Meet the New Works Team
Jason Dubois
Executive Director
About
Jason Dubois (he/him) is an arts manager with more than two decades experience working in performing arts creation, dissemination and presentation. Career highlights include working as Festival Manager for the National Arts Centre’s Canada Scene, a 39-day festival in the summer of 2017 involving more than 1000 artists in performing, visual and media arts. Jason has previously served as Managing Director for the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, Producing Director for the Canada Dance Festival, Executive Director of Dance Victoria, and with Eponymous as Producer for Kidd Pivot and Company 605, Associate Producer for Wen Wei Dance, Production Manager for Vancouver New Music, and Director of Patron Relations for DanceHouse. He was Associate Producer for the Dance Centre’s Dance In Vancouver from 2015-2019 – a biennial showcase for Vancouver dance artists and a networking event for Canadian and international dance presenters. Jason has served as a director on the boards of The Greater Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture, The Professional Arts Alliance of Greater Victoria, the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists BC Chapter (CADA/West), and as president of the Canadian Dance Assembly’s National Council. | Photo by Carla Alcántara.
Contact: jason@newworks.ca
Amber Barton
Program Director
About
Amber Barton (she/her) was born and raised in Vancouver and continues to live, work, and play on the unceded and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She has spent the majority of her life working in the arts as a professional contemporary dance artist, performing, choreographing, producing, and teaching dance for 21 years and received her professional dance training with Goh Ballet Academy, Arts Umbrella, Ballet BC’s Mentor Programme, and the Banff Centre for the Arts. Amber is also one of the few Canadians to receive a full danceWEB scholarship to study at the ImPulsTanz festival in Vienna, Austria and the inaugural recipient of the Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award awarded via The Dance Centre in Vancouver, BC. Amber was also the artistic and managing director of her own contemporary dance company, the response. from 2008-2021. As a past client of New Works, she looks forward to applying her experience on behalf of supporting the livelihood and well being of dance artists. | Photo by Carla Alcántara.
Charlotte Newman
General Manager
About
Charlotte (she/her) is a dance artist, teacher, arts worker, and producer with over ten years of experience engaged in the arts in Vancouver. She is passionate about accessible community building, play and craft as practice, and supporting arts educators. Past roles include Communications Coordinator at DanceHouse, Front of House Coordinator at Vancouver New Music, and ArtsLIVE Producer at SFUW. She was born and raised in Seattle, is humbled to now call the unceded and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations home. | | Photo by Carla Alcántara.
Contact: charlotte@newworks.ca
Maura Doherty
Bookkeeper
About
Maura Doherty (she/her) is an arts bookkeeper, passionate about financial systems and helping artists dot i’s and cross t’s so they can focus on the art itself. She has had the privilege of working with artists and arts organizations of varying sizes, disciplines, and mandates over the past ten years in many different capacities, including operations management, facility management and volunteer coordination. She currently provides bookkeeping services for non-profits and charities such as The Western Front, VIVO Media Arts, C-Space, New Works, Foolish Operations, Théâtre La Seizième, The Chop Theatre, and Wild Bird Trust of BC.
Contact: admin@newworks.ca
Marco Esccer
Communications Coordinator
About
Marco Esccer (he/him) is a Mexican queer artist, performer, creator and educator, and has a diverse background from the technical to the therapeutic aspect of dance. He received his Bachelor in Ballet by the National Ballet and Contemporary School of Mexico City (2011-2016), followed by certifications in Research, experimentation and artistic production (2015-2016), Dance Movement Therapy (2016), Certified Yoga Instructor (2021), Progressive Ballet Technique Instructor (2022), and Mental Application: mind-body connection (2019-current). Marco’s recent work has been performed with the support of Co.Erasga, 12 Minutes Maxat The Dance Centre, and Coastal City Ballet’s Incubator and Emerge programs. He is currently working on a choreography about migration as a guest choreographer with Coastal City Ballet. He has also worked with New Works as a Share Dance Instructors since March 2021, and is excited to deepen this relationship and support connections between New Works and the wider dance community. | | Photo by Carla Alcántara.
Contact: marco@newworks.ca
Francesca Fung
Producer
About
Francesca has spent a few years here and there taking music and dance classes, and a far longer time being at the service of the art forms and their practitioners and dreaming of living inside a concert hall. Doomed with two left feet and a propensity to shun the limelight, Francesca found her happy place tucked behind the scenes where she attempts to tint administrative labour with imagination and solicitude and to ‘play gracefully with ideas’ (O. Wilde). Francesca joined New Works in 2022. She continues to vanquish everyone at the challenge for who’s got the best job in town. | Photo by Carla Alcántara.
Contact: francesca@newworks.ca
Michelle Kneale
Development & Artist Support
About
Michelle Kneale (she/her) is an arts administrator, and dramaturg with over 15 years experience in professional theatre; She has worked for companies such as Boca del Lupo, Pi Theatre, Alberta Playwrights Network, Pumphouse Theatre, Handsome Alice Theatre, African Friendship Society, and Ne. Sans Opera and Dance. Michelle has experience with producing, governance, operations, administration, communications & outreach, grant writing, planning, leadership transitions, and artist support programming.
Contact: michelle@newworks.ca
Dawn Briscoe
Registrar & Program Coordinator, Out Innerspace
About
Dawn Briscoe (She/Her) is an emerging dance artist, who currently works, creates and plays on unceded and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. In 2021 she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with honors in Dance from Simon Fraser University. During her time at SFU, she had the opportunity to interpret works from Rob Kitsos, Noam Gagnon and Mahaila Patterson O’Brien.
Originally from a small town located on the unceded Kwakwaka’wakw territories, she has developed a passion for creating dance opportunities for rural communities. She continues to explore this while currently being based in a city-center, working on other choreographic interests.
Dawn has held the position as Vice-President on the Vancouver Island Youth Dance Theatre Association board which supports Dancestreams Youth Dance Company since 2019.
Contact: dawn@newworks.ca
Hilary Maxwell
Production & Touring Coordinator
About
Hilary Maxwell (she/her) lives and works on the unceded and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She holds a BA and MFA in Dance from the University of Calgary and has over 20 years’ experience working in the dance milieu. Her passion to support artists and their creative ambitions has led her to past roles including Artistic Associate at Calgary’s Dancers’ Studio West, Member Services Coordinator with The Dance Centre, and, more recently, Facility Manager at Left of Main. As a dance artist, Hilary has worked with notable artists and companies such as Danse Carpe Diem / Emmanuel Jouthe, Les Productions Figlio, Company 605, W&M Physical Theatre, and German Jauregui. In her position as Production and Touring Coordinator with New Works, Hilary supports the activities and initiatives of Belsher Arts Management and Action at a Distance. Since 2014, Hilary has sat on the board of mixed-ability dance company All Bodies Dance Project. | Photo by Carla Alcántara.
Contact: hilary@newworks.ca
Siobhan Powell
Stage Manager/ Production Manager
About
Siobhan Powell (she/her) is a multidisciplinary theatre manager and visual artist of mixed European and Chinese heritage gratefully living and working on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the (Musqueam); Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples. She received her BFA in Drama with a specialization in Technical Theatre and Production from the U of A in 2012, and continues to enjoy working in theatre production, primarily based out of the great PNW. She currently works full-time at The Cultch, and is thrilled to be connecting with New Works as both a production and stage manager for an exciting anniversary season of fun!
Contact: siobhan@newworks.ca
Vivien Dang
Programming & Archives Coordinator
About
Contemporary Arts. Born in China, she is happy to have been raised on the ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples. She is passionate about exploring embodied cognition and community building through somatic and art practices. She also wishes to bring visibility and presence to artists of diverse backgrounds. Having spent most of her artistic career as a performer and educator, she hopes to continue to play alongside, create more work with, and give support to other artists within the community.
Contact: vivien@newworks.ca
Daniela Vega
Fall Intern, Production & Communications.
About
Daniela Vega is a Dominican passionate artist with a Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts. With three years of experience in the audiovisual industry, Daniela has made her mark as a versatile and dedicated professional. Her roles in the film industry have encompassed 1st and 2nd Assistant Director positions, acting and dancing, and even food styling.
With an unwavering thirst for knowledge, Daniela is constantly learning and exploring new horizons within the arts. Her interests extend to the direction and production of various artistic forms, including theater, dance, music, and film. She is particularly drawn to the world of artistic events and festivals.
She started her dancing journey at the age of two and has been in love with the arts ever since.
Photo by Jensson Cruz
Contact: daniela@newworks.ca
2023-24 Board of Directors
Bradley Trenaman, President
Fiorella Pinillos
Kate Ladyshewsky
Andrea Hebert
Kate Franklin