Together with my Co-Coordinators—Taiwo Afolabi (Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre, Regina) and Breanne Harman (Persephone Theatre)—I am thrilled to introduce the five talented participants in the 2025-2026 Arts Leadership Training Program, which this season will focus on artistic leadership. – Michael Shamata

Learn more about the Arts Leadership Training Program

Micah Jondel DeShazer

Micah Jondel DeShazer (he/him) is an award-winning actor, director, conductor and arts administrator.
Former Artistic Director of TACTICS Theatre Group, he’s collaborated with a number of organizations
across North America, and serves on Orpheus Musical Theatre’s board. Cherished credits include
Beowulf in Afghanistan (Grant, GCTC), The Tempest (Ariel/Caliban, Company of Fools), Snow in
Midsummer (Assistant Director, Shaw/NAC), (Director, uOttawa Theatre), and Native Son (Bigger, Stray
Cat Theatre, ariZoni: Best Actor). micahjondel.com

Francis G. Matheu

An emerging Filipino theatre artist, Francis made his North American directing debut in 2023 with
Theatre Inconnu and Bayanihan Creative Collective’s production of Pepe. Since then, he has become
an active participant in Victoria’s vibrant theatre scene, pushing artistic boundaries while striving to
reach a broader international audience. Through theatre, Francis aims to connect generations of
Filipino migrants more deeply with their culture and heritage while championing underrepresented
voices in the arts.

Marcel Stewart

Marcel Stewart is a father, artist, facilitator, and arts administrator who loves smoked Gouda. Marcel
serves as artistic director of current Performing Arts and as one of the co-curators of FOLDA (Festival
of Live Digital Art). When Marcel is not creating theatre, he is an arts educator who has facilitated
programming and instructed courses to community youth groups, professional actors, students in
university, high school, and elementary school. Marcel’s curiosity about history and lineage, beyond the
context of colonialism, is at the basis of his work.

Dominique Ireland

Dominique Ireland is from Oneida Nation of the Thames Settlement, a member of the Turtle Clan. She
has dedicated her life to her people, her language and her culture. She has worked as a cultural
mediator since 2024. Mostly, she is a self-taught artist who has a passion for drawing and expressing
herself through her Haudenosaunee work. She also researched the accessibility performance approach
for the Deaf audience related to her pilot project.

Nicole Malcolm

Nicole Malcolm (she/her) is a Métis arts leader and multi-hyphenate artist based on the lands of the
Songhees and Esquimalt Nations in Victoria, BC. With over 20 years in Canada’s performing arts
sector, she brings deep experience in producing, fundraising, marketing, and mentorship. Currently
Director of Marketing & Communications at Pacific Opera Victoria, Nicole is a passionate advocate for
inclusive practices, emerging artists, and community-engaged storytelling, and serves in board
leadership roles with Intrepid Theatre, WONDERHEADS, and the ProArt Alliance of Greater Victoria.