An opportunity for established local artists to use their skills and experience to support emerging local artists that are actively working to complete a new project. 

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Project background 

The 44 Gaukel Mentorship Matchup program is a new initiative that will pair emerging or early career artists (mentees) with established professional artists (mentors) to address a variety of project-specific goals and skills development gaps. The objectives of this program include:  

  • skill development: help mentees achieve the professional goals of specific arts-based projects 
  • knowledge sharing: provide mentors and mentees opportunities to enhance their local arts sector experiences 
  • regional networking: expand professional interaction and collaboration between local artists at different levels 

Up to 10 mentors and 10 mentees will be selected to participate in the program. 

The program aims to support connections in the local arts community and new mentor-mentee relationships by providing compensation for mentors, optional meeting space at 44 Gaukel and coordination by City of Kitchener’s Arts & Creative Industries (A&CI) staff. 

44 Gaukel Creative Workspace is an affordable artists’ facility project led by A&CI staff that supports artist entrepreneurs, arts organization tenants and community groups. 

Eligibility requirements 

Applications for the 2024-25 Mentorship Matchup program are now closed. Subscribe to this page to be notified about future opportunities to participate.

The program is open to all artists who reside or work primarily in the Waterloo region and can demonstrate a clear, active commitment to their practice.  

Mentees and mentors are provided with an opportunity to coordinate their applications. 

Applicants must: 

  • be Canadian citizens or permanent residents 
  • complete either the mentor or mentee application and provide:  
    • information about their professional background, areas of expertise or relevant skill sets 
    • project-specific goals and areas of interest 
    • preferred availability for mentorship interactions  
  • be able to attend in person an orientation session and program kickoff
  • commit to spending 20 hours of time dedicated to mentorship collaboration activities

Mentor applicants should be: 

  • professional artists with 10 or more years of experience in a particular field of creative practice 
  • willing to share their knowledge in support of an emerging artist’s goals 
  • able to provide constructive, careful guidance to less experienced artists 

Mentee applicants should be: 

  • emerging artists with a confirmed project grant ; 
  • recent postsecondary arts graduates; 
  • newcomer artists trying to acclimatize; 
  • or individuals looking to advance their careers in the Waterloo region arts sector 

Mentee applicants must identify an arts project to be produced in the program year – with secured funds or other resources for which they would benefit from mentorship support. Alternatively, mentees can identify an entrepreneurial goal or strategic challenge they are committed to pursuing in the program year. 

Applications that do not identify a committed project, entrepreneurial goal or strategic challenge will not be considered. 

Selection process and criteria  

A&CI staff will identify preferred mentor and mentee applicants using these considerations:   

  • clear description and general viability of potential mentees’ artistic project, goal or challenge  
  • possible matches identified by overlap of disciplines, skills, expertise and areas of interest 
  • alignment of mentees’ specific project goals with mentors’ experiences and preferences 
  • compatibility of mentor-mentee schedules, communication and mobility profiles, etc.  

Final selections and pairings will be made by the A&CI manager based on the following criteria:  

  • strength and clarity of details provided by mentor and mentee applications  
  • artistic merit of committed project identified by mentees seeking mentor support  
  • feasibility of proposed support within the limitations of the Mentorship Matchup program 
  • anticipated impact of potential mentor on mentees’ current artistic development 

Preference will be given to submissions from Black, Indigenous, and racialized individuals, 2SLGBTQIA+ community members, and people with disabilities or disabled people. Staff will apply this preference with the goal of improving the representation of distinct identities in City-funded arts programming. To support our efforts to create inclusive spaces and opportunities, applications from artists or teams that represent other equity-deserving groups can also self-identify. 

We may find that fewer than 10 mentor-mentee pairings fulfill the project criteria. In this case, we may re-open the application process or attempt to recruit specific mentors or mentees to participate in the program.  

Compensation and expectations  

All selected participants will be paid for full participation in the program, which includes: 

  • orientation event attendance 
  • at least 20 hours of self-directed meetings or connections 
  • mid-program check-ins with A&CI staff 
  • post-program recap with A&CI staff 

There is no fee to apply or participate in the 2024-25 program. The compensation for program participants is $250 per person for mentees and $1000 per person for mentors. Participants receive final payment when the program is completed by invoice or honorarium; mentors will receive a partial payment at the start of the program. 

Program schedule and evaluation 

The selection and facilitation process for Jan-May 2025’s inaugural cohort will proceed as follows:  

  • Monday, September 30, 2024: open call for program applications released via kitchener.ca  
  • Thursday, October 17, 2024: program information session at 44 Gaukel Creative Workspace  
  • Monday, November 18, 2024: deadline for receipt of applications from potential mentors and mentees 
  • November/December 2024: selection and matching of mentors and mentees, including notification to all applicants  
  • Thursday, January 9, 2024: Mentorship Matchup orientation session and program kickoff 
    • we will outline program goals and expectations, provide basic training on effective mentorship practices, and an opportunity for selected participants to meet 
  • January-May 2025: self-organized meetings, interactions and/or collaborations by mentors and mentees 
    •  at least 20 hours of collaboration planned and scheduled at the discretion of mentor-mentee pairings 
  • March 2025: mid-program check-in briefings and potential mentor-mentee troubleshooting with City staff  
    • participants to provide email updates about progress and experiences to City staff, with additional meetings or interventions by the program administrator to address any issues. 
  • June 2025: post-program feedback collection for future programs and opportunities, plus a social celebration   

Program evaluation and feedback will include analyzing participant surveys, emailed updates and other observations from meetings with mentor-mentee pairings and/or individual artists. A&CI staff will compile those inputs to determine and refine the program’s effectiveness and track data related to participant satisfaction, number of meetings or connections, collaborative objectives achieved, and so on. 

Application 

Applications for the 2024-25 Mentorship Matchup program are now closed. Subscribe to this page to be notified about future opportunities to participate.