![\"photo](\"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/may-02-youth-ignite-ellie-oday.jpg\")
<\/a>Hundreds of youth are involved in what is now Vancouver\u2019s largest youth-driven arts festival, which includes showcases of music, dance and spoken word, the world\u00a0premi\u00e8re of three one-act plays, a visual arts exhibit and a variety of other acts. Events will be held in the Historic Theatre, Vancity Culture Lab, the Cultch lobby and the caf\u00e9 galleries from May 2-10.<\/p>\n
Though the festival is put on by youth, it is supported by a vast network of arts professionals to mentor the youth and help build their skills. Last year, a publicity mentorship was added to the list of mentorship opportunities. Publicity mentees get the opportunity to work with O\u2019Day, the festival\u2019s publicist five years running.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Day was brought up in a Reform Jewish family in the eastern United States and launched her career on radio in the late 1970s in Vancouver. From broadcasting, she expanded into writing, arts administration and arts advocacy, teaching music business for 21 years, and then \u2013 via her work as a publicist \u2013 helping to promote some of her favorite things: media and performing artists.<\/p>\n
\u201cI may have been thousands of kilometres away from my family and the customs that were part of our Jewish family life for many decades, but one of the principles that has stuck with me \u2013 particularly as I did not have children myself \u2013 is that we live on in the wisdom and knowledge we share with the coming generations,\u201d she said. \u201cThat principle is so important to me that I would feel unfulfilled without it.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Day does publicity for many shows at the Cultch, which is a complex of (now) three theatre spaces. \u201cThey have invested in this youth program,\u201d said O\u2019Day. \u201cOn staff, there is one youth program coordinator, currently Robert Leveroos,\u201d who serves as guide, and also oversees a group of about 20 youth panel members who serve as the organizers of the festival.<\/p>\n
During the weekend prior to the main festival, there is a showcase for mentored songwriters, spoken word artists and dancers. During the festival itself \u2013 which begins today \u2013 three short plays are presented in repertory. The young playwrights have been mentored by professional local playwrights; the young directors have been mentored by professional local directors.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, as a nearing-retirement publicist, I suggested we \u2018mentorize\u2019 the publicity, too,\u201d said O\u2019Day. \u201cYoung people may be savvy about social media, but don\u2019t really understand how traditional media works.\u201d<\/p>\n
The publicity mentee helps with festival publicity. \u201cLandon Krentz\u2019s application indicated he was already doing some arts administration work, which meant he\u2019d have a familiarity with the general infrastructure of arts organizations, which would add to his skill set,\u201d said O\u2019Day about this year\u2019s publicity mentee.<\/p>\n Krentz and O\u2019Day met a few times and split up the work, contacting artists for information, sending out media releases and following up on them.<\/p>\n Calling O\u2019Day \u201cmy amazing mentor,\u201d Krentz said he decided to join the mentorship program to improve his media relations skills and to become more involved in the industry. As the president of British Columbia Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, Krentz has been involved with accessibility coordination, as well as with serving the deaf queer communities. A fundraiser and event coordinator for the contemporary dance community by day, Krentz is one of very few bilateral profoundly deaf people working in the arts community. \u201cI hope to become a stronger advocate for deaf members and challenge audism in every\u00a0day life,\u201d said Krentz.<\/p>\n Some backstage roles, like stage management, lighting design, etc., have also been included in the mentorship program more recently. This year, promotional photography is being mentored by the Cultch\u2019s house photographer.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not mentoring people to take over our positions next year,\u201d O\u2019Day explained. \u201cThe idea is to disseminate our skill sets and help mentor the next generation \u2013 who will eventually take our place(s).\u201d The festival is all about empowerment, sharing knowledge and collaboration, she added.<\/p>\n There is an open application process in the fall\/winter, when mentorship spots become available. In total this year, there are 18 mentorships, including three each in dance, songwriting and directing, two each in spoken word, playwriting and collaborative creation, and one each in publicity, photography, lighting design and stage management. The mentors hail from various disciplines and are all practising their art\/craft in their professional lives.<\/p>\n Jane Heyman, a veteran director and theatre educator, is among the director mentors, as is Stephen Drover, artistic director of Rumble Theatre. A new category, collaborative creation, is mentored by Barbara Adler, who worked with spoken word mentees in the past. Among the dance mentors are Amber Funk Barton and Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg.<\/p>\n \u201cThis program is very unique,\u201d Friedenberg, who is a dancer, choreographer and artistic director of Tara Cheyenne Performance, told the Independent<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s not a training program, but more of a lab with the amazing goal of a big performance in the fabulous Cultch. It\u2019s an opportunity to mix with other youth committed to making art and to get guidance and support from some movers and shakers in Vancouver\u2019s vibrant arts scene.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Day added, \u201cEach mentor\u2019s role is going to be unique. Hopefully, they will be generous to share their knowledge and to let the mentee do a lot of the work, so they get hands-on experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>