The REFLECT pilot program (Radical Empathy for Leaders: Equity, Connection, and Time) is a cohort-based, funded learning experience launched in 2023 to support, develop and enhance leadership within the cultural sector.

REFLECT is a joint initiative between The Cultch and the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance (GVPTA), in collaboration with the City of Vancouver Arts Culture and Tourism.

The application process took place in Summer 2023, and in September 2023, the selected participants began a year-long process of learning, sharing, building, rethinking, and leading alongside a community of peers.

A two-hour webinar was hosted on January 20, 2025 as the cohort and leadership team shared their experience and key insights from the program.

Learn about what worked, and how we navigated challenges programmatically, and hear directly from the cohort through a series of peer-conversations. Whether you’re thinking about developing a cohort-based program, or want to be a ‘fly on the wall’ to witness conversations on the theme of ‘leadership’, this session will offer some insights relevant to our sector.

Watch the webinar recording on YouTube here, and learn more about the REFLECT program here.

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Are you worried about potential cyber-attacks? Do you and your team have the expertise needed to deal with one?

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GVPTA was pleased to partner with 7 other arts service organizations around Canada to present a robust instructor-led training on Cyber Security Best Practices. Led by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, this training ran online for two half-days in February 2024.

This training introduced cyber security threats you may encounter at work and in your personal life. Participants learned behaviours and strategies that you can implement to mitigate these risks whenever you are connected.

Instruction language: English. However, slides were shared in French as well, and the instructors can answer your questions in French.

Project partners: Orchestras Canada, Réseau SPARC Network, Playwrights Guild of Canada, Canadian Dance Assembly, Canadian Live Music Association, Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance, Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, CAPACOA.

Image Description: The image features a vibrant and engaging promotional graphic of a lock with text details about the upcoming Cyber Security Best Practices training. The background is light blue, and the information is presented in a clear and organized manner. The event details, including our partnership with seven arts service organizations, event dates and times, and language instructions, are prominently displayed. The overall design is professional and encourages viewers to participate in the training.

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This workshop was part of the ‍ and open to anyone in the arts, culture, heritage sector.

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Facilitator: Kingsley Strudwick

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

Understanding of gender diversity is growing day by day. At the same time, transgender, non-binary, and other gender diverse people still experience many challenges, including barriers to safe workplaces, artistic spaces, educational experiences, and community spaces.

In this workshop, Ambit will introduce frameworks for understanding gender diversity beyond the binary, work through nuanced scenarios, offer examples of gender-affirming practices and explore strategies for applying these learnings on a personal, relational, and systemic level.

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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Kingsley Strudwick is a facilitator and speaker with 15+ years of experience, exploring topics such as gender diversity, intersectionality, bystander intervention, microaggressions, and systemic changes in workplace culture. In 2016, Kingsley founded Ambit Gender Diversity, a company dedicated to improving experiences for transgender, non-binary, and other gender diverse individuals, families, and communities.

Kingsley has delivered over 350 professional development workshops to universities and colleges, municipal and provincial governments, and the non-profit and business sectors. Kingsley’s professional practice is dedicated to creating environments for self-reflection, building bridges across differences, and fostering relationships as the foundation for social change.

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