Live Fridays: Behind the Creative Curtain

How to Lead an Inspiring Organisation - Risk & Audacity | Cathy Loblaw & Weyni Mengesha, EP. 3

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:00:00 GMT

You’re tuning in to Episode 3 of Live Fridays: Behind the Creative Curtain!

In this episode, we sit down with Cathy Loblaw (CEO of Harbourfront Centre) and Weyni Mengesha (Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre) to explore what it truly takes to lead and transform an arts organisation in today’s world.

We dive into their early journeys at Harbourfront Centre and Soulpepper, their philosophies on providing stability as leaders, and how they each navigate criticism while staying true to their values. Cathy and Weyni discuss the balance between community impact and organisational sustainability, how to modernise without losing artistic tradition, and why listening to your audience is essential for long-term success.

The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by female leaders, red flags in arts organisations, the universal traits shared by great arts leaders, and how to maintain originality while still attracting new audiences.

Massive thank you to the University of Toronto Scarborough, ACSMA, Capture Club, and the I.D.E.A.S. Committee for making this show possible!

Thank you to Cathy and Weyni for joining us for Episode 3. Follow their work below:

Cathy Loblaw

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-loblaw-6aa19a44

https://harbourfrontcentre.com/about-us/

https://www.instagram.com/harbourfrontcentre

Weyni Mengesha & Soulpepper Theatre

https://www.weynimengesha.com/

https://www.instagram.com/weynimengesha/

soulpepper.ca

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulpeppertheatre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/soulpepper-theatre-company/

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Introduction

1:30 Cathy Loblaw Spotlight

7:30 Weyni Mengesha Spotlight

11:50 Starting out with Harbourfront & Soulpepper

14:55 Providing Stability as a Leader

20:10 Dealing With Criticism

25:00 Instil your Ideology

28:00 Balancing Community Impact With the Rest

33:00 Modernising Without Losing Tradition

37:00 Listening to your Audience

40:45 Biggest Mistakes They've Made

44:30 Audience Q&A

45:00 Red Flags in Arts Organisations

46:20 Challenges as Female Leaders

47:00 Gaging Future Success

54:00 Universal Traits in Arts Leaders

57:30 Standing Out as an Arts Organisation

1:01:45 Maintaining Originality Whilst Pulling in Audiences

1:06:25 Key Takeaways

1:07:05 Outro

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AI for Creatives (The Ethical & Creative Use of AI) with Paul Rowan & Cindy Pham | Live Fridays

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:00:00 GMT

You’re tuning in to Episode 2 of Live Fridays: Behind the Creative Curtain! Joining us in this episode are Paul Rowan (Co-founder of Umbra, a leading name in home décor) and Cindy Pham (AI Ethics Specialist with over 15 years of experience). We dive into the current functions of AI in creative industries, the future of creation with Sora 2, and how AI can be used in an ethical way for creative projects. We also discuss how to sustain the human touch in arts and media.

Massive thank you to the University of Toronto Scarborough, ACSMA, Capture Club, and the I.D.E.A.S. Committee for making this show possible!

Thank you to Paul and Cindy for joining us on our pilot episode as well. Follow their socials below:

Paul Rowan and Umbra

/paulrowan

https://www.instagram.com/paulrowan

Umbra.com

/umbra_design

https://www.instagram.com/umbra_design

Cindy Pham

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindypham1/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making Your Own Creative Portfolio With Amanda Cupido & Kesava Kumar - LIVE FRIDAYS EPISODE #1

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Join us on the first episode of Live Fridays: Behind the Creative Curtain! We are joined by Kesava Kumar (CEO of creative agency, Chrysalis) and Amanda Cupido (CEO of podcast production company, Lead Podcasting), as we talk about how to make your own creative portfolio, things to consider, things to avoid, tools at your disposal, and how to make it stand out from the rest! We also discuss the importance of authenticity and personality in your portfolio.

Massive thank you to the University of Toronto Scarborough, ACSMA, Capture Club, and the I.D.E.A.S. Committee for making this show possible!

Thank you to Kesava and Amanda for joining us on our pilot episode as well. Follow their socials below:

Kesava Kumar & Chrysalis

thechrysalis.io

Instagram

Amanda Cupido & Lead Podcasting

leadpodcasting.com

Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.