Hello, I'm Mélanie (she her elle)
I am a Toronto-based producer and arts administrator dedicated to creating nurturing spaces where artists can thrive while developing new works for the stage. I proudly hold an Honours Theatre Studies B.A. from the University of Guelph and a Graduate Certificate in Event Management from Humber College, where I recently joined the Longo Faculty of Business as a part-time professor.
I was honoured to be the first Canadian accepted into the American Theatre Wing's SpringboardNYC professional development program for musical theatre performance and the only director in the 2011 cohort. I started my professional career as the Artistic Administrator at 4th Line Theatre, a company dedicated to creating new musicals and plays inspired by diverse Canadian stories.
While completing my post-grad, I secured a grant from the Humber College Community Partnership Fund to produce a unique theatre festival where 5 new plays were created in 1 day. To provide audiences with a glimpse into the creative process, each new piece was introduced by a short, documentary-style film (picture Dancing with the Stars, but with plays!) The Act Fast Theatre Festival brought together 40 students from 8 academic programs for cross-disciplinary collaboration and experiential learning while raising funds for community partners Lakeshore Arts and the Regent Park Focus Youth Arts and Media Centre.
As the dedicated Assistant Producer on Nordic Bridges, a national cultural initiative led by Harbourfront Centre, I helped to connect hundreds of creators from Canada and the Nordic Region in a cross-border exchange of art, culture, and ideas. As part of this initiative, I produced and curated a series of NORDIC TALKS panel discussions, bringing together diverse thought leaders from both regions over socially engaged topics that aim to inspire action for a brighter, more sustainable future. In this role, I was also a key contributor to the launch of CoMotion, a new international, multi-disciplinary Deaf and Disability arts festival, guest curated by Alex Bulmer.
In 2022, I stepped into the newly established Artistic Producer role at Tapestry Opera, the leading Canadian company dedicated to developing new opera and I am thrilled to support this innovative company expand the definition and reach of contemporary opera.
I recently became the co-chair of the New Works Architects caucus founded by Indrit Kashapi for the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) and look forward to connecting more meaningfully with like-minded producers across the country.
Thank you for visiting my site!