Success in the Humanities and Fine Arts

Rebecca Hass is the Director of Engagement Programs and Partnerships for Pacific Opera Victoria.  She is the winner of the 2019 Arts and Culture Award for Community and the Creative Builder Award for the City of Victoria for 2021 and is an alumna of Opera America’s Leadership program. A citizen of the Métis Nation of British Columbia, Rebecca is deeply invested in her community and is a co-director an all-Indigenous Drum Group, ANSWER. She is also an accomplished mezzo soprano, theatre maker, broadcaster, podcast creator and host.

Inspiring others to dream more, learn more and do more, Tammara is best described as an authentic and focused visionary, having shaped her style around the Servant leadership philosophy of Robert Greenleaf. Leaning in and thinking big are natural reflexes for her and are what drive her.

With a love for stories, a thirst for lifelong learning and a deep interest in people and human behavior, Tammara found her dream job leading FriesenPress. With growth of over 300% in her first year, FriesenPress is being recognized as the premier Canadian based publishing services entity.

Her 25 years in key leadership positions have seen her drive triple digit growth, build amazing work cultures, give back to her local community and play a pivotal role in developing the next generation of talent.

Tammara’s downtime is filled by her 16-year-old daughter Emma and her faithful doggy companion and office buddy Lucy. She loves cooking while sipping a fine glass of Malbec. She reads, hikes, indoor climbs and has a deep passion for off the beaten track travel.

Caroline Riedel (MA, UVic)  is Acting Director at UVic’s Legacy Art Galleries. She has worked in the arts sector for the past 25 years and is a strong advocate of work integrated learning.

As Production Services Coordinator, Maureen assists prospective film and television productions with locations, crew, and local services to promote our region for filming. She can also be found supporting local productions; writing grant applications; editing our ‘Spotlight’ members’ newsletter; speaking to students about careers in film, and can even be occasionally found on set, doing hair & makeup.

Maureen began her career in Winnipeg, where she regularly worked for acclaimed filmmaker Guy Maddin, in addition to other film and media projects. After moving to Minneapolis, her film work lead to the co-creation ‘SavingFace Continuity Software for Makeup & Hair’, which has taken her to IMATS LA and to the Television Academy in Hollywood where she spoke to IATSE Local 706 makeup artists. A true lover of independent film, Maureen landed her dream job working on the Coen Brothers’ “A Serious Man”, whilst also managing to maintain a presence as a freelance artist, at ShopNBC, a home shopping channel in the United States, and as an educator, teaching hair and makeup artistry.

Maureen returned to Canada, in 2017, moving to Victoria, to be closer to her family, to return to the film industry and to have a west-coast presence with SavingFace. In late 2021, she joined the staff at the South Island Film Commission.

Logan Swain is a storyteller with a burning desire to make a difference in the world by telling stories that value truth and honesty while remaining playfully curious. He lives and creates in the Traditional Territories of the Lekwungen people, now known as the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations. Specializing in Theatrical Production & Design and the creation of new work, he is passionate about bringing live performance to the stage while helping the work of his fellow artists reach its highest artistic potential. His creative interests include verbatim theatre, historically informed storytelling, immersive design, and pushing the boundaries of traditional theatre practices. Logan is an avid outdoorsman with Métis heritage and believes the best stories come from our lived experiences. He draws inspiration from time spent in nature and reflecting on his family's past, present, and future

Logan has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a Major in Theatre (Design Focus and Co-op Designation) from the University of Victoria. During his time at UVic, Logan pursued a comprehensive theatre education with a focus on design and production. He has also taken courses in Theatre History, Applied Theatre, Directing, and a variety of Indigenous Studies courses.

Over the course of his degree Logan designed seven productions at the Phoenix Theatre at UVic. Sound design credits include: Trojan Women (Main Stage, 2019), The Madwoman of Chaillot (Main Stage, 2017), A Yorkshire Tragedy (MFA Project, 2018), and two versions of Antigone (MFA Projects, 2017). Logan was the Set Designer (with Conor Farrell) for the Phoenix’s first ever production of Othello (Main Stage, 2019), Directed by Brian Richmond. Other scenic design credits include: Assistant to the Set Designer (Designer Brian Kenney) for The Drowsy Chaperone (Main Stage, 2018) and Set Designer for Ernie and Bethy (SATCo, 2018).

Logan’s first independent production was a successful run of Ernie and Bethy at the 2018 Victoria Fringe Festival with Broken Down Bus Productions. He runs Bucket Head Theatre, an emerging Victoria company founded in the summer of 2019, with fellow UVic grad Andrew Fraser. The pair presented Money on the Table at the 2019 Victoria Fringe Festival and toured Hegnimwaal - Based off the Enclosed Assembly Manual of the Same Name to the 2019 Kelowna Fringe Festival. Bucket Head Theatre brought Hegnimwaal to audiences on Vancouver Island at the 2021 Nanaimo Fringe Festival, and 2021 Victoria Fringe Festival. In 2022 he founded Hollow Hound Arts with collaborator Conor Farrell. The pair presented an early version of Ouroboros, a new play in development, at the 2022 Victoria Fringe Festival.

Logan has worked professionally for Theatre SKAM as producer for the annual SKAMpede festival, and as a designer, including: Lighting, Set & Projections for It’ll Come To Me (Victoria Preview, 2019), Set & Lighting for It’ll Come To Me (Victoria Premier, 2021), and Set for Going All The Way (Victoria, 2022). His recent work as a sound designer includes: The Waste Land (UVic Main Stage, 2022), Bury The Hatchet (Victoria, 2022) with the Culture Den Society & Belfry Theatre, and im:print2022 (Victoria, 2022) with the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria & UVic’s Phoenix Theatre.

Natasha Thambirajah is a third-generation public servant and has worked for the Province of BC since 2006. Over the past 15 years, she has led nationally recognized examples of transformative, citizen-centred public policy, including the prize-winning BC Services Card and the modernization of gender identity expression on government-issued identification.

In her current role as Director, Digital Health Policy at the Ministry of Health, Natasha works closely with senior leadership and key partners to lead the development of provincial policies for virtual care and digital health. This work has been a critical part of the province’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and sets a foundation for digitally transforming the way we deliver health care in British Columbia.

Natasha completed a double major Bachelor of Arts in history and political science at UVic, and holds a Master of Arts from the University of Manitoba/Winnipeg, and a Master of Science in Public Health from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

 Christine Walde is the Grants and Awards Librarian at the University of Victoria Libraries, where she supports and enhances the research activities and community engagement priorities of UVic Libraries, specifically in the areas of grants funding and awards, including special projects related to community engagement. She is also the General Editor of UVic Libraries' publication series, which is devoted to showcasing the library's archives and special collections.

She is also the Fine Arts Librarian in the subject areas of Art History and Visual Studies, Theatre, Visual Arts and Writing, and works with students, faculty, and instructors at UVic to assist with their research and teaching, collections and instructional support.

 Hannah Gentes is a Saulteaux-Metis woman currently living in WSANEC and Lekwungen territory. She is a Senior Project Manager and Indigenous Initiatives Lead with the environmental non-profit Coastal Restoration Society. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Indigenous Studies and Environmental Studies in the faculty of Humanities, and will be starting a Masters at the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria in January 2023. She is passionate about Indigenous-Ecological Stewardship, community building, and land-based learning.

Kim Gough is a Learning Program Developer at the Royal BC Museum, where she leads on outreach and adult programming. She holds a Master of Museum Education from the University of British Columbia.