June 1st, 2021

Dear New Works community,

After such an unusual 15 months, changes are afoot all over our city, our community, and our world. New Works has been fortunate, under the direction of our passionate, hard-working, and dedicated staff, to have weathered the many uncertainties of the last year and to be emerging strong and ready for new things.

Today I’m writing to tell you about one change that I am greeting with a mixture of joy and sadness. After more than two years in her role as Executive Director at New Works, Julie Mamias has made the difficult decision to leave her role so that she and her family can relocate to Montreal. While we are extremely sad to see her go, we are so pleased for Julie that she and her husband have made this decision for their family. 

Julie has been both a stabilizing leader and an amazing agent for change during her tenure at New Works. She has overseen the creation of a dynamic strategic plan and the revamping of all of our programs serving and supporting dance artists, both in management and in presentations. As a person who has been connected to New Works now in one way or another for more than 8 years, it is my opinion that New Works has the most flexible, equitable, and transparent model it has had for some time, largely thanks to Julie’s leadership and the support of her excellent staff. New Works and the Vancouver dance community will feel this positive impact for many years.

Fortunately, Julie has offered to take this transition slowly. This summer she will be taking a leave in order to relocate her family to Montreal. During this time Martin Alldred, long-time New Works employee and General Manager for Out Innerspace and Modus Operandi, will be taking on some of Julie’s responsibilities as the Acting Managing Director at New Works. Julie will then return to her role as Executive Director in September, working remotely from Montreal for a few months as we launch and complete a search for a new Executive Director, who we hope to hire by the end of 2021.

New Works will also be working during the coming months to recruit new board members who can help our current board and new Executive Director set a fantastic direction for 2022 and beyond. 

Change can be stressful, but it is also inevitable. If we lean into it thoughtfully, it can also be extremely positive. I feel confident the changes of this next 6-9 months will benefit New Works and the community it serves. 

I welcome your feedback, your questions, and your insights as we move through this transition. Contact me at ben.shockey@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Ben Shockey

President, Board of Directors, New Performance Works Society