Mentorship Program

Program Description

ADC’s national paid mentorship program is a unique mentoring experience created for designers by designers. Application is done by the mentee. The mentee will have contacted a dedicated mentor and identified at least one of the mentor’s projects for them to work on from initial design discussions to opening night. The mentee and mentor will determine the nature of the working relationship based on each mentee’s needs and desired learning outcomes.

Mentees will receive a fee of $2,500 and mentors will receive an honorarium of $750. We have four mentorships available in this round. Applications are open to all, with a priority to those who identify as Indigenous, Black, Person of Colour, 2SLGBTQIAP, Deaf, Person with Disabilities, women, or intersections of any of the above.

Applicant Eligibility

• Applications must have a demonstrated commitment to a career in theatre.
• The applicant must be at least 19 years old.
• At the time of applying the applicant is not currently enrolled in an accredited post-secondary program or institution.
• The mentorship is not currently being funded by another grant and/or program.
• The applicant must apply with a mentor identified. This partnership must be approved by the mentor before making the application. If you need some assistance, please see the “Finding a Designer Mentor” section at the bottom of this page.
• Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada.
• The ADC welcomes and encourages applications from individuals who identify as part of equity-seeking groups such as Indigenous, Black, Person of Colour, 2SLGBTQIAP, Deaf, Persons with Disabilities, women, or intersections of any of the above.
• If you have any questions or require accommodations to apply and/or would like to submit your materials in an alternative format, please contact denyse@designers.ca and we will be able to support you through email, phone or video call. 

Dates to Remember

• Applications open: October 11, 2024
• Applications close: December 16, 2024
• Successful applicants announced: January 3, 2025
• Training must be completed between January 3, 2025 and December 31, 2025

To Apply:

Below is a list of the questions you will need to answer in the application form:

• In which design discipline(s) would you like to be mentored in?
• Who is the mentor with whom you are applying to work with?
• Please include a pdf from your chosen Mentor acknowledging their commitment. Please include a brief bio and email address of mentor in this pdf.
• Why have you chosen this mentor? 
• What production are you applying to be mentored on? (Please include the title of the show, the theatre company, and the opening night date.)
• How could this program help you achieve your professional design goals? (Max 250 words)
• Please tell us about yourself; Is there anything additional that you would like us to know? (Max 250 words)
• Résumés should be a pdf that does not exceed one page in length (Max 10MB). Please include any education, training and jobs that may pertain to this mentee position.

Submit a complete application here, with all documents by 11:59pm (Pacific Time), December 16, 2024. If you have any questions please contact denyse@designers.ca.

Evaluation Process:

• The applications will be reviewed by a selection committee. All applicants will be contacted by email with results regardless of success.
• The selection commitee evaluates the applications according to the following considerations:

1. 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.
2. 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 and nature of the partnership, putting the learning experience of the mentee first.
3. Viability of the Training: The goals of the mentee are achievable in the time frame presented and projects worked on during the mentorship are secured and stable.

The successful candidate will agree to the following: 

• Work with your mentor to create a self-directed work outline.
• Successful applicants will be required to submit a final report. Final payment is contingent on receipt of the final report, which is due one week after the end of the mentorship period. Parts of the final report may be used in publicity material.
• Funding Acknowledgement, all programs and promotions that include the mentee’s name must acknowledge the following: “The services of [mentee’s name] were made possible through the Associated Designers of Canada Mentorship Program”.

Finding a Designer Mentor: 

1. Look through the ADC659 Directory – https://www.adc659.ca/members/ 
2. Contact designers whose work you’ve seen or enjoyed; seek out their website for contact info and reach out to them. 
3. If you were part of a theatre programme, reach out to your recent educators and discuss designers in the industry who might be a good fit for you.
4. Please contact us if you still need help. We may be able to help you find a mentor (or the contact information of your preferred mentor), if enough lead time is available before applying.