Executive Director: Kristin Cheung 冮雪莉
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Kristin Cheung is a fundraiser and arts administrator with 10+ years of experience working in arts and non-profits. Born and raised in amiskwaciwâskahikan territory (also known as Edmonton), she now lives and works on the traditional, unceded traditional territory of the Katzie, Semiahmoo, Kwantlen First Nations, also known as Surrey.
Kristin is passionate about working with and supporting the work for under-represented communities and has volunteered and fundraised for numerous culturally diverse nonprofits in Vancouver and Edmonton. She’s previously worked at Pivot Legal Society, VIFF, Contemporary Art Gallery, Gateway Theatre, Ricepaper magazine and Geist magazine. She co-founded ‘The Future is you and me’, a free community mentorship program for young women of colour in the arts. ‘The Future’ aims to build a community of artists and leaders with an intersectional feminist lens.
She has a Masters in Arts Administration & Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths University of London and spends her free time as a Board member at Centre A and Room magazine.
Program Manager: Shannon Goodman
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Shannon Goodman is a graduate of the University of Ottawa with 5 years experience working in arts and non-profits. Born and raised in both Prince Edward County and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, she now lives and works on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, also known as Vancouver.
She has a background in printmaking and has previously worked at Historica Canada, where her work focused on arts and writing opportunities for Indigenous youth and producing educational resources. Shannon is passionate about building long lasting relationships with Indigenous communities and working alongside underrepresented groups to create programming that provides a welcoming and creative environment for all to thrive.
Festival Coordinator: Kaya Kurz
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Kaya is a vocalist and songwriter based in Burnaby, BC with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Capilano University. As a queer woman of colour, she values equity and diversity, and strives to create inclusive spaces in the Vancouver music scene. Past performances include the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival, Powell Street Festival, and Fridays on Front.
Additionally, Kaya served as a board member for the Women in Jazz Association of BC from 2017-2021, and worked collaboratively to organize and present a 6-session digital workshop series for marginalized musicians impacted by Covid-19.
She loves her two cats, and consumes large amounts of earl grey tea daily.
Intern: Forooz Shamloo
Foroozandeh (Forooz) Shamloo was born and raised in Iran. Forooz’s heart and passion lied in the arts, so she began doing art approximately 28 years ago. In 1996, her journey took a swift turn when she and her young family moved to Vancouver, Canada, to settle in for a new life. Since now, she has become a certified yoga and meditation instructor, completed her undergraduate studies in visual arts at Emily Carr University, and attended the Master of Psychology Counselling Art Therapy at Adler University in 2021. Meanwhile, she has attended alternative exhibitions for over 20 years in Iran, Canada, and the United States. Forooz believes art is a powerful instrument that can facilitate learning and exploring our most profound sense of self, which can transform suffering, anguish, and agony by simplifying the expression of our emotions and thoughts. Her passion is to combine traditional counseling with artistic, mystic, yogic, and meditative techniques and promote art therapy.