Stage Door News
Stage Door News
April 14, 2016, TORONTO - The Board of Directors of SummerWorks Performance Festival announced today that Laura Nanni has been appointed the new Artistic & Managing Director of the Festival.
No stranger to SummerWorks, Nanni brings over 10 years’ experience in curation, production and event management for the performing arts, visual arts and film communities across Canada, including being on faculty for The Banff Centre’s Peter Lougheed Leadership Institute, four seasons as Festival Director of Rhubarb at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and two seasons as Curator of Harbourfront Centre’s HATCH mentorship and residency program. She has also held roles within a variety of cultural organizations, including the Luminato Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.
SummerWorks has emerged as a bold, adventurous and culturally diverse space for Canadian artists to exhibit new work, challenging audiences and pushing boundaries. After opening at SummerWorks, many productions have gone on to tour the country. Nanni is known for her successful leadership of initiatives focused on creative experimentation and artistic development, cultivating and maintaining partnerships, strengthening networks, building community and enabling ambitious projects to thrive. As Artistic & Managing Director of SummerWorks, Nanni will continue to build community and to create an inclusive home for diverse and ground-breaking contemporary performance.
Nanni notes, “I am honoured to take on this new role. SummerWorks holds a special place in my heart. It’s where I first met many of my dear friends, collaborators and colleagues; where I have witnessed awe-inspiring work and have discovered favourite performance creators for the first time. I have great respect for how SummerWorks has transformed under Michael Rubenfeld’s direction and am excited by its potential moving forward. I’m passionate about growing our capacity to support creative risk and innovation by Canadian artists, building deeper community collaboration and engagement practices, and expanding learning and exchange with the broader performance community. I look forward to leading SummerWorks into its next phase of development and continuing to expand the festival’s reputation as a leader in contemporary performance presentation around the world.”
“Laura was the unanimous choice of the search committee. Her extensive performance practice and community building skills make her the right choice for SummerWorks. We look forward to working with Laura and watching SummerWorks continue to evolve under her guidance,” notes Vanessa Grant, the Chair of the Board of Directors.
In the role of Artistic & Managing Director, Nanni oversees the artistic vision and general management of SummerWorks, including PROGRESS, and curates and delivers special presentations, ancillary events and programs throughout the year.
About SummerWorks
Founded in 1991, SummerWorks is Canada’s largest curated performance festival of theatre, dance, music, and live art. Widely recognized as one of the most important platforms for launching new Canadian work in the country, SummerWorks annually features over 60 performance projects during its 11-day festival in August. In 2015, SummerWorks celebrated its 25th anniversary and also inaugurated PROGRESS, an international festival of performance and ideas. This year SummerWorks will take place from August 4-14, 2016, in the Queen West neighborhood of Toronto. www.summerworks.ca.
About PROGRESS
PROGRESS is an international festival of performance and ideas presented by SummerWorks in partnership with The Theatre Centre. It operates under a shared producing model inviting participation to a new group of Toronto-based companies each year. The 2016 PROGRESS curators were Aluna Theatre, Dancemakers, FADO Performance Art Centre, SummerWorks Performance Festival, The Theatre Centre, and Volcano Theatre. www.thisisprogress.ca.
Photo: Laura Nanni. ©2016 Tanja Tiziana.
2016-04-14
Toronto: SummerWorks Performance Festival welcomes Laura Nanni as new Artistic and managing Director