FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday June 21, 2012

 

Women in View announces 2012 Creative Leaders

Pilot program partners media leaders with the next generation of talent.

Rina Fraticelli, Executive Director of Women in View, announced today the names of the 2012 Creative Leaders. The six teams  include award-winning media creators, producers, directors, perfomers and business executives from across Canada. (full list attached)

Creative Leaders is a pilot program aimed at advancing women into senior leadership positions in Canada’s screen-based media industries by supporting partnerships between today’s industry luminaries and the next generation of media leaders.

“Media is a multi-billion dollar business in Canada,” said Fraticelli, “and talent is the fuel that drives it. But the higher up the chain you go, the less likely you are to see the gender and racial diversity necessary to sustain the level of innovation needed in today’s media industries.”

Creative Leaders is grounded in the practice of sponsorship – an approach in which an influential industry leader – the sponsor – recognizes and advocates for a gifted, accomplished professional – the protegee. A sponsor moves beyond traditional mentoring to become active champions of their “protegee.” Each team will work closely over a period of  eight months on a programme they have developed together to move the protegees’ career forward and propel their work into a national spotlight.

 

As Christine Silva, Toronto-based Senior Director of Research for Catalyst put it, “To make it to the top, someone needs to be pulling you up. What matters is how highly placed the mentors are. That means they are in a position to provide more than advice, guidance and to show you the ropes. Someone very senior can provide sponsorship.” The sponsors use their networks and influence to advocate for their protégée, something which has been more typically offered by men, to men

“Creative Leaders fills a critical gap,“ said media trailblazer, Trina McQueen, Chair of the Creative Leaders jury. The former broadcast executive McQueen led a prestigious jury that included Hussain Amarshi, President of Mongrel Media; VP Advancement for TIFF, Maxine Bailey,  and Judy Gladstone, former Executive Director of BravoFACT.  “In some areas, like journalism and TV programming, women have been able to make their mark. In others, there’s a definite lag ” McQueen continued, “and even successful women, if they are looking at top jobs in an integrated media industry, need knowledge and skills in new platforms, new technologies and new business models.”

This is the inaugural year of Creative Partners which is funded by Status of Women Canada. The program will provide the six teams  with support and resources as they carry out their individual projects over the 8 month sponsorship period.

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Creative Leaders is presented by Women in View in association with Women in Film & Television- Vancouver.  The programme is funded in part by the Status of Women Canada,  Telefilm Canada, and the CBC.

Media Inquiries: Rina Fraticelli, rina@womeninview.ca   647-622-3535