Welcome to GAP(s)!

It may seem strange to include a professional mentorship and training initiative under our Community & Outreach section. Yes it is part of our programming, but what is most important to us is that this feels accessible to the theatre community at large. Including it under the Community & Outreach header is part of our commitment to reach out to anyone who feels that this might be a valuable stepping stone for them. So... what exactly is GAP(s)? We're glad you asked!

At Cahoots, we value learning as much as we do creating.  We also value leading. Many of the artists we engage have the potential to lead rehearsal halls as gifted directors, or to head companies as dynamic artistic or administrative leaders. What can be hard to access is the opportunity to learn to lead. We know that the key to keeping our sector brimming with exciting future leaders is to cultivate existing talent and water the seeds of curiosity and potential.  And so… we have created GAP(s). GAP(s) will run annually at Cahoots, with each season focusing on mentoring in a particular discipline.

While one can think of filling the gap as nurturing growth and preparation, the program's name and acronym have their roots in something far more personal to Cahoots' artistic leader. Tanisha named the company's new mentorship program using the first letter of the first name of her three directing mentors - Gina Wilkinson, Allen MacInnis, and Philip Akin.

"When I think of the GAPs that we need to fill, my first thought is always that we need more Ginas, more Allens and more Philips. Artists long for this - the cherished ones along the journey who ignite the path by opening doors, imparting wisdom and challenging you to challenge them. Having people like that whom you can call anytime is a gift. Creating the acronym from their names is my way of honouring how they filled these gaps for me."
- Tanisha

Our GAP(s) initiative launches with Directed By... a director training series intensives for artists in the margins, it features Cahoots artistic director Tanisha Taitt along with some of Canada's most distinguished directors: Philip Akin, Nina Lee Aquino, Allen MacInnis, Weyni Mengesha, Soheil Parsa, Mike Payette, and Bea Pizano. Directed By... will run in the Spring of 2023. Young-in-craft directors interested in participating will be invited to submit a written or recorded short piece sharing why they feel that attending a session in this series would be beneficial to them at this point in their career development.

Get more information and apply online beginning Thursday March 2nd.
‍Deadline for applications is Sunday March 19th.

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GAP(s) is generously supported by the Kingfisher Foundation.

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