Staff
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Margo Kane
Director of Indigenous Initiatives - Collaborative Leadership Team
Cree-Saulteaux Metis performing artist, Margo Kane is the Founder and Artistic Managing Director of Full Circle: First Nations Performance. For over 45 years she has been active as an actor, performing artist and community cultural worker. Her desire to share artistic performance that has meaning for her people is the catalyst for her extensive work, travels and consultation within Indigenous communities across Canada and abroad. Moonlodge, her acclaimed one-woman show, an Indigenous Canadian classic, toured for over 10 years nationally and internationally. The Sydney Press (AU) during The Festival of the Dreaming praised it as being ‘in the top echelon of solo performance.’
She developed and runs the annual Talking Stick Festival celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year and numerous programs including Moccasin Trek: Arts on the Move!, Indian Acts and an Indigenous Ensemble Performing Arts Program in Vancouver.
She has received numerous awards and honors including an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of the Fraser Valley, the Order of Canada from the Governor-General, an International Citation of Merit from ISPA – International Society for the Performing Arts and most recently, an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from SFU – Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Keltie Forsyth
Director of Operations - Collaborative Leadership Team | ext 102 | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Keltie is a arts administrator and theatre director of settler ancestry based out of the
traditional and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh
Nations. Keltie began her career in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton) as General
Manager of Workshop West Theatre and co-curator of their Canoe Theatre Festival.Since completing her MFA at the University of British Columbia, Keltie has worked as a
an arts manager, freelance director, instructor, grant writer, and associate artistic
director of both Pi Theatre for their 2016-2017 season and Ensemble Theatre Company
from 2020. She also worked with C-Space as Operations Manager at Progress Lab
1422.
Keltie is thrilled to be joining Margo, Gabrielle, Tom and the team at PuSh to support the next
phase of the Festival’s development. -
Gabrielle Martin
Director of Programming - Collaborative Leadership Team (on Maternity Leave) | ext 101 | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Gabrielle Martin is a cultural producer, performance curator and choreographer.
Recent career highlights include working as Festival Manager with the Vancouver International Dance Festival and as Co-Artistic Director of the aerial-dance company Corporeal Imago. Gabrielle has a BFA in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University (Montréal), a Certificate in Circus Dramaturgy from the Centre National des Arts du Cirque (Châlons-en-Champagne), and an MA in Arts and Cultural Management from Rome Business School.
She was a 2021 Why Not Theatre Cultural Leadership Fellow and is currently a Global Fellow of the International Society for the Performing Arts.
As a contemporary dance and circus artist, Gabrielle performed over 1,400 shows internationally with Cirque du Soleil’s TORUK – The First Flight and Cavalia, participated in choreographic residencies in Belgium, Sweden and France, and presented her work in the UK, US and across Canada.
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Tom Arthur Davis
Interim Director of Programming - Collaborative Leadership Team | ext 101 | Pronouns: he/him/his
Tom is a theatre artist and producer. Originally from the unceded territory of the Algonquin-Anishinabeg nation (Ottawa) with colonial lineage from Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland), he has recently relocated to Lekwungen territory (Victoria), after spending most of his career in Tkaronto (Toronto).
In 2009, he co-founded Pandemic Theatre (then less distastefully named), for which he has acted as the Artistic Director for the past thirteen years. From 2018-2022, Tom worked for Why Not Theatre, taking on the Managing Producer role for the company’s Provoke Platform (initiatives that aim to remove barriers for artists). From 2014-2019, he worked for the Toronto Fringe in multiple capacities, including as the inaugural director and program designer of TENT, an educational program that teaches entrepreneurial skills to emerging theatre artists.
Tom is excited to be working with PuSh as the Interim Director of Programming, where he is filling in for Gabrielle Martin, helping to realize her curatorial vision for the 2023 and 2024 festivals.
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Trevor Battye Advertising Sales
Advertising Sales
Trevor Battye Advertising Sales provides client-driven advertising and monetization strategies for print and digital publications, festivals, and events for over 15 years. Clients include The Alberta Teachers Association, The Vancouver Writers Festival, The Vancouver Film Festival, and The Tyee among others.
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Steve Chow
Graphic Designer | Pronouns: he/him/his
With a 250 lb. bench press and multiple tournament wins, Steve is arguably pound-for-pound Vancouver’s strongest graphic designer. His unpredictable technique was cultivated in early stints at The Western Front, Ricepaper, and indie music labels; and later refined with LolaDance, Wen Wei Dance, and The Holy Body Tattoo — leading to an undisputed, record-breaking 10-year run as Communications Manager of The Cinematheque.
In addition to PuSh, Steve’s current training partners include the Vancouver International Film Festival, DOXA, the National Film Board of Canada, Vancouver New Music, the Criterion Collection, and independent filmmakers in Canada and around the world.
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Charlotte Cuvilier
Box Office Coordinator | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Charlotte is a 2018 graduate of the Arts & Cultural Management program at MacEwan University in Edmonton and is a new member to the PuSh team this year.
Charlotte was living and working on many festivals and events in Calgary until her recent move to Vancouver. She worked for many arts organizations in Calgary including the Calgary International Film festival and Sled Island Music & Arts festival where she will be moving into the role of Technical Director for the 2023 addition of the festival.
Arts and creativity has always been a large part of her life and she feels very grateful for the opportunity to work in a field with so many passionate and dedicated people.
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Ashley Daniel Foot
PuSh Walks Producer | Pronouns: he/him/his
Since the age of eight, Ashley Daniel Foot has been in love with the arts. An avid CBC fan, he listened to the late Jurgen Goethe on CBC Radio 2 every day and started his own home-made daily radio show featuring a mixture of classical, jazz, musical theatre and popular music. Exposure to a wide range of musical genres led Ashley to discover his passion for the arts. Boundlessly curious about all mediums of culture, Ashley is also the Manager of Partnerships and Engagement at Vancouver Opera.
While working as a communications strategist at Murray Paterson Marketing Group, Ashley carefully guided such clients as Electric Company Theatre, Opera Atelier, ProArteDanza, and other highly regarded arts organizations in communications and media relations strategy.
As a broadcaster, Ashley’s work has appeared on CBC Radio and Radio Canada International. In 2006, he created one of the web’s first podcasts— called Radio Allegro, featuring a mixture of commentary, celebrity interviews, and audio documentaries. One of of his favourite broadcast moments was going backstage to talk with Lin Manuel Miranda and the creative team of the original Off-Broadway cast of In the Heights.
More recently Ashley worked for the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s Arts and Culture Division as the Marketing and Community Outreach Specialist for the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre.
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Bronwyn Henderson
Communications Coordinator | ext 117 | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Bronwyn Henderson is a graphic designer, digital marketer, actor and theatre artist who lives and works on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She holds a BFA in Acting from the University of British Columbia, and has been working in design and communications since her graduation in 2017. As an avid arts enthusiast, she is thrilled to be lending her skills to the PuSh Festival.
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David Kerr
Production Manager | ext 111 | Pronouns: I celebrate and honour all pronouns, my preference is DK
DK (David Kerr) would like to acknowledge that he was born and raised on Treaty 6 Territory, the Homeland of the Métis. He pays his respect to the First Nation and Métis ancestors of that place and reaffirms our relationship with one another.
DK has been a fixture in the Vancouver Festival world for the past 30 years, more than half of that in various management positions. He is well versed in the presentation of large-scale indoor and outdoor projects. Aside from PuSh, he is the Production Manager for the Vancouver International Children’s Festival and the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival. He is also the Site Manager for the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and a Production Consultant for the Talking Stick Festival
DK has consulted on several other projects as well including the Canada 150+ Indigenous Production Assistant Program and landscape planning for Bard on The Beach.
Prior to moving into Production Management DK Stage Managed for numerous Vancouver theatre companies and toured the world with LaJoye Productions’ “Snowflake”.
He was also the Second General Manger of Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan back in the good old days.
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Tricia Knowles
Marketing & Communications Manager | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Tricia Knowles (she/her) is a queer, Mi’kmaq settler who has been exploring her
individuality and identity through a pre-colonial lens, within the arts and the spaces and
places where her ancestry intersects.As an arts promoter and cultural curator, Tricia has a passion for creative placemaking and
for crafting interactive, immersive events which inspire residents to be part of the
change they want to see in their community. She holds a certificate in Cultural Planning
and Development from UBC and a diploma in Radio and Television Arts (Broadcast
Journalism) from NSCC.With more than 20 years of experience in media, marketing, and promotions Tricia has
worked on several festivals such as Kingston WritersFest, Ottawa’s Music and Beyond,
the award-winning performance-based haunt Fort Fright, Skeleton Park Music & Arts
Festival, Harvest Festival, and Wavelength Music’s Summer and Winter festivals in
Toronto, among others.She is a lover of both old-timey and contemporary circus and is a stiltwalker and costumer. Other joy practices include swimming, bicycles, foraging for mushrooms and herbs, and getting lost in a book.
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Larissa Lau
Volunteer Associate | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Larissa is a Chinese Canadian based on the unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories, colonially known as Vancouver, BC.
She is a graduate from the UBC Geography; Environment and Sustainability program and the BCIT Forest and Natural Areas Management program. She has worked in public outreach since 2018 and worked closely with environmental stewards.
Larissa was a past competitive dancer and was heavily involved with UBC Dance Horizons dance club, helping coach and choreograph for several teams. Although she has hung up her dancing shoes she is excited to take part in this year’s PuSh festival as a Volunteer Associate.
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Jessi Li
Bookkeeper | Pronouns: she/her/hers
CPA, with 20 years of accounting full-cycle experience specifically for performing arts organization. While working to build a successful career, I am striving to keep a good work-life balance, as the best time is time spent with my family and friends.
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Sophie Mines
Volunteer Coordinator | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Sophie is excited to join the PuSh team for the 2023 Festival in her role as Volunteer Coordinator. She brings extensive experience organizing large amounts of volunteers at the Vancouver International Children’s festival. Sophie and Larissa Lau, Volunteer Associate, hope to welcome and nurture an amazing team of PuSh volunteers to celebrate, engage and enrich audiences with adventurous contemporary live performances in a spirit of innovation and dialogue and share the power of storytelling.
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Lindsay Nelson
Producer | ext 113 | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Lindsay is an arts administrator and theatre performer with a wide range of experience in the event industry.
She first got involved with PuSh as Anika Vervecken’s intern, learning all she could about making theatre accessible. For the 2022 festival, Lindsay shifted to Volunteer Coordinator, and this year she is taking on the role of Festival Producer.
Recently, she has worked with the DOXA Festival, Touchstone Theatre and Ensemble Theatre Company. She currently sits on the board of Pi Theatre as the Vice President and Secretary.
As a performer, Lindsay holds a Theatre Arts diploma from McEwan University, and an MA in Classical Acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
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Fiorella Pinillos
Youth Coordinator | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Fiorella is an arts administrator, urbanist and community engagement specialist. Originally from Peru, Fiorella moved to Vancouver to complete a Masters of Urban Studies at SFU.
For over five years, Fiorella has worked to provide access to arts, culture and knowledge to communities that have been traditionally marginalized. Her work with equity seeking communities and her own lived experience as an immigrant, have profoundly shaped her understanding about cultural equity and accessibility.
In the last year, Fiorella has started two cooperatives with Solid State, City in Colour and La Libelula, now she is pleased to continue her work in Surrey coordinating the PuSh Youth Program in partnership with Solid State Community Industries.
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Jodi Smith
Publicist | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Managing Director of JLS Entertainment
Jodi Smith, executive director of JLS Entertainment has been working in the entertainment industry in various capacities for over twenty-five years. Throughout her career, Jodi has produced live events, is involved in artist management, entertainment coordination (including PNE, Harmony Arts Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, First Night & Vancouver Olympics) and has been a freelance publicist for festivals, musical concerts, dance, special events, theatre and literary fests.
JLS Entertainment’s past and present publicity clients include Vancouver Opera, MusicFest Vancouver, Ballet BC, CelticFest Vancouver, Vancouver International Flamenco Festival, Dance In Vancouver, Dancing on the Edge, Carousel Theatre for Young People, Toronto Dance Theatre, DTES Heart of the City Festival, Chutzpah! Festival, and the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.
Jodi Smith has sat on various boards throughout the years and has taught publicity and marketing at the Trebas Institute.
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Sarah Sum
Patron Services and Administration Manager | ext 104 | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Sarah Sum (she/her) is a queer performing artist of Chinese heritage, born and living on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh people.
She holds her M.Mus in Opera from The University of British Columbia. You may have spotted her in UBC productions of Die Zauberflöte, the Canadian premiere of Pasażerka, and the Opera and Arias series at Bard on the Beach. Sarah is a recipient of the BC Arts Council Award and has participated in the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute and the Chautauqua Institution Voice Program on full scholarship.
Sarah has been building a career in patron services and box office, from volunteering for local theatre companies as a teen, to working as a Box Office Administrator at UBC Opera over the course of her Master’s degree. Recently she was the Box Office Coordinator for Vancouver Queer Film Festival and offered box office consultation for Chutzpah! Festival.
When she isn’t singing or slinging tickets, you can find Sarah cooking as a connection to her culture, hanging art on walls, and daydreaming about new sewing projects.
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Anika Vervecken
Accessible PuSh Coordinator | ext 204 | Pronouns: she/her/hers
Over the years, from her youth in Belgium to her life in Canada, there have been two constants in Anika’s life—her passion for the performing arts and a fervent desire to ensure anyone would get an opportunity to share that passion. Be it by providing access to the story through surtitles, live description, or creating visual stories allowing people on the autism spectrum to anticipate their experience rather than being overwhelmed before the show even starts.
At PuSh she has been able to fully implement and hone her skills and vision. Her work testifies to an ongoing pursuit of new ways to invite people to experience live performances by developing new initiatives, such as connecting patrons with refugees to see a show together, as well as innovative techniques like writing introductions when there are no resources or the show only requires minimal additional information to become accessible.
Outside of PuSh, Anika continues to work as a translator, live describer, surtitler, and consultant for various local organizations such as Vancouver Recital Society, VocalEye, Axis Theatre, Revolver Festival, Kidd Pivot, and more. On an international level, she collaborates with Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussels, Peter Brook in Paris, and CDN d’Orleans in France amongst others. Another ongoing passion is working with people with lived experience, supporting them to develop their skills and careers as consultants.
Anika balances her career with life as a single mother while supporting a Deaf man with a developmental disability. And a creative soul often requires the inspiration and refuge of nature, which Vancouver luckily offers.
Languages Flemish/Dutch (native), French (fluent), Spanish (fluent), German (conversational), Italian (conversational), ASL (conversational)
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Denim & Steel Interactive
Website Designers & Developers
Through digital strategy, design, and custom development, Denim & Steel is behind the online presence for leading artistic and cultural producers like PuSh. Our work brings innovation and reliability to producers and connects audiences with new, memorable experiences through the web and mobile apps.