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Atlantic Ballet Atlantique Indigenous Mentorship Program
Are you curious, passionate, and committed to growing your costume-making or technical production skills? Are you interested in advancing your performing arts career in collaboration with a supportive artistic community of technicians, costume makers, dancers and directors?
The Atlantic Ballet Atlantique’s Indigenous Production Mentorship program is a highly immersive, paid, 10 month program designed for early-career and emerging Indigenous professionals to advance their careers.
Production mentorships are offered in two streams:
- Costume production
- Technical production
“The Atlantic Ballet Indigenous Mentorship Program will create a path forward and new career opportunities for emerging professionals between the ages of 18 and 30 years in the areas of Technical Production and Costume Building. The one-on-one mentorship format will allow for a variety of skills and backgrounds to be supported. I know that the young professionals who have this opportunity will not only build employment skills; they will be supported, respected, and build friendships for life.”
Natasha Martin-Mitchell, Board Member Atlantic Ballet Atlantique Canada and DevELOPMENT Officer for Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Women in Business, N.B.
MENTEES RECEIVE
Tailored experience in your chosen field. A dedicated and experienced professional mentor who will meet with you daily to provide ongoing individualized guidance to support your goals. The mentor will share experiences, offer feedback, make introductions, and be a sounding board for questions about your artistic craft. Mentees will have the opportunity to work on all aspects of company productions from concept development to the stage and will meet and network with professionals within the region and from other parts of Canada.
Costume Design: custom pattern cutting ( for dance and movement), design and illustration, bespoke fitting and costume construction and other related techniques.
Technical Production: technical drawings, stage assembly (set-up/strike), assembly in lighting, sound, audio-visual, props, special effects and projection, supporting rehearsal/performance, use of tools/equipment and other production elements.
A stipend of $20,000 for the 10-months period
A Certificate of program completion.
HOW TO APPLY
Send us a short video explaining:
- A bit about you and your background
- Tell us where you live
- How you became interested in your artistic field (technical production or costume design)
- What your goals are
- How you believe this mentorship will help you achieve it
To submit your video, please send a wetransfer to Nipahtuwet Naka Wespahtuwet Possesom at [email protected].
APPLICATION DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
For more information, contact Nipahtuwet Naka Wespahtuwet Possesom at [email protected] or (506) 383-5951. We look forward to receiving your application!
Possesom’ [Ba-zaz-um] is a Wolastoqiyik multi-disciplinary artist, curator, director and cultural educator.
Possesom is a major contributor and resource to the indigenous artistic community leading a new generation into a significant period of growth, development and opportunity across the entire Atlantic region.
He is a member of the Wabanaki Grass Dance Society, and a keeper of traditional knowledge. As a champion dancer, accomplished director and actor, educator & choreographer — he has toured throughout turtle island, sharing knowledge, engaging audiences and community in critical thought towards understanding of their own origins, and the first peoples of the world.
Possesom is co-directing the upcoming first ever Wolastoqiyik ballet ‘Pisuwin‘, in partnership with the Atlantic Ballet’s Artistic Director Igor Dobrovolskiy and composer Jeremy Dutcher.
