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Created in response to a crisis declared by the Canadian Arts Industry, the Faculty of Arts and Science offers one of the only graduate programs in arts leadership in Canada, the Diploma in Arts Management and Master of Arts Leadership offered through the Dan School of Drama Music.

The laddered program prepares graduates to become savvy arts leaders with training in cultural policy, strategic thinking and planning, contract negotiation, industrial relations, and finance.

Due to COVID-19, many arts organizations across the country have had to deal with budget constraints and limitations over the last 15 months. However, thanks to an anonymous donor who provided $25,000 in funding, seven students were able to complete a paid placement in Canadian arts organizations in 2020. Each student completed a three-to-four-month placement alongside seasoned arts professionals while working with a Queen's instructor to write a capstone report on the organization.

“During the pandemic, many arts organizations lost their funding and were unable to hire our students for their placements,” says program director Michael Wheeler, Assistant Professor, Dan School of Drama and Music. “The donor provided critical funding to ensure our students could still participate in placements at various organizations even without the typical funding available.”

The Diploma in Arts Management and Master of Arts Leadership is a professional program taught by a range of instructors from the Dan School of Drama and Music, the Master of Industrial Relations program, the Smith School of Business and full-time professional practitioners who work in the Arts industry across North America. Students graduate with the skills arts managers and leaders need to negotiate the contemporary arts ecology. The added benefit of the placements for Masters students is they have an opportunity to enter the world of arts, learn from it, and make their first connections.  For some, it is possible for the placement to turn into a job, for others, it is an opportunity to have a compelling experience that prepares for future jobs, for all, it is real-world exposure to the industry.

Students have been placed this year at the Vancouver Art Gallery, The National Ballet of Canada, The Shaw Festival, Tafelmusik, The Royal Ontario Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Daphne Art Centre in Montreal.

After completing the program, Brianne Franklin is moving back to Kingston to become the Programming and Communication Coordinator at The Tett Centre. Her internship was at a multidisciplinary arts organization in Mississauga, ON called CreativeHub 1352.

“The organization is relatively new, so I worked directly with the Executive Director, Board Members, and various committees,” says Franklin. “It was such a valuable learning experience, as I took on a strong leadership role in the planning and development of various programs, assisted with upcoming event logistics, and helped out with marketing and fundraising capabilities. This position helped me gain so many relevant skills in the sector, and I found that I could put everything I learned in the Arts Leadership program into practice.”

Bingbin Cheng had her placement at the Gardiner Museum extended into a full-time position - she is now working as a Development Coordinator at Tafelmusik in Toronto.

“The Arts Leadership program provided me many opportunities to connect with professionals in the industry,” says Chen. “It prepared me well for my career as a fundraiser and I'd say choosing this program was a life changing decision. The courses and activities are carefully curated to ensure students can learn how to build relationships which I found extremely valuable.”

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