Stream 1: Public Art, Heritage, and Creative Placemaking
Leveraging Municipal Heritage Committees to Support Creative Placemaking
Tuesday, October 1st | 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Jennifer Campbell, City of Kingston, ON
Dr. Jennifer Campbell is the Manager of Cultural Heritage, Cultural Services Department of the City of Kingston. Jennifer has worked within Canada, the United States and South Asia with community museums, on archaeological excavations, leading heritage assessments, and digitally modeling architectural heritage. Jennifer oversees the strategic planning and operations for the City of Kingston’s museums and City Hall as a National Historic Site. Jennifer employs a broad definition of heritage to enhance the cultural experience of the City of Kingston; one that connects intangible to tangible, built and natural. Working with colleagues and community partners Jennifer leads the Engage for Change: YGK Reconciliation Journey project as well as the Your Stories, Our Histories Project to build a Cultural Heritage Strategy for the City. Prior to joining the Cultural Services Department Jennifer was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the State University of New York. Jennifer is the vice-president of the Canadian Archaeological Association and a research fellow at the University of Toronto and Trent University.
Colin Wiginton, City of Kingston, ON
Colin Wiginton works as the Cultural Director for the City of Kingston—one of Canada’s oldest cities—where he helped to develop the first-ever Kingston Culture Plan unanimously approved by City Council in 2010. That work has resulted in critical investment in the arts, heritage and culture to grow and strengthen the sector. Projects he has lead during his tenure include the visioning of an Integrated Cultural Heritage and Cultural Tourism Strategy for Kingston, redeveloping of the J.K. Tett Centre as an arts cluster, seeding the creation of the Kick & Push Festival and helping to establish Kingston’s first public art master plan and program. Cultural development and cultural inclusion are fundamental to this work and, through his leadership, Wiginton has ensured the arts and heritage remain priorities for the City of Kingston and the community through a combination of innovative projects, programs and partnerships. Prior to joining the City of Kingston, Wiginton pursued a 20-year career in the visual arts and public galleries with a particular interest in arts education.
Wicihitowin: They Help Each Other
Wednesday, October 2nd | 1:15pm - 2:15pm
(Presentation coming soon)
April Sora, City of Saskatoon, SK
April Sora has spent the better part of her career working and volunteering in the immigrant and refugee sector both in Toronto and Saskatoon. She has also worked for the federal government in various roles including Senior Development Officer, Human Resources Advisor and Employment Equity Consultant. She now works for the City of Saskatoon as the Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant and believes she has found her professional home there.
Roy Lavallee, City of Saskatoon, SK
Roy Lavallee is a Social Development Consultant with the City of Saskatoon, assisting the City in achieving its goal of providing a high quality of life for all Saskatoon residents through various initiatives such as the Low-Income Leisure Access Program and Social Assistance Grants to Community Groups, as well as sitting on various planning committees such as the Rock Your Roots Walk for Reconciliation and the Wicihitowin: Indigenous Engagement Conference. Roy is a member of the Moosomin First Nation and a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan where he had earned a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Sociology and it is also where he had met his wife of 3 years, Kailey. When he is not “on the clock”, he continues to be involved in community through his service on three local Boards; KidSport Saskatoon, Saskatoon Aboriginal Community Action Partnership, and the Truly Alive Youth and Family Foundation. Roy would like to welcome you all to Saskatoon and hopes that you all enjoy your stay in our diverse and beautiful city!
Decolonizing Monument: Shifting Perspectives
Thursday, October 3rd | 9:00am - 10:00am
Link to Presentation
Jennifer Thompson, City of Calgary, AB
Jennifer Thompson began as the Leader of Public Art for The City of Calgary in August of 2019. Jennifer began her time with The City of Calgary seven years ago in Communications and Media Relations roles across the corporation, and most recently, as the Senior Advisor to the General Manager of Community Services. Prior to working in Calgary, Jennifer worked in the Unites States and Vancouver primarily in the fields of Communications, Marketing and Design experience in both the not for profit and the private sector.
Jennifer holds an Executive MBA from the University of Calgary, a professional designation in Governance and Public Policy from the University of Victoria and both a Bachelor of Science in Multimedia Design and designations in graphic design from the University of Wilmington, Delaware, USA.
Although she has an affinity for problem solving and policy development work, Jennifer is actively involved in both the arts and culture sector and social justice in Calgary. She is a Board member for both the Sled Island Music Festival and the University of Calgary’s Student Legal Assistance, and has been a volunteer for Calgary’s Folk Music Festival for the past nine years.
Stream 2: Creative and Cultural Industries
Regional Approaches to Building Northern Ontario's Film Industry
Tuesday, October 1st | 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Link to Presentation
Emily Trottier, City of Greater Sudbury, ON
Emily Trottier is the municipal staff lead for arts, culture and film in her role as Business Development Officer with the City of Greater Sudbury. Emily returned to her hometown of Sudbury after living, studying, and working in Italy for five years. With over a decade of experience working with not-for-profit organizations she has applied her background in business administration during their start up, development and expansion phases. Currently Sudbury’s cultural offerings have been growing in full swing and this potential is being harnessed in a renewed Cultural Plan, with film and event-friendly policies, grant programs and new capital projects for the arts. Greater Sudbury’s film industry has seen unprecedented growth – in 2018 alone the city hosted 15 productions for a total of 580 days of filming.
Treasure in Trash: Opportunities for community engagement through unique artist residencies
Wednesday, October 2nd | 2:15pm - 3:15pm
Link to Presentation
David Turnbull, Edmonton Arts Council, AB
David Turnbull is the Director of Public Art & Conservation for the Edmonton Arts Council. David joined the Edmonton Arts Council in 2009 as the Public Art Conservator. In 2017 he was appointed Director of Public Art and Conservation. Since then, he has focused on policy development and civic public art planning. He holds a Master of Art Conservation from Queen’s University and specializes in paintings, Contemporary Art, and Public Art.
Leanne Olsen, Artist in Residence, AB
Leanne Olson is one of Edmonton’s most exciting and prolific visual artists. In 2018 she spent the year as the first Artist in Residence at Edmonton’s Waste Management Centre. She has been exhibiting for over a decade, cycling through themes of entropy, descent into disorder, uncertainty, and impending decay. During the last five years, Olson’s work has focused on land and water bodies that are tasked with jobs; landfills, sulphurous springs, and recreational lakes. Her practise includes repeated visitations and documentations to these sites as they are entangled in massive change. Olson looks for glimpses into adaptations and is drawn to ecosystems that are coping against human odds. After her 2018 residency, Olson’s research continued at New York University and Western University, and this autumn she will be attending the University of Victoria where she is pursuing her Master of Visual Arts degree.
How to Spark a Culture: The history and future of Canada's first fashion association
Thursday, October 3rd | 9:00am -10:00am
Link to Presentation
Mandy Pravda, Saskatchewan Fashion Association, SK
Mandy Pravda, President of Saskatchewan Fashion Association and Lady Boss of Mane Productions, has over 15 years expertise within all aspects of event design and marketing/PR including a focus on community building. Since 2015 Mandy has been advisor of Leisure Marketing for Tourism Saskatoon and currently developing Tourism Waskesiu. Mandy has worked with almost every major public event in Saskatchewan including Canadian and Saskatchewan Country Music Awards, Telemiracle, Ness Creek Music Festival, Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Nutrien Children’s Festival of Saskatchewan, 2nd International STEMfest, 17th International WAVLD, and more. Mandy was recognized in Toronto’s National Meeting + Incentive Travel Magazine Hall of Fame as the 20 Something Entrepreneur of Canada in 2013. In 2016 broke the Guinness World Record World’s Largest Snowball Fight at 7,681 participants. In 2017, was named one of CBC Saskatchewan’s #IAmSask "Mighty Saskatchewanians of Today and Yesteryear" and nominated for CBC’s Future 40 in 2017 and 2018. Currently Mandy continues to volunteer and support the Saskatchewan community.
Jacqueline Conway, Saskatchewan Fashion Association, SK
Jacqueline Conway is an award-winning marketer and published fashion stylist with 10+ years experience based in Saskatoon, SK. Her professional experience includes spearheading Canada's first fashion association with Mandy Pravda, launching Saskatchewan's first children's museum, Nutrien Wonderhub, driving 375,000+ people to Saskatchewan's largest music festival over 5 years as Marketing Director, and co-producing the largest outdoor fashion festival in Western Canada to date. Her professional awards and nominations include the Marquee Event of the Year for the 2016 SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival at the Tourism Saskatchewan Awards of Excellence, named an it Girl for Saskatoon in the nationally published magazine FASHION, and nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award for Impact in Music Marketing. Under her company, TrendBlazer Studio, Jacqueline works with arts and fashion non-profits and private styling clients. It's also not uncommon finding her choreographing and training dancers in jazz in her free time or mastering the local playground scene with her two young daughters. www.trendblazer.studio.
Stream 3: Cultural Infrastructure and Creative Spaces
Let's Talk Space: Making Space for Arts and Culture
Tuesday, October 1st | 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
(Presentation to come)
Alix Sales, City of Vancouver, BC
Alix Sales has worked for Cultural Services at the City of Vancouver for close to 17 years. She was the lead planner shepherding Council approval of a new 2 acre site for the Vancouver Art Gallery; disbursed $4.5 million in community amenity funds to local cultural non-profits—to support local ownership and securing cultural space; and lead planner for Vancouver's $6 million Olympic and Paralympic Public Art Program. Alix is currently the Head Planner on the Spaces and Infrastructure team, and is leading the way on the Making Space for Arts and Culture plan - which is part of the Creative City Strategy, creating a comprehensive strategy to guide the City and its partners to secure affordable, accessible cultural spaces.
Kristen Lambertson, City of Vancouver, BC
Kristen currently works for the City of Vancouver in Cultural Services. Prior to joining the Spaces and Infrastructure team, she worked on the Cultural Grants team. Kristen now primarily works on major development projects, planning and policy, and some arts facilitation and regulatory work. Some of the major projects she is currently working on include: an amenity space with social housing for artists and associated production space, a multi-use hub for cultural presentation and production, and an artist production space. Kristen has a Masters in art history and previously worked in the arts and cultural non-profit sector as a programmer and administrator.
Gaining Community and Political Buy-In
Wednesday, October 2nd | 2:15pm - 3:15pm
Amanda Shatzko, Regional District of North Okanagan, BC
Amanda Shatzko is an Electoral Area Director (Politician) and Board Vice-Chair of the Regional District of the North Okanagan. Involved in the creative sector since the age of five, Amanda excelled in sport, performing and visual arts, carrying her passion, knowledge, and advocacy for creativity to the board room. She has a B.F.A. (Emily Carr University), M.A. in Intercultural & International Communication (Royal Roads University), and Certificate (Sotheby’s Institute of Art in N.Y.C.). Currently, she serves as Board President of the Arts Council of the North Okanagan, Advisor to the Greater Vernon Master Cultural Plan, Board Director of the B.C. Alliance for Arts and Culture, and a past Vice-Chair of the United Nations Association in Canada. An award-winning artist and advisor, Shatzko was named a Top 40 Young Global Cultural Leader, Top 20 Under 40 Chamber Awardee, Multicultural Community Champion, and one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women.
City and Private Development Partnerships
Thursday, October 3rd | 9:00am -10:00am
(Presentation to come)
Ken Bautista, Makespace Inc., AB
Ken is a partner at Makespace Group Inc., building at the intersection of brand, culture and physical space. He's leading development of Factory, a retail campus for modern creators and consumers. Previously, he co-founded Startup Edmonton, a community hub for entrepreneurs - building, advising and investing in local tech start-ups. Ken has been invited to speak at international conferences including Startup Phenomenon (Boulder), Global Entrepreneurship Congress (Milan), and Day On The Hill (Ottawa). He has been recognized in Avenue Magazine’s inaugural “Top 40 Under 40” and Alberta Venture Magazine’s “50 Most Influential People."
Stream 4: Cultural Tourism, Festivals and Events
Fashion Foundry: A collaborative approach to developing fashion businesses
Tuesday, October 1st | 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
(Presentation to come)
Rachael Brown, Cultural Enterprise Office, Scotland
Rachael Brown is the CEO of The Future Economy Company. This sits within the new and exciting cross section of Culture, Enterprise and Business supporting creative thinkers, makers, doers and social impact creators. They are the only organization with this focus within Europe. This not only presents a great opportunity, but also highlights the importance Scotland places on the development and nourishment of the Creative Industries, Social Impact and the Future Economy.
The Future Economy is here to do two things; firstly, to respond to sector need, enabling the makers, doers, thinkers, creative, innovators and social impact creators to maximize their impact economically, socially, creatively, environmentally and culturally and secondly, to create the conditions for future leaders, businesses and ideas to flourish.
Rachael is also Convenor of Can Do Collective, powered by 100 different organizations Can Do is Scotland’s vision to become a world leading entrepreneurial and innovative world leading society, a place where growth and innovation go hand in hand, with wider benefits for all. www.cando.scot. Rachael is also Social Entrepreneur in Residence at Social Investment Scotland www.socialinvestmentscotland.com and a proud Saltire Fellow, having studied at Babson College, Boston. With follow ups in Silicon Valley and Shanghai. Rachael is thrilled to be welcomed to Canada to the Creative Cities Summit, and cannot wait to be part of such an exciting and forward thinking event.
A Creative Cluster in Winnipeg's Historic Exchange District
Wednesday, October 2nd | 2:15pm - 3:15pm
(Presentation to come)
Thomas Sparling, Creative Manitoba, MB
Active in the Canadian independent music scene for over two decades, Thomas Sparling was a founder of the West End Cultural Centre, managed bands such as the Crash Test Dummies, produced 60 music recordings, thousands of live performances, a dozen music videos and a music magazine while operating his own independent record label and management company. While much of his work has focused on supporting and advocating for the artistic output of others, Thom has quietly developed his own visual arts practice. Sparling’s paintings are an authentic and raw personification of the Canadian Shield. His work while sometimes folksy and unpolished, captures the untamed essence of the boreal forest in all its seasons. Drawing on his years of music and arts experience – Sparling has led Creative Manitoba for the past decade – providing mentorship and professional development for Manitoba`s creative sector. Sparling has also been engaged in the research and development of civic and provincial cultural policy recommendations including a Creative Cluster Strategy for Winnipeg`s Exchange District.
Destination Development: Experiential Tourism Collaborations
Thursday, October 3rd | 9:00am -10:00am
Link to Presentation
Adrienne Carter, Hamilton, Halton, Brant Regional Tourism Association, ON

Adrienne received her Master’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Calgary, is a certified Project Manager and recently obtained a Certificate in Cultural Planning from UBC. Adrienne is the Destination Development Manager for the Hamilton Halton Brant Regional Tourism Association in Southern Ontario. She helps communities promote themselves by bringing partners together to showcase their attractions as a collective and develop tourism experience opportunities. Major projects include the Bicentennial for the War of 1812, Ontario Celebration Zone for 2015 Pan Am Games and developing programming for an exhibition featuring the Quilt of Belonging for Canada 150 at the Cotton Factory, Hamilton’s premier creative hub.