Addressing historical industry barriers and creating a new future today, Toronto's innovative not-for-profit Venus Fest is back to do what it does best: celebrate women and non-binary people in music and arts leadership. Their summer mentorship program, open to developing artists and burgeoning music industry professionals, returns for 2022.
Of this year's eight mentor-mentee pairings, artist mentors include Meg Remy (of U.S. Girls), Kaia Kater, Rae Spoon and ShoShona Kish of Digging Roots. Bronwyn Ford (Fat Possum, Luminelle, Arbutus Records), Jamelia Campbell (The Orchard), Kaya Pino (The Wilders) and Stefanie Purificati (APA Agency) round out the industry advisors for developing label staff, PR agents, sync licensers and booking agents. The mentorship sessions will take place remotely, accessible online from June 6 to July 29.
Venus Fest will also host a series of three workshops open to the public. April Aliermo (of Hooded Fang and Phèdre) will lead Home Recording and Artistic Demo Creation on June 28, while Tanika Charles — who released her latest LP Papillion de Nuit: The Night Butterfly earlier this year — will take us through Independently Releasing an Album on July 12. Aysen Adelle Farag teaches A Traditional Healing Ceremony of the Indigenous Imazighen on July 24, using her voice and camel hide frame drum to usher in various energetic alignments and sound vibrations for ancestral lineage work.
Mentorship program applications are open until May 15, with Ontario-based individuals who have experienced barriers in the music industry strongly encouraged to apply here.
Ahead of this year's sixth iteration of the festival, Venus Fest organizers want you to save the date: October 14 to 16. Stay tuned for exciting lineup details and visit the festival website for more information.
Of this year's eight mentor-mentee pairings, artist mentors include Meg Remy (of U.S. Girls), Kaia Kater, Rae Spoon and ShoShona Kish of Digging Roots. Bronwyn Ford (Fat Possum, Luminelle, Arbutus Records), Jamelia Campbell (The Orchard), Kaya Pino (The Wilders) and Stefanie Purificati (APA Agency) round out the industry advisors for developing label staff, PR agents, sync licensers and booking agents. The mentorship sessions will take place remotely, accessible online from June 6 to July 29.
Venus Fest will also host a series of three workshops open to the public. April Aliermo (of Hooded Fang and Phèdre) will lead Home Recording and Artistic Demo Creation on June 28, while Tanika Charles — who released her latest LP Papillion de Nuit: The Night Butterfly earlier this year — will take us through Independently Releasing an Album on July 12. Aysen Adelle Farag teaches A Traditional Healing Ceremony of the Indigenous Imazighen on July 24, using her voice and camel hide frame drum to usher in various energetic alignments and sound vibrations for ancestral lineage work.
Mentorship program applications are open until May 15, with Ontario-based individuals who have experienced barriers in the music industry strongly encouraged to apply here.
Ahead of this year's sixth iteration of the festival, Venus Fest organizers want you to save the date: October 14 to 16. Stay tuned for exciting lineup details and visit the festival website for more information.
