We are delighted to welcome many new faces to our team as a part of our national DigitalASO (Phase 2) digital justice effort supported by Canada Council for the Arts’ Digital Strategy Fund. Reach out and say hello and stay tuned for additional team announcements!
Inset image (top left to right): Jean Macpherson, Parul Pandya, Jai Djwa; (bottom left to right): Cate Proctor, Inga Petri; (not pictured): Perry Voulgaris
Jean Macpherson, DigitalASO National Alliance Manager
In her role as National Alliance Manager, Jean Macpherson will play a leading role in the development of digital strategy public consultations across Canada and the scoping of a national, cross-disciplinary Digital Arts Services Alliance. Jean can be reached at NAM@digitalaso.ca.
Jean is a leader in arts and digital culture, a proponent of digital transformation, a lover of boundary spaces and creating meaning there. She has designed, led and produced hundreds of forward-thinking arts sector events, programs and residencies – at community, regional, national and international levels.
Jean offers a deep range of experience within and across artistic disciplines, and is an accomplished producer of multidisciplinary, cross sector projects. In 2019, she co-curated and produced Banff Centre’s Arts, Culture and Digital Transformation Summit, leading over 200 artists and delegates from 5 different countries in several live streamed collaborative dialogues, with 8 remote virtual sites. As Senior Manager of Digital at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Jean led the digital strategic planning and digital transformation of the organization.
An innovator, disruptor, change-maker, ally and mom, Jean is a builder of fluid, integrated design systems who is dedicated to digital transformation in the arts sector. Her approach is human centric, and anchored in community engagement, creative pluralism, and digital justice. Jean is thrilled to be working with ArtsPond and DigitalASO, and looks forward to engaging with the many project partners and members across Canada.
Parul Pandya, DigitalASO National Alliance Equity Coordinator
In her role as National Alliance Equity Coordinator, Parul Pandya will focus on reaching out and engaging equity-seeking groups from across Canada that are at the core of the initiative. Parul can be reached via email at NEC@digitalaso.ca.
Parul has been skillfully working in non-profit in various roles through the past decade, including as a community builder, consultant, programmer and producer. After managing in community granting for the largest government funder in Canada, she seamlessly transferred her knowledge, passion and skills to open her own consulting practice. Community Impact Non-Profit Consulting strategically enables community engagement and equitable innovation.
Her attraction to advocacy emerged with her work as a Queer South Asian freelance writer/poet, over a decade ago. She strongly believes representation matters and it’s important to share stories. She has a deep passion for ethics and social justice, which she teaches at Centennial College. She feels fulfilled when using community arts as a tool for community engagement and colourful expression.
Jai Djwa, DigitalASO Regional Alliance Coordinator, Western Canada
In his role as Regional Alliance Coordinator for Western Canada, Jai Djwa willl help DigitalASO better illustrate the digital justice needs and opportunities of diverse equity-seeking groups from British Columbia and Alberta. Jai can be reached at west@digitalaso.ca.
Jai is a facilitator, artist and strategist that works in the cross-section of arts, technology and people. He incorporates his understanding of the world as a person of colour to his life and artistic practice. He is a creative technologist and digital strategist with more than 25+ years of experience in the arts, design, digital media and film/TV.
Jai teaches interaction design at Capilano University as well as Emily Carr University and UBC Sauder School of Business. He cares deeply about community, creativity and convening. Prior to his work at Agentic, Jai was a composer for theatre and dance and a sound designer for many years. Jai is appointed to the BC Arts Council, the Vancouver Fringe, and is a business mentor for new immigrants at MOSAIC. Read more about him at www.djwa.ca.
Cate Proctor, DigitalASO Regional Alliance Co-Coordinator, Ontario
In a shared role with Perry Voulgaris, Cate Proctor will help DigitalASO better illustrate the digital justice needs and perspectives of diversse arts and culture groups in Ontario. Cate can be reached at ontario@digitalaso.ca.
Cate Proctor MBA, Founder and Principal of Proctor Shift Consulting, positions her evidence-based consulting practice at the intersection of arts and business—”Where creativity and progress meet”. Her expertise in strategic planning, research, governance, non-profit operations, and arts sector development dovetails proficiency in public relations, communications, public presentations, theatre operations, festival management, and multi-sector partnerships.
An ardent advocate for the value of the arts, Cate draws from 20+ years in senior arts administration, production, fundraising, marketing, and board roles spanning theatres, festivals, broadcast television, and arts service organizations. Her leadership guides arts sector intermediaries—those producing and promoting artistic works—to ultimately advance their financial stability, public engagement, and positive organizational cultures.
The multiplicity of Cate’s career informs her forthcoming publication Leverage the Arts Ecosystem to Influence Local Prosperity (©2020). This handbook offers holistic strategies and tactics for arts administrators and community builders to cultivate local asset-based partnerships while influencing public relations and advocacy initiatives.
Cate holds memberships in Arts Consultants Canada, the Canadian Arts Coalition’s Arts Policy Working Group, and Mass Culture. These pan-Canadian organizations advance and advocate for Canada’s arts sector offering her opportunity to contribute knowledge and strategic insights.
Perry Voulgaris, DigitalASO Regional Alliance Co-Coordinator, Ontario (not pictured)
In a shared role with Cate Proctor, Perry Voulgaris will help DigitalASO better illustrate the digital justice needs and perspectives of diversse arts and culture groups in Ontario. Perry can be reached at ontario@digitalaso.ca.
Perry is an innovative leader with 30+ years of experience experience in screen based, digital and emerging media. He is inspired by collaborating with creative teams delivering compelling creative projects and artistic experiences from concept development to final production including; curation, programming, exhibition, distribution, partnerships and fundraising.
Perry holds 20 years of Board and Committee experience volunteering with non-profits, collectives, movements and community organizations. He brings to bear his proven ability to provide team leadership, driving performance, win community support and build relationships.
His creative work explores themes of the human experience, as mediated through arts, media and technology; in physical and immersive worlds.
Inga Petri, DigitalASO Regional Alliance Coordinator, Northern Canada
Based in Whitehorse, Inga Petri willl help DigitalASO better illustrate the digital transformation needs and opportunities of diverse equity-seeking groups from across the North, including Yukon, NWT, Nunavut, Nunuvik, and Labrador. Inga can be reached at north@digitalaso.ca.
Inga has designed and implemented strategies for organizations in the private, not-for-profit and public sectors for more than 28 years. In 2006, Inga founded Strategic Moves, an independent consultancy that thrives at the crossroads of research, strategy and marketing. With experience in diverse sectors – from the performing arts, national museums, publishing and arts service organizations to government, international trade promotion organizations, technology companies and advertising / digital agencies – clients benefit from an uncommon breadth of experience and expertise.
Starting in 2011, she has been putting digital conversations in the performing arts sector on the agenda through the seminal Value of Presenting: A Study of Performing Arts Presentation in Canada (© 2013, CAPACOA/Strategic Moves). In 2015 she founded the Digital Innovation Council for the Performing Arts and co-authored Digitizing the Performing Arts: An Assessment of Issues, Opportunities and Challenges (© 2017, CAPACOA/Strategic Moves). Today, she leads Making Tomorrow Better: Taking Digital Action in the Performing Arts (digitalartsnation.ca) and the building of a Digital Showcasing platform for performing artists and presenters. Inga is a Certified Analytics and Insights Professional (CAIP) and holds a certificate in strategic management from the Schulich School of Business’ Executive Program.
