The Shevchenko Foundation launched new mentorship program

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The Shevchenko Foundation, in partnership with the Ihnatowycz Family Foundation, launched a new mentorship program for emerging Ukrainian-Canadian artists. The program, titled REACH Mentorship / Residency for the Arts, provides funding for artists of all genres to nurture their talent, vision, and drive in earlier stages of development. Artists can work with a professional mentor, apply for residency programs and internships, receive training and qualifications/certificates, attend workshops, and focus on research.

“We created this opportunity to give artists in our community what they need to reach higher, further, and deeper in their craft with greater confidence and curiosity and to enable them to reach beyond their current communities and markets,” said Canadian businessman and philanthropist Ian Ihnatowycz and Marta Witer for The Shevchenko Foundation.

The new initiative was launched on September 13 at Super Wonder Gallery in Toronto. The celebration showcased art installations, live performances and presentations from young musicians, artists, filmmakers and photographers across Canada. These included: Olenka Kleban (larger than life paper cuts); Yura Rafaluik (blasphemous folk icons); Borys Tarasenko (sketch with video art); Myroslava Boikiv (embroider/tapestry explosion); Dima Nechepurenko (video designer and documentary cinematographer).

The music was provided by: Luka (acoustic indie folk); Katya Khartova (opera); Moskitto BAR (Iraqi-Breton-Ukrainian Folk); DoVira (trance/electronica); Vova Bedzvin (loop-y indie-folk cellist).

Presentors for the evening were: Marta Iwanek (photographer/filmmaker); Bozena Hrycyna (community activist, folk artist, Kosa Kolektiv + Folk Camp); Marta Czurylowicz (CTV Kitchener and KONTAKT Ukrainian TV); Lianna Makuch (Pyretic Productions).

The evening was curated by: Mark Marczyk (Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Counting Sheep); Oksana Hawrylak (Folk Camp, Kosa Kolektiv); Matthew Cherkas (tech); Rory Howson (tech); Ewelina Ferenc (admin).

The REACH program invites artists from the Ukrainian-Canadian community as well as non-Ukrainian artists whose work has a connection to Ukrainian heritage. These artists can reach out to established/renowned artists, arts organizations and institutions for mentorship. The Foundation is interested in the following kinds of projects:

  • Projects that promote the inclusion of Ukrainian-Canadian cultural heritage and help shape the Canadian image at home and abroad;
  • Projects that have an aim/plan for presentation outside of the Ukrainian-Canadian community, nationally or internationally;
  • Projects whose goal is artistic growth and professional development;
  • New projects (i.e. ones that haven’t been started in advance of the application process).

An Adjudication Committee, chaired by a member of the Board of The Shevchenko Foundation, will manage the candidate application, adjudication, and outcomes. The results will be available by the end of April 2019. The next deadline to apply is February 1, 2019.

Applications and additional information are available on www.reachmentorship.com


Kateryna Bandura for New Pathway – Ukrainian News

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