
Category Archives: Artistic Director Spotlight


Artistic Director Spotlight: Marion de Vries
The Blyth Festival is the birthplace of many great Canadian plays – about 120 of them over the festival’s 40 years. We caught up with Artistic Director Marion de Vries to find out more about the festival’s rich heritage, as well as what’s in store for the season. (more…)

Artistic Director Spotlight: Patti Brooks, Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival
The Sun Life Financial Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival has come a long way – from a small street event to the multi-day spectacle that features internationally renowned artists. We caught up with Artistic Director Patti Brooks to get insight into this amazing summer music festival. (more…)

Artistic Director Spotlight: Gregory Oh, Open Ears Festival
Open Ears welcomes a new Artistic Director to the fold for the 2014 Festival. Gregory Oh, known for being a “new music revolutionary” is a renowned concert pianist, conductor and musical director. We checked in with Gregory to get the scoop on his vision and plans for one of Waterloo Region’s favourite festivals coming later this month. (more…)

Artistic Director Spotlight: Christian Bernard Singer, The Clay & Glass Gallery
The Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery has been a long-standing site for contemporary arts, with critically-acclaimed exhibitions that challenge ideas and perceptions of art, craft and design today. As Canada’s only museum that specializes in ceramics and glass, it’s a national treasure trove of art in our own backyard! We caught up with Curator Christian Bernard Singer to get some insight into the Gallery’s upcoming events. (more…)

Artistic Director Spotlight: Claude Cloutier
The TD Kitchener Blues Festival experienced what Executive Director Rob Deyman called “its most successful year yet” in August of 2013. Presenting top notch emerging and established acts from Canada and the US, it’s no surprise that audiences are coming from far and wide to experience what’s quickly becoming one of Canada’s favourite outdoor music festivals. We caught up with Artistic Director Claude Cloutier to share with us some of his secrets to success. (more…)

Artistic Director Spotlight: Majdi Bou-Matar, MT Space
Waterloo Region’s MT Space celebrates ten years this season under the artistic direction of Majdi Bou-Matar. We asked Majdi to talk about the success the theatre company has enjoyed and to provide some insight into their exciting upcoming projects.
Q. Please tell us about your role as the founder and artistic director of MT Space, a company which has grown significantly in size and reputation over the course of the past ten years.

SPOTLIGHT: Artistic Director Phil LeConte, KW Comedy Festival
We continue our spotlight series in this conversation with Phil LeConte of the KW Comedy Festival (formerly the Uptown Waterloo Comedy Festival). The Centre is pleased to partner with this growing local event to present their Gala performance on March 6, 2014 which will feature a full evening of fantastic comics including headliner Steven Wright.
Q: How did the KW Comedy festival come to be?

Spotlight: Artistic Director Peter Brennan, Jeans ‘n Classics
This year we are partnering with a number of innovative arts organizations to bring exciting productions and events to The Centre. In Spotlight, we’ll feature a series of conversations with the Artistic Directors at the helm of these creative entities. We kick-off the year with a long-time partner whose work is well known to our audiences, Peter Brennan of Jeans ‘n Classics.
Q: Can you begin by sharing your thoughts on what defines the role of an Artistic Director?