries and counting, where, amidst her backpacking adventures, she always finds time to explore art museums and attend art-based performances. Preyanka aims to use her legal knowledge and expertise, along with her passion for the arts, to help her community in her hometown of Calgary, Alberta... perhaps most importantly, as a board member with Downstage.
Before joining the board, Brooklyn was Downstage’s biggest fan for over 10 years! She avidly attended Downstage shows and was enthralled by the captivating productions that seamlessly blended artistry and advocacy. Brooklyn's unwavering support and enthusiasm for over a decade laid the foundation for her eventual role on the board, a testament to her deep connection with Downstage's commitment to stirring conversations on important social issues through the power of theatre. Brooklyn’s expertise lies at the intersection of linguistics and artificial intelligence research, although she also has plenty of experience in management through her involvement in her family’s various businesses. She is very excited to bring her critical thinking skills, managerial experience, and enthusiasm to the Downstage board!
Maureen’s biography is coming soon!
Jermyn Voon is a young business professional and community leader. His previous experience includes working at both the federal & provincial (Alberta) levels of government, in addition to the private and non-profit sectors in accounting, administration, communications, and marketing-related roles. He is an active community volunteer; he sits/has sat on multiple boards focused on city building, community and political engagement, arts & marginalized communities including the Federation of Calgary Communities (Board Secretary), Canadian Club Calgary (Past President) & Students' Association of Mount Royal University. He also volunteers with various community organizations including Startup Calgary, Shaw Charity Classic, Calgary Public Library Foundation, & SAMRU Board Advisory Committee.
Jermyn holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management (Marketing & Accounting focus) and a Business Administration Diploma, both from Mount Royal University. He has also completed the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD-Rotman) NFP Governance Essentials Program, onBoard Canada's Board Governance Fundamentals Certificate from Ryerson University, & is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified. He is currently pursuing his Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation. In 2021, he was awarded the United Way Culbert Family Award for Philanthropy for his charitable giving & outstanding community work.
OUR RESPONSE TO 35//50 INITIATIVE
WE ARE WORKING WITH NIKKI SHAFFEEULLAH, OUR STAFF, BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY ON GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT THEM BY CLICKING THE BUTTON BELOW. YOU CAN OFFER YOUR FEEDBACK VIA OUR ONLINE FEEDBACK FORM EMBEDDED IN THE DOCUMENT.
August 31, 2020
Thank you to Michelle Thrush, Makambe K. Simamba, Pamela Tzeng, Gina Puntil, Jenna Rodgers, Kiana Wu, Thomas Geddes, Steve Gin and Kunji Mark Ikeda for offering The 35//50 Initiative and to all of the signatories and other supporters of this call to action.
Downstage has two current employees, Clare Preuss and Danielle Whyte. Both of us have signed on as individual signatories and commit to doing our utmost to work with all contract artists, employees and Downstage Board of Directors to uplift the principles and guidelines listed in The 35//50 Initiative.
We deeply value this work. We acknowledge that we have and will continue to make mistakes as we grow. We want to move forward with care, clarity and compassion as well as courage, knowing that this is a process of ongoing and fundamental systemic and personal change.
Downstage is led by two women and has a board with over 50% female representation. Our programming also tends to have good representation of female and non-binary people working in creative positions both on and off stage. As such, our NEXT STEPS outline our desire for more BIPOC focus, while we continue to honour the space for non-binary and female collaborators.
NEXT STEPS:
The Downstage team is examining the structures of creating, producing and training within a theatre context. We aim to grow into a more inclusive world view and way of working. This is an ongoing and multilayered process that will unfold continually as we engage with other elements of the work, outlined here.
Staff and board members will engage with ongoing Anti-Racism workshops and paid consultations with local, national and international individuals and organizations.
Staff and board will redefine our Anti-Harassment policy to include a more specific and nuanced approach to Anti-Racism by the end of 2020. We are accessing AD HOC ASSEMBLY’s Voluntary Addendum as a source of inspiration and will also work with BIPOC consultants as we finalize this document focused on EDIA within all facets of the Downstage working environment.
Downstage is hiring two part-time positions with a focus on these positions being offered to BIPOC individuals and with the goal of growing these positions into full-time leadership positions. We have been working with board member Christopher Butler on these job calls and he will also be included in the interview process. Christopher is dedicated to growing BIPOC representation within arts organizations.
We will expand board representation from our current state of 30% BIPOC to at least 40% BIPOC representation by the end of 2022.
We are collaborating with ARTICLE 11 as well as various other BIPOC artists this season. Our goal is to continue to grow a culture of centering BIPOC artists, stories and power throughout creation processes.
During the 2020-21 season, Downstage staff and board of directors will create a comprehensive succession plan for both Artistic Director and Managing Director roles. It is our goal to create an environment that will welcome BIPOC leaders to fill these roles as Clare and Danielle move on from Downstage in coming years.
We are eager to keep learning and being of service in our community as we support real change within the dynamics of theatre creation. For more details about any of these points, please contact Clare Preuss at clare@downstage.ca. Thank you
