Global Arts Professionals Meetup monthly gatherings and the related Facebook group are for arts workers, artists, and culture professionals to get together casually and informally, get to know each other, discuss common issues and current events affecting the arts & culture sector, share ideas and information, ask for input, announce new projects and initiatives, and spark partnerships and collaboration.
The gatherings take place in Toronto, Canada, on the first Tuesday of each month, 5pm-7pm ET, always drop in/out any time.
Co-founded in early 2017 by Heather L. Kelly and Menon Dwarka, the group was originally called the Toronto Cultural Leaders Forum. The name was updated and scope was expanded in summer of 2020. Gatherings were moved to Zoom temporarily, from 2020 through spring 2022, and are now held in person again. In autumn 2022, Menon left his role as co-host to focus on his work as Senior Vice President of Arts Consulting Group. Heather continues to host the community gatherings in person each month and the Facebook group.
Thanks to our guest speaker sponsor Adam Malcolm – IG Wealth Management for supporting spring 2022 meetup presentations.
- February 2022 Guest Speaker: Nina Lee Aquino, incoming Artistic Director of the National Arts Centre English Theatre.
- March 2022 Guest Speaker: Parul Pandya, anti-oppression, decolonization, equity and inclusion educator, consultant, and the founder of Community Impact Consulting.
- April 2022 Guest Speaker: Adrian Cho, founder of syncspace.live, a new platform that enables across-the-internet performance, rehearsal, and teaching in real time.
- May 2022 Guest Speaker: Sally Han, who recently transitioned to the role of Executive Officer, School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design at York University, after many years as the Manger of Cultural Partnerships at the City of Toronto. Sally spoke on the theme of the difficulty of transitions and making them meaningful.
