2024 Mentorship Program

June 15–July 28, 2024
Taking place this year from June 15-July 28, 2024, the Venus Fest Mentorship Progrm is a 6-week, Toronto-based program for early-career musicians and music professionals who have faced barriers in the music industry.

Apply by May 24 @ 11:59pm EST

Participants Receive:

• 8 hours of one-on-one mentorship sessions with 2 professional musicians/industry experts (online over Zoom, 1-2 hours/week)
  
• 3 in-person workshop sessions with guest artists in Toronto
  
• 2 peer-to-peer sharing sessions (online or IRL depending on participants’ needs)
  
• an honorarium of $500 for their full participation
  

This program is geared towards artists and arts workers of underrepresented identities/genders. Within this, we especially encourage applications from artists/arts workers who are QT/BIPOC, otherwise equity-seeking, or have lacked previous institutional support for their current professional goals.

Within our participant cohort, we reserve places for transfemme artists/arts workers, as well as for artists/arts workers who are Black and for artists/arts workers who are Indigenous.

We welcome applications from across ‘Canada’, but particularly encourage applications from people who are able to attend some or all of the in-person workshop sessions in Toronto. While some placements are reserved for participants who can attend our workshops in-person, we are also able to accommodate hybrid/virtual participants if in-person attendance is not an option for you.

If you have any questions about the program or application process, or would like to arrange a video/audio application to meet your access needs, please email us: beau@venusfest.net

Mentors

Ahya Simone - Artist
Kimmortal - Artist
Kristyn Gelfand - Managing and Acting Artistic Director, Uma Nota Culture
Rebecca Gekht - Booking Agent, Heavy Trip
Lyndra Griffith - Entertainment Lawyer, Edwards Law

Workshops

Venus Fest team w/ Beau Cassidy – Setting Up Your Sound – Wednesday, June 26
Lyndra Griffith – Music Law 101 – Sunday, July 7
Olivia Shortt –Graphic Scores & the Visual World of Creative Music-Making – Wednesday, July 24

Click here to Apply