Mentors in Residence (MiR)
Your Year-Round Guidance & Support
Receive personalized guidance and professional insights designed to meet your specific needs as a newcomer or immigrant arts professional. Our handpicked mentors from throughout Alberta generously volunteer their time and expertise across diverse fields. They will offer you a one-hour session to guide and provide resources to our members.
Our Mentors Are
Handpicked from across Alberta, our generous mentors volunteer their time and expertise to connect with you and share valuable knowledge. Get easily accessible and professional advice tailored to your needs as a newcomer or immigrant arts professional in Alberta.
Carefully selected from diverse backgrounds and disciplines across Alberta.
Personalized to your needs as a newcomer or immigrant arts professional.
Available to provide insights into the arts sector of Alberta, from guidance on grant applications, networking opportunities, or simply a source of encouragement.
Seeking support in your professional arts practice? Our remarkable mentors are committed to addressing all of your inquiries!
Mentors in Residence
Mentors in Residence
Current ICAI MiR Cohort
November - June 2024
Bassem Hafez
Academic, Artist, Entrepreneur
Arts Administration and Management.
Community Connections and Networking.
Resources for Arts Managers.
Theatre Production.
Areas of Support
Bassem, or as his students call him "BigB", is a graduate of Political Science, and has been teaching at the MRU General Education Department since 2016. Besides, Bassem has been a licensed immigration consultant since 2018. In addition to his academic and entrepreneurial repertoire, he is the founder of the Calgary Egyptian Association in 2012, many metal music bands since 1992, and currently a playwright, theatre assistant director and actor.
Bassem has been sitting on many boards, such as ANTYX Community Arts, Calgary Outlink, Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation, and the Calgary Arab Arts & Culture Society and also he is the chairperson of the board of the Calgary Justice Film Festival and the Arab Canadian Theatre, Kawalease ACT.
Bassem is a recipient of the Rozsa Foundation Arts Management Diploma and recently had his play “Interrogation” performed on stage by the Arab Canadian Theatre. It was the first play in Canada performed in Egyptian dialect.
Curator | Manager Visitor Experience, Contemporary Calgary | Board Member, Exposure Photography Festival
Bethany Kane
Developing Exhibition Proposals and Professional Portfolios.
Zine-Making and Self-Publishing.
Grant Writing.
Local, National & International Opportunities for Photographers and Visual Artists Working with Photography.
Areas of Support
Bethany Kane (she/her) has been working in the arts for over 8 years as a Curator and Project Manager while collaborating with over 400 artists and creatives.
Based in Mohkinstsís/Calgary, Bethany is the Festival Manager of Exposure Photography Festival, where she has managed the past 4 festivals and developed its artistic programming, funding, marketing strategies, and more. She also produced Exposure Studio - a free online educational programme for emerging photographers and visual artists based in the city.
Alongside her work on Exposure, Bethany volunteers her time to the Working Class Creatives Database offering support to emerging photographers and leads zine-making workshops and lectures on the history of the zine. She has also been a juror for many arts competitions and a portfolio reviewer for organizations in Europe and Canada.
Earlier this year, Bethany curated 'People & Place' as part of Chinook Blast Festival. The exhibition presented the work of five visual artists based in Treaty 6 and 7 territories, also known as Southern Alberta. The work and perspectives of this dynamic group of exhibiting artists provided both celebratory and critical visual insights regarding the complex, intertwined relationships between people and place within these traditional territories.
Previously Bethany coordinated FORMAT the UK's largest international photography festival and is the Founder of Lost Generation – an exhibition and publication project that photographically explores contemporary youth culture and political animosity of millennials.
Diane Din Ebongue
Interdisciplinary Artist and Arts Manager
Operational Management Including Program Management and Curatorial Practices.
Community Engagement and Networking.
Fundraising and Strategic Planning.
Resources to Overcome the "Canadian Experience" Barrier.
Areas of Support
Diane Din Ebongue is an interdisciplinary artist and arts manager passionate about intangible cultural heritage, empowerment processes and knowledge-sharing through arts. She holds a Master of Sciences, Arts and Techniques of Image and Sound from Aix-Marseille University and a Master of Technologies for Education and Training from Rennes 2 University in France.
After working for five years as an audiovisual technician and digital/cultural program manager in France, she moved to Australia where she worked for indigenous art centres. As the manager of Arlpwe Art and Culture Centre, she led the relaunch of the Artali Festival which celebrates the Australian Indigenous peoples of the Barkly Region and supported the economic growth of local artists through employment, artwork sales and professional development activities.
She relocated to Calgary in December 2021 and worked for various arts organizations in roles ranging from gallery host to program manager. She also volunteered as a research assistant for The Immigrant Education Society, on projects exploring the skills assessment and integration of immigrant professionals.
Thanks to the generous support of the Rozsa Foundation, Diane recently joined Nia Centre for the Arts as a development specialist, through their Arts Leadership Residency program.
Michele Gallant
Executive Director and Producer, Calgary Fringe
Mentorship and Training Opportunities.
Arts Administration and Management
Collaborative Community Engagement.
The Ins & Outs of Being Your Own Producer as an Independent Artist.
Areas of Support
Michele has been involved in the performing arts for over 40 years, first as a ‘triple threat’ theatre performer, choreographer, and director then branching out to include artistic direction and production of the Calgary Fringe as Executive Director and Producer to her list of accomplishments. She is the past President of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals and is an active member of the World Fringe Network.
In 2021, Michele started Fringe U(niversity), an experiential entrepreneurial programme specially designed to give emerging artists and arts workers the tools and experiences they need to become their own boss - empowering them to take control of their own futures and creating work opportunities for themselves in the performing arts industry they love. Some programming includes High School Theatre Production Workshop, Artist Self-Producer Workshop Intensive, Junior Tech Mentorship Programme, and Shadow the Fringe ED Programme.
Michele believes that working together, we are stronger, and actively seeks out opportunities for community engagement whenever possible. She finds she has a passion for teaching/mentoring, passing on her knowledge and experience with any of those interested in pursuing a career in the performing arts. Is it possible to have a career in the arts? Michele’s response has always been “Yes, it is!”
Ciza Zoya
Multi-Disciplinary Artist | Storytelling Associate, Rozsa Foundation
Networking and Community Connections.
Creative Strategies.
Resources for Arts Managers.
Areas of Support
Ciza is a dynamic and multi-talented professional with a passion for creative content, art, and architectural design. With a diverse background encompassing various artistic practices, she brings a unique perspective to her work. Ciza holds a degree in architecture from TKM College of Engineering in Kerala, India, where her inquisitive nature led her to explore the art of business dynamics further. She pursued her master’s in arts management from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy, where she deepened her knowledge in arts, design, and management.
Having experienced the global art scene and collaborated with renowned curators in Italy while working for Kooness, Ciza's perspective is enriched by her exposure to multicultural and ethnic groups. Her international outlook has proven valuable since her immigration to Calgary in December 2021. In a short period, she quickly established herself as a valuable member of the arts community in Calgary.
Currently, Ciza holds the position of Storytelling Associate at the Rozsa Foundation, where she utilizes her creative strategies and storytelling skills to make a significant impact. Additionally, she serves as the Project Coordinator for creative strategies and outreach at the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women. Her dedication and expertise in these roles contribute to fostering inclusivity and empowerment within the immigrant community.
Ciza was selected as one of the ten mentees for the Immigrant artist mentorship program (IAMP) 2022 by the Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation (ICAI). This prestigious program allowed her to further develop her artistic abilities and connect with influential mentors.
Her latest work "I Smell Curry: Beyond the Blanket Term" is an attempt to challenge the reductive stereotype that "curry" is a one-dimensional representation of Indian culture. This Current project is driven by my personal experiences exploring the nuances of life as an Indian woman in a new and unfamiliar environment.
Sayonara Cunha
Community Liaison, Calgary Arts Development
Community Engagement.
Funder and Other Organizations Connections.
Grassroots Knowledge of Calgary Arts Ecosystem.
Exhibition and Performance Related Resources.
Areas of Support
Sayonara Cunha (she/her/hers) is a community liaison at Calgary Arts Development. In this role, she is responsible for connecting the arts community in Calgary and working as the primary liaison between the community and staff equity working group.
Before joining Calgary Arts Development, Sayonara volunteered for different organizations in Calgary and worked for almost 10 years to preserve Brazilian Cultural Heritage living in Brasilia, Brazil. One of her main goals and passions was to humanize processes, laws, and policies to make them accessible to everybody. She also holds a master’s degree in public management from the University of Wellington in New Zealand. Navigating new challenges excites her, and what puts her in this state of flow is getting to know people, learning news views and understanding the different needs.
In her spare time, you might find her biking around the city, hiking in the mountains, drawing, reading in coffee shops, or falling in love with every tree she sees.
View Past Cohorts
Mentors in Residence (MiR)
General Inquiries
If you would like to know more about our Mentor-in-Residence (MiR) or would like to volunteer as a Mentor-in-Residence or for any general inquiries regarding the Mentor-in-Residence program, please contact programs@icaionline.org