Photo Credit: Anne-Marie Krytiuk
Front row, left to right: Lucy Eveleigh (Toronto Fringe Festival), Michael Sinclair (Obsidian Theatre Company) – President, Gerard Roxburgh (National Ballet of Canada)
Back row, left to right: Colin Rivers (Marquis Entertainment), Chris Goddard (Bierworks) – PAIS Board President, Gloria Mok (Nightswimming), Indrit Kasapi (Theatre Passe Muraille), Kevin A. Ormsby (KasheDance), William Milne (TO Live) – Treasurer,
Natalie Sandassie (Canadian Opera Company) – Secretary
Absent: Gideon Arthurs (Soulpepper Theatre Company), Lisa Marie DiLiberto (Theatre Direct), Victor Pokinko (Bad Hats Theatre)
November 21, 2023, Toronto, ON – The new TAPA Board of Directors was elected at the TAPA Annual General Meeting (AGM) held yesterday afternoon at the Tarragon Theatre. TAPA is governed by up to 21 Board members that are elected for a three-year term, and may serve for two consecutive terms (total six years). All Directors are members of TAPA in good standing and are elected at the AGM.
TAPA welcomes the new 2023-24 Board of Directors. TAPA Executive: Michael Sinclair (Obsidian Theatre Company) – President, William Milne (T.O.Live) – Treasurer, Natalie Sandassie (Canadian Opera Company) – Secretary, Chris Goddard (Bierworks) – PAIS Board President. TAPA Board of Directors: Gideon Arthurs (Soulpepper Theare Company), Lisa Marie DiLiberto (Theatre Direct), Lucy Eveleigh (Toronto Fringe Festival), Indrit Kasapi (Theatre Passe Muraille), Kevin A. Ormsby (KasheDance), Gloria Mok (Nightswimming), Victor Pokinko (Bad Hats Theatre), Colin Rivers (Marquis Entertainment), and Gerard Roxburgh (National Ballet of Canada).
Outgoing TAPA Board President Kelly Straughan recognized the ongoing challenges in the sector ranging from audiences to funding, and commended TAPA for their ongoing municipal advocacy work and the recent successful 12th Annual Arts Day at the City. Also wrapping up their respective terms and leaving the TAPA Board were Kendra Bator (Mirvish Productions), Beth Brown (Soundstreams) and Jonathan Heppner (Soulpepper Theatre Company). Elected yesterday to the Board was Gideon Arthurs (Soulpepper Theatre Company), and transitioning from Vice-President to President Michael Sinclair.
The TAPA AGM was well attended at the Tarragon Theatre Extraspace, where TAPA launched their new five-year Strategic Plan, presented by Parul Pandya, Founder and Community Consultant, of the Community Impact Consulting Group. The new Strategic Plan is anchored by five core values that lead TAPA: Equity, Advocacy, Engagement, Membership, Collaboration and Resilience. “I am excited to be working together with the TAPA Board and TAPA staff team to help us to accomplish the goals that we have set-out in our new Strategic Plan,” proclaimed new TAPA Board President, Michael Sinclair.
Lastly, Jacoba Knaapen was recognized yesterday for her twenty-year anniversary as Executive Director at TAPA. “It is an honour to serve the diverse TAPA membership. I look forward to 2024 and sharing our new home at B Street with the community and continuing to work together with the Board, TAPA team and membership to help to strengthen and support our sector.”
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Media Contact Theresa Gerrow | theresag@tapa.ca | (416) 536-6468 x 3
About Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA)
TAPA is a champion of theatre, dance and opera and aims for a unified voice to improve the environment for all theatre/dance/opera companies in Toronto, advocating for cultural municipal policy to effectively support an evolving sector on behalf of a large and diverse membership. In addition to the management of The Dora Mavor Moore Awards, other programs and services provided by TAPA include: Annual Arts Day at the City, hipTIX (offering $5 tickets to students between the ages of 14 and 29), citySPECIAL, the Commercial Theatre Development Fund, the Travel Retreat Initiatives Program – TRIP, and the professional development TAPA Trade
Read the new TAPA Strategic Plan