Mentorship Program

The aim of the Professional Theatre Mentorship Program (PTMP) is to provide funding to performing-arts practitioners seeking a unique and flexible mentorship within a discipline other than performance (eg. directing, playwriting, dramaturgy, stage management, design elements, etc). PTMP grants are intended to support vocational practitioners while working with a professional mentor for the duration of their proposed mentorship.

This program does not fund tuition fees or training in educational institutions.

SATP encourages and welcomes applications from individuals who identify as neurodivergent, D/deaf or disabled, Indigenous, Black, or Persons of Colour.

This program is funded by Creative Saskatchewan.

Applications will open March 27, 2024 and close April 26, 2024 11:59pm CST.

  • Applicants must be performing-arts practitioners; be individual members of the Saskatchewan Association of Theatre Professionals; be Canadian citizens or permanent residents; be developing their theatre careers primarily in Saskatchewan.

    It is the responsibility of the applicant to identify their proposed mentor(s) and secure an appropriate training opportunity with them. The applicant and the mentor jointly determine the content of and the schedule of the mentorship program.

    ** SATP can provide support in identifying potential mentors: contact us at info@sasktheatreprofessionals.ca to request this support.

    The applicant may apply to be mentored by more than one mentor and at more than one location/institution, although this must be clearly linked to the applicant’s training goals and explained in the application.

    SATP encourages the mentorship to take place within Canada; however, mentorship opportunities with a reputable and qualified trainer outside of Canada may be considered if the applicant demonstrates that the opportunity is unique to their needs.

  • Deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. CST, Friday, April 26, 2024.

    Eligible applications will be submitted to SATP’s Professional Theatre Mentorship Program Committee, which serves as a jury to recommend grant allocations. The recommendations are then approved by SATP.

  • Click the APPLY NOW buttons above and below to access the form for submission.

    Submit the following to info@sasktheatreprofessionals.ca by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2024:

    A letter of application or a three to five-minute video outlining:
    Your background and primary discipline(s) as a theatre practitioner;
    The discipline or aspect of theatre/art on which the proposed mentorship will focus;
    How/Why this mentorship is important in the growth/development of your artistic career;
    The name, artistic background/credentials of your proposed mentor;
    Specific milestones/timelines and final outcomes of your proposed mentorship;
    Any other details you feel the jury would find informative or helpful.

    The amount you are seeking in funding and how these monies will be disbursed (e.g. payment to yourself, payment to mentor, other expenses).*

    A letter from your proposed mentor, indicating agreement to work with you in a mentoring relationship;

    Your professional resume; and

    Your mentor’s professional resume

    Requests are only accepted by submission to the form (see APPLY NOW buttons above and below).

    *Applicants can request a maximum of $5,000.
    Final determination of allocations and duration of subsidy are at the discretion of the jury.

  • Unless otherwise agreed to by SATP, training programs must be completed within 12 months of the grant being awarded.

  • Applicants can request a maximum of $5,000.
    Final determination of allocations and duration of subsidy are at the discretion of the jury.

  • The PTMP jury evaluates the applications according to the following considerations:

    Artistic Merit and Professional Opportunity
    The environment within which the project will take place
    Professional experience of the mentor
    Skills of the mentee are well suited to the area of mentorship and the art form
    Quality of Mentorship Relationship
    A genuine interest from the mentor in advancing the career of the mentee
    The fit between the experience of the mentor and the career goals of the mentee
    Demonstrated regular communication, both formally and informally, between mentor and mentee
    Nature of the partnership, putting the learning experience of the mentee first
    Viability of the Training
    The goals of the mentee are achievable in the timeframe presented
    The funding amount requested is reasonable for the timeframe and professional level of the mentee
    Projects worked on during the mentorship are secured and stable

  • Grant offers must be accepted within two weeks and agreements signed and returned within 30 days.

    Any changes to the training program must be submitted in writing to SATP to be approved at the discretion of the selection committee. Please note that these changes may result in a change to approved funding.

    All granting decisions are final.

    Grants are not retroactive and may not be applied to any portion of the mentorship that has taken place prior to approval of the grant.

  • Successful applicants will be asked to submit updates during the course of their mentorship, and one report upon its completion. Deadlines for these updates and reports will be determined by agreement between SATP and the mentee. Update and report forms will be available on this page in the future.

We encourage applicants and potential applicants to contact SATP’s Executive Director, Mark Claxton, with any questions regarding the mentorship program.

Mark can be reached at markc@sasktheatreprofessionals.ca or 306-371-7287.


Explore Past Program Participants & Mentors


Mackenzy Vida | she/her - Mentee

Image courtesy of Mackenzy Vida

Taking part in this program allowed me to have support throughout the process of working as a young designer. Having a mentor to chat with helped build my confidence as well as answer questions concerning process and expectations.

Mackenzy Vida is a Queer artist from Regina, Saskatchewan (Treaty 4).
Her artwork uses reclaimed objects and colourful imagery to remind the viewers how playful the world can be. While exploring her practice she utilizes murals and installation works to brighten and transform dull spaces. Mackenzy enjoys fostering growth among the arts community through kinship and collaboration.

Artists are as unique as the work they produce. As creatives, we all have different processes. The most success is achieved when we find ways to work harmoniously with one another.

Arthur Milner | Mentor

Arthur Milner is a playwright and theatre director. He has a long association with Ottawa’s Great Canadian Theatre Company where he was Artistic Director and Resident Playwright. He has taught theatre at Concordia and Carleton universities, University of Ottawa, University of Calgary, and the University of Regina. He writes on politics and culture for inroadsjournal.ca. He now lives in Regina where his wife, Jennifer Brewin, is Artistic Director of Globe.

Getting to Room Temperature — “a hard-hitting, sentimental and funny one-person play about death” — premiered in Ottawa in 2016 and was produced earlier this year by Regina’s Curtain Razors.

Facts, a murder mystery set in the West Bank, premiered in Ottawa in 2010 and has been produced in London, U.K.; Istanbul (in Turkish); and has toured Palestine and Israel (in Arabic).

Image courtesy of Arthur Milner


Jessica Gares | she/her - Mentee

Image courtesy of Jessica Gares.

Jessica Gares (@jessthecreativemess) is an actor, director, dancer, filmmaker, and collagist from Treaty 4 Territory(Regina). She graduated from Vancouver Film School’s Acting for Film and Television Program in 2012, before travelling across Canada and to Europe, acting in various film and theatre projects along the way.

On this journey, she found a love for the directing process as well. She was assistant directing an original immersive play called Lux with the Orange Theatre Company in Amsterdam when the pandemic broke out, and she made the decision to return home.

Her current focus is to create socially relevant work that connects the people of this province and beyond.


Landon Walliser | he/him, they/them - Mentee

Don’t lose sight of the big picture. It doesn’t matter if you are planning for a meeting, an event, a production, or a season, have that artistic vision in mind. It will 100% affect the way you conduct yourself now, the way you handle projects, and the partnership you undertake. If Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is a key part of your vision, then start making it happen NOW.

Landon Walliser is a producer and director, currently based in Regina. His previous credits include: Love, Loss, and What I Wore (Producer & Co-Director, The Women’s Company), Philistines (Assistant Director, University of Regina & Rose Bruford College), Small Boy Dreams (Publicity, Curtain Razors & International Tour), and Young Frankenstein: The Musical (Assistant Director, Prairie Skies Musical Theatre). He currently serves as a board member for the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre and is the Creative Administrator for On Cue Performance Hub. In 2019, he was honoured to receive two BroadwayWorld awards (Best Play & Best Touring Production) for his work with The Women’s Company on Love, Loss, and What I Wore at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival.

Image Courtesy of Landon Walliser.


Mitchell Larsen | they/him - Mentee

Image courtesy of Mitchell Larsen.

As a queer, Saskatchewan-based artist, the prospective of working with another queer, Saskatchewan-based artist with the sort of experience and knowledge that [they have], was and continues to be very exciting to me.

Mitchell Larsen (they/him) is a genderfluid, queer, interdisciplinary, Saskatchewan-raised artist with a passion for the creation and proliferation of new works.
This year they will be performing in La Troupe Du Jour’s world premier of Art Babayants play, Les Gars; Logan Martin-Arcand’s play, The Gay Card, featured in Live Five; and Sum Theatre’s devised work, Theatre in the Park.
They are also currently taking part in a year-long Dance Saskatchewan Incorporated sponsored mentorship in mime with Frank Engel and are a part of the Remai Modern’s year-long performance artist engagement, Here and Now: A Live Arts Initiative with their collaborator Megan Zong.
When not creating art, they enjoy reading, gardening, and playing RPGs with friends. They live in a small house, surrounded by fruit trees, in Saskatoon with their husband, Benjamin Johnson and their two cats.