VENUS FEST

2025 Mentorship Program


May 05–June 15, 2025
Taking place this year from May 5-June 15, 2025, the Venus Fest Mentorship Program is a Toronto-based program for early-career musicians and arts workers who have faced barriers in the music industry.
Apply by April 19 @ 11:59pm EST

Participants Receive:

  • 6 hours of one-on-one mentorship sessions
  • 5 in-person workshops 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 prioritizes 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 goals. However, we encourage all artists/arts workers who have faced barriers to access in their practices to apply.

Within our participant cohort, we reserve places for trans femme artists/arts workers, as well as for artists/arts workers who are Black and 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 sessions in Toronto.

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

Mentors

alaska B | she/her | Artist Mentor (production and engineering specialties)
Backxwash | she/her | Artist Mentor
Lido Pimienta  | she/her | Artist Mentor
Marie-Laure Saidani  | elle/she/her | Industry Mentor - Mutek 
Suzi Analogue | she/her | Artist Mentor


Workshops 


Charise Aragoza
Touring For Musicians
Date TBA, Its OK Studios, 468 Queen St. W

Maggie Flynn
Money Models For Musicians (And Other Tired People)
June 01, 6:00-8:00 PM, Its OK Studios, 468 Queen St. W

Beau Cassidy 
Vocal Production Mixing for Artists (& Curious Creatives) 

May 26, 6:00 - 9:00 PM, Union Sound, 89 Sackville

 
Maria Pettler, ACTRA RACS
Navigating Neighbouring Rights: Let’s Get You Paid
Date TBA, OCAD 100 McCaul St, Toronto

apè Aliermo & Sara Constant, Venus Fest Team
Grants, Grants, Grants  
May 08, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
, Interaccess, 32 Lisgar St.

Application Deadline: April 19 @ 11:59 pm EST

Click here to Apply


View the 2025 Mentors & Workshop Facilitators:
Venus Fest logo repeated to create a "VF"

VENUS FEST  is a Tkaronto/Toronto not-for-profit music festival, mentorship program, and concert series.




Website and Brand Identity by Natasha Whyte-Gray, 2024.