McCall MacBain Foundation Commits to New Cultural Leadership Award Fund with Arts Umbrella Dance Post-Secondary Program
Vancouver, BC / May 30, 2019 — Arts Umbrella announces the McCall MacBain Cultural Leadership Award, representing a new partnership with the McCall MacBain Foundation. This award for emerging dance artists is unlike any other in Canada. In keeping with the McCall MacBain Foundation’s focus on educational opportunities that broaden horizons and provide training for the next generation of leaders, the award provides recipients with both financial assistance and mentorship opportunities.
“The Post-Secondary Dance program attracts an international roster of choreographers that come to Vancouver to create new works and set existing repertoire on our dancers,” said Artistic Director Artemis Gordon. “The McCall MacBain Cultural Leadership Scholarship Award will ensure promising young dancers are able to learn from and collaborate with these renowned dance artists, as well as other cultural leaders, and expand their artistic goals.”
Each year, 4-5 students in the Arts Umbrella Post-Secondary Dance Program who exemplify dedication to the dance community, artistic expression, and commitment to the development of Canada’s cultural sector will receive the McCall MacBain Cultural Leadership Award, with funding of up to $15,000 per recipient.
The award provides not only financial security, but mentorship and research opportunities for every recipient. The recipients will be introduced to an international network of artists and cultural leaders to help them broaden their horizons in terms of assessing and developing the scope of their artistic contributions to the world. Additionally, recipients will be expected to play a leadership role within the Arts Umbrella Professional Dance Program.
“We believe in educational programs that provide students with a range of opportunities to actualize their potential and promise,” said Franca Gucciardi, CEO of the McCall MacBain Foundation. “The Arts Umbrella Post-Secondary Dance Program is a leader in developing the dance artists of tomorrow. We’re thrilled to partner with Arts Umbrella to reinforce the integrity, entrepreneurship, empathy, curiosity, and drive of its students, and provide the means for them to pursue their art and make a positive impact on our world.”
Founded in 2007 by John and Marcy McCall MacBain, the Foundation has, to date, committed over $400 million to initiatives in education and scholarships, climate change and the environment, and health. Its current Canadian initiatives include the McCall MacBain International Fellowships, the MacBain Niagara Falls Scholarships, and the McCall Huron County Scholarships. In February, the Foundation announced the single largest gift in Canadian philanthropic history when it donated $200 million to establish the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill University.
About Arts Umbrella
Arts Umbrella believes that art is powerful, that it can change a child’s life. That’s why Arts Umbrella’s programs in Dance, Theatre, and Visual Arts are made accessible to all young people—through bursaries, scholarships, and donor-funded community programs. This year, Arts Umbrella will serve more than 24,000 students, with 80% participating at little to no cost. Since 1979, Arts Umbrella has been active in its communities, inspiring kids to build their creative confidence and develop the building blocks for life: critical-thinking skills, improved self-esteem, and tools for collaboration.
Arts Umbrella Dance is a rigorous program designed for dancers ages 6-22. From the General Program to the Pre-Professional Training and Post-Secondary Programs, the excellence and innovation of Arts Umbrella Dance permeates everything they do. At the leading edge of arts education, the Dance Program works with an incredible faculty of dance artists—instructors in ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance at the fore of their fields. At higher levels, dancers also perform world-class choreography and rehearse with local and international guest artists. Its graduates go on to dance with some of the most prestigious companies around the world, and are known for their professionalism and integrity.
In 2020, Arts Umbrella will move into its new home on Granville Island, a renovated 50,000 net square foot space purpose-designed for arts education. Post-secondary Arts Umbrella program offerings such as the Post-Secondary Dance Program will enjoy increased studio space and access to a 145-seat professional theatre, giving students more tools to succeed in their chosen fields.
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Media Contact
Ariane Fleischmann
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Arts Umbrella
604-681-5268 x102